''The Defenders'' is an American

courtroom drama A legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice play ...

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

that ran on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

from

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

. It was created by television writer

Reginald Rose Reginald Rose (December 10, 1920 – April 19, 2002) was an American screenwriter. He wrote about controversial social and political issues. His realism (arts), realistic approach was particularly influential in the anthology programs of the ...

, and stars

E. G. Marshall E. G. Marshall (born Everett Eugene Grunz;Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900-1934, Ancestry.comEverett Eugene Grunz in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, accessed via Ancestry.com June 18, ...

and

Robert Reed Robert Reed (born John Robert Rietz Jr.; October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American actor. He played Kenneth Preston on the legal drama '' The Defenders'' from 1961 to 1965 alongside E. G. Marshall, and is best known for his role as the ...

as father-and-son

defense attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...

s. Original music for the series was scored by

Frank Lewin Frank Lewin (March 27, 1925 – January 18, 2008) was an American composer and teacher. Biography Frank Lewin was born March 27, 1925, in Breslau, Germany. He and his family escaped from Germany in 1939, spent a year in Cuba, and came to ...

and

Leonard Rosenman Leonard Rosenman (September 7, 1924 – March 4, 2008) was an American film, television and concert composer with credits in over 130 works, including '' East of Eden'', ''Rebel without a Cause'', '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'', ''Beneath the ...

. This series is not related to the 2010s CBS series of the same name.

Plot

Lawrence Preston (Marshall) and Kenneth Preston (Reed) are father-and-son

s who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis,

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

s, demonstrators of the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

, a schoolteacher fired for being an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

, an author accused of

pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

, and a physician charged in a

mercy killing Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eutha ...

Cast

as Lawrence Preston *

as Kenneth Preston *

Polly Rowles Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Rowles (January 10, 1914 – October 7, 2001 in Concord, New Hampshire) was an American actress. Early years Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rowles was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph T. Rowles. Her father was a ...

as Helen Donaldson, the Prestons' secretary (1961–1962) *

Joan Hackett Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She starred in the 1967 western ''Will Penny''. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golde ...

as Joan Miller, Kenneth's girlfriend (1961–1962) Several actors appeared numerous times over the course of the series.

John Boruff John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

J.D. Cannon John Donovan Cannon (April 24, 1922 – May 20, 2005) was an American actor. An alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, he is best known for his co-starring role of Chief of Detectives Peter B. Clifford in the tele ...

Lonnie Chapman Lonny or Lonnie is a given name usually used for males. People * Lonny Baxter (born 1979), American former basketball player * Lonny Bereal (), American R&B singer, songwriter and producer * Lonny Theodore Ted Binion (1943–1998), American ca ...

and

Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...

each appeared in eight episodes; Walter Klavun appeared in seven episodes;

Marc Connelly Marcus Cook Connelly (December 13, 1890 – December 21, 1980) was an American playwright, director, producer, performer, and lyricist. He was a key member of the Algonquin Round Table, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930. Biogra ...

Robert Gerringer Robert Gerringer (born Robert Geiringer; May 12, 1926 – November 8, 1989) was an American character actor perhaps best known as Dr. Dave Woodard on the soap opera ''Dark Shadows'', a role he played during 1967. Gerringer left the show because h ...

, Murray Hamilton,

Judson Laire Judson Laire (August 3, 1902 – July 5, 1979) was an American film, stage, and television actor best known for starring as Lars Hansen in the early CBS television series, '' Mama'' from 1949 to 1957, as well as several daytime soap operas includi ...

Kermit Murdock Kermit Murdock (20 March 1908 – 11 February 1981) was an American film, television and radio actor known for his avuncular and professorial character portrayals. His more prominent character roles in major motion pictures included Dean Poll ...

Frank Overton Frank Emmons Overton (March 12, 1918April 24, 1967) was an American actor. He was best known for the roles of Maj. Harvey Stovall in ''Twelve O'Clock High'' (1964-1967), Sheriff Heck Tate in ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962) and General Bogan in ' ...

, Lester Rawlins and

Dolph Sweet Adolphus Jean Sweet (July 18, 1920 – May 8, 1985) was an American actor, credited with nearly 60 television and film roles and more than 50 roles in stage productions, including performances on Broadway. He often played policemen throughout ...

each appeared six times; and

Simon Oakland Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between ...

and

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

each appeared in five episodes.

Episodes

Production

Development

The series was a slight reworking of Rose's 1957 two-part drama, ''The Defender'', from the anthology series '' Studio One''. In the original program,

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

played the father and

played his son. Shatner guest-starred in various roles in the later series, and the original drama later was incorporated into an episode of his series, '' Boston Legal''. According to creator Reginald Rose, "the law is the subject of our programs: not crime, not mystery, not the courtroom for its own sake. We were never interested in producing a ' who-done-it' which simply happened to be resolved each week in a flashy courtroom battle of wits." And unlike ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', which also ran on CBS, victory was "far from certain on ''The Defenders''—as were morality and justice." Topics featured in the series included

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, " no-knock" searches, custody rights of adoptive parents, the insanity defense, the " poisoned fruit doctrine,"

immigration quota Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

s, the

Hollywood blacklist The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of denying emplo ...

jury nullification Jury nullification (US/UK), jury equity (UK), or a perverse verdict (UK) occurs when the jury in a criminal trial gives a not guilty verdict despite a defendant having clearly broken the law. The jury's reasons may include the belief that the ...

, and

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

visa restrictions. Writers for the show included Rose in many early episodes, with later episodes by Albert "Al" Ruben and

Ernest Kinoy Ernest Kinoy (April 1, 1925 – November 10, 2014) was an American writer, screenwriter and playwright. Early life Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his parents, Albert and Sarah Kinoy (formerly Forstadt), were both high-school ...

– both Jewish Americans holding socially liberal views. It was thought the move to “ratings graveyard” Thursday nights after a successful prime time reign on Saturday evenings, was conservative corporate devised to force the socially conscious program into cancellation, which it ultimately did.

Controversial episodes

A 1962 episode entitled "The Benefactor"—in which the father–son legal team defended an

care provider—was the most controversial; all of the series' three regular advertisers (

Brown & Williamson Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation was a U.S. tobacco company and a subsidiary of multinational British American Tobacco that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhanc ...

Lever Brothers Lever Brothers was a British manufacturing company founded in 1885 by two brothers: William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), and James Darcy Lever (1854–1916). They invested in and successfully promoted a new soap-making p ...

, and Kimberly-Clark) refused to sponsor the episode, so it was only transmitted after a last-minute sponsor was found, peidel Watches for a discounted advertising rate. The

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

banned this episode when it was first shown on April 28. In 2008, this incident was used as the basis for a second season episode of the drama ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...

'', set in the 1960s. The December 7, 1963 episode, "Climate of Evil," was originally titled "The Gentle Assassin" but was changed two weeks earlier in the aftermath of the

John F. Kennedy assassination John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle wi ...

. In addition, the January 4, 1964 episode, "Clare Cheval Died in Boston," was originally scheduled for the weekend of the assassination, and subsequently had reference to "President Kennedy" deleted from the episode.

Broadcast history

Note: The most frequent time slot for the series is in bold text. * Saturday at 8:30–9:30 p.m. on CBS: September 16, 1961 – May 25, 1963; November 30, 1963 – June 27, 1964 * Saturday at 9:00–10:00 p.m. on CBS: September 28 – November 16, 1963 * Thursday at 10:00–11:00 p.m. on CBS: September 24, 1964 – May 13, 1965

Reception

Awards

''The Defenders'' won 13 Emmy Awards (including three in a row for Outstanding Drama Series) and received an additional seven nominations. The

Museum of Broadcast Communications The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) is an American museum, the stated mission of which is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain through our archi ...

called it "perhaps the most socially conscious series the medium has ever seen", a show "singularly resonant with

New Frontier The term ''New Frontier'' was used by Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the ...

liberalism". In 2002, ''The Defenders'' was ranked #31 on

TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time ''TV Guide''s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is ''TV Guide''s list of the 50 most entertaining or influential television series in American pop culture. It appeared in the May 4–10, 2002 issue of the magazine, which was the second in a series ...

, and in 2013 ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' ranked it #8 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.

Ratings

* 1961–1962: #26 (22.4) * 1962–1963: #18 (23.9) * 1963–1964: N/A * 1964–1965: N/A As a top 30 series, ''The Defenders'' has an average rating of 23.2.

Home media

On July 12, 2016, Shout! Factory released the complete first season on DVD in Region 1.

Sequel and spin-offs

A re-envisioned version of the series debuted on the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

network in 1997. Still called ''The Defenders'', it featured E. G. Marshall in his original role as Lawrence Preston. However, the three Showtime films focused on

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was a ...

as Don Preston, a previously unmentioned second son of Lawrence, and

Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress. Her feature-film debut was in '' Rollover'' (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film ''The Goonies'' (1985). She has also appeared in '' The Mosquito ...

as M.J., the daughter of Ken Preston, Robert Reed's character, who is said to have died (as had Reed in 1992). Don and M.J. worked as lawyers and carried on the family legacy. However, Marshall died after completion of the second episode ("Choice of Evils"). Production was halted and the remaining episode, "Taking the First", aired as a movie special in 1998.

References in other media

The second season of ''Mad Men'' contains an episode named "The Benefactor" that featured a brief clip from ''The Defenders'' episode of the same name.Episode 3: The Benefactor
from the AMC TV network website In the ''Mad Men'' episode, the Sterling Cooper advertising agency is trying to secure sponsors for ''The Defenders'' episode, which contains a plot involving abortion (originally telecast on April 28, 1962), after the regular sponsors pulled out because they claimed the episode (and subject matter) was too controversial. The episode also offers a fictional backstory for the episode; that it was written for the third season of the series but rejected by the network for the usage of abortion as a plotline. The following season, the writers produced a script that revolved around the theme of cannibalism but the episode was rejected by the director who was assigned to film the episode due to the content. The director's refusal led to the network being forced to film the abortion-centric script, which an executive assigned to find advertisers for the show proclaims was the plan all along.

References

External links

*
Finding aid to The Defenders scripts and papers at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Defenders, The 1961 American television series debuts 1965 American television series endings 1960s American drama television series 1960s American legal television series American legal drama television series Black-and-white American television shows Television shows filmed in New York City CBS original programming Courtroom drama television series English-language television shows Television series by CBS Studios Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners