Season 8 • Episode 22
LatestMcKenzie throws the firm into a turmoil when he announces his plans to retire as they prepare to throw him a surprise 65th birthday party; thinking that he's reached rock bottom at the age of 42, Becker reaches out to Halliday for comfort and finds himself in church; Levinson represents an elderly clothing manufacturer sued by his son in a power struggle over their family business; Benny and Rosalie argue when Dominic urges him to invest money in a race horse.
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.
Writing
Bochco's multi-thread chaos — five cases, one episode, zero mercy.
Acting
Larry Drake's Benny Stulwicz humanized disability on primetime.
Production
That swooping aerial intro screamed '80s Los Angeles ambition.
Creators
Steven Bochco, Terry Louise Fisher
Corbin Bernsen
Arnie Becker
Jill Eikenberry
Ann Kelsey
Alan Rachins
Douglas Brackman
Michael Tucker
Stuart Markowitz
Blair Underwood
Jonathan Rollins
Larry Drake
Benny Stulwicz
John Spencer
Tommy Mullaney
A Martinez
Daniel Morales
Richard Dysart
Leland McKenzie
Alan Rosenberg
Eli Levinson
Debi Mazar
Denise Iannello
Alexandra Powers
Jane Halliday
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The infamous 'lesbian kiss' episode in 1991 between C.J. and Abby drew massive advertiser panic — and massive ratings.
Steven Bochco essentially prototyped HBO's model here: star-producer autonomy, serialized storytelling, and 'important' subject matter that made NBC executives sweat.
US
