101 Best Written TV Series

Aired: NBC, 1986-1994

Over its eight seasons, L.A. Law racked up 15 Emmys in various categories (including two as outstanding drama). For every legal show that soared to the top of the ratings in the last two decades, you can refer back to L.A. Law, in no small measure for the way it brought lawyers out of the realm of caricature (they were neither crusaders nor crooks, strictly) and made their lives (in the courtroom and the bedroom) the stuff of high melodrama and cheeky wit, all while pointing to the social issues of the day. The show's unstoppable writing force was a former lawyer himself, David E. Kelley, who, with William Finkelstein, another ex-lawyer, wrote many of the series' episodes. For executive producer Steven Bochco the show bridged his acclaimed run as a hit-maker, coming after Hill Street Blues and before NYPD Blue.

Credited Writers

John Robert Bensink
Daniel Ben-Zui
Steven Bochco
Alan Brennert
Steve Brown
Joe Cacaci
Les Carter
Robert Cochran
Robert Crais
Charles Eglee
Jacob Epstein
Judith Feldman
William M. Finkelstein
Terry Louise Fisher
Jennifer Flackett
Carol Flint
Leonard Freeman
Sarah Woodside Gallagher
Michele Gallery
Jean Gennis
Channing Gibson
Marshall Goldberg
Patricia Green
Paul Haggis
John Hill
Janis Hirsch
Allison Hock
Stephen B. Katz
David E. Kelley
Anne Kenney
Christopher Keyser
Matt Kiene
Amy Lippman
Roger Lowenstein
Paul Manning
D. Keith Mano
Julie Martin
John Masius
Douglas McGrath
David Milch
Alice Miller-Smith
Phyllis Murphy
Hugh O'Neill
John Jay Osborn, Jr.
Judith Parker
Theresa Rebeck
Joe Reinkemeyer
John Romano
Cynthia Saunders
Barry M. Schkolnick
Peter Schneider
John Schulian
Tony Schwartz
Joe Shulkin
Susan Sisko
Melinda M. Snodgrass
William Stadiem
John Tinker
Jon Wilkman
Bryce Zabel