The Defenders 1961
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The Defenders is an American courtroom drama television series that aired on CBS from 1961 to 1965. Created by television writer Reginald Rose, the program focuses on the professional and personal partnership of a father-and-son legal team. E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed star as the defense attorneys, with additional cast members including Polly Rowles and Ossie Davis. The series is noted for its focus on legally complex cases that address significant social and moral issues. Throughout its run, the attorneys represent a diverse range of clients, including civil rights demonstrators, conscientious objectors, and neo-Nazis. Other challenging cases featured in the series involve a schoolteacher dismissed for being an atheist, an author accused of publishing pornography, and a physician charged with performing a mercy killing. By exploring these difficult subjects, the show established itself as a drama centered on important legal and ethical dilemmas. The series concluded its broadcast run in 1965 after four years on the air.
Should you watch it?
“A father-and-son legal team defends clients in complex cases addressing significant social and moral issues.”
- tackles controversial social issues
- strong lead performances
- older production values
- heavy thematic content
Watch it if you enjoy classic courtroom dramas that explore the ethical dilemmas of the nineteen sixties.
The series explores mature social and legal themes that may be intense for some viewers.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 32 episodes
- E1 Quality of Mercy Sep 16, 1961
- E2 Killer Instinct Sep 23, 1961
- E3 Death Across the Counter Sep 30, 1961
- E4 The Riot Oct 7, 1961
- E5 The Young Lovers Oct 14, 1961
- E6 The Boy Between Oct 21, 1961
- E7 The Hundred Lives of Harry Simms Oct 28, 1961
- E8 The Accident Nov 4, 1961
- E9 The Trial of Jenny Scott Nov 11, 1961
- E10 The Man with the Concrete Thumb Nov 18, 1961
- E11 The Treadmill Nov 25, 1961
- E12 Perjury Dec 2, 1961
- E13 The Attack Dec 9, 1961
- E14 The Prowler Dec 16, 1961
- E15 Gideon's Follies Dec 23, 1961
- E16 The Best Defense Dec 30, 1961
- E17 The Bedside Murder Jan 6, 1962
- E18 The Search Jan 20, 1962
- E19 Storm at Birch Glen Jan 27, 1962
- E20 The Point Shaver Feb 3, 1962
- E21 The Locked Room Feb 10, 1962
- E22 The Empty Chute Feb 17, 1962
- E23 The Crusader Feb 24, 1962
- E24 The Hickory Indian Mar 3, 1962
- E25 The Iron Man Mar 10, 1962
- E26 The Tarnished Cross Mar 17, 1962
- E27 The Last Six Months Mar 31, 1962
- E28 The Naked Heiress Apr 7, 1962
- E29 Reunion with Death Apr 21, 1962
- E30 The Benefactor Apr 28, 1962
- E31 Along Came a Spider May 5, 1962
- E32 The Broken Barrelhead May 26, 1962
Season 2 · 34 episodes
- E1 The Voices of Death Sep 15, 1962
- E2 Blood Country Sep 22, 1962
- E3 The Indelible Silence Sep 29, 1962
- E4 The Seven Ghosts of Simon Gray Oct 6, 1962
- E5 The Unwanted Oct 13, 1962
- E6 Madman (1) Oct 20, 1962
- E7 Madman (2) Oct 27, 1962
- E8 The Bigamist Nov 3, 1962
- E9 The Avenger Nov 17, 1962
- E10 The Invisible Badge Nov 24, 1962
- E11 The Hidden Jungle Dec 1, 1962
- E12 The Savage Infant Dec 8, 1962
- E13 The Apostle Dec 15, 1962
- E14 Grandma TNT Dec 22, 1962
- E15 Don't Take the Stand Dec 29, 1962
- E16 Kill or Be Killed Jan 5, 1963
- E17 Man Against Himself Jan 12, 1963
- E18 The Poisoned Fruit Doctrine Jan 19, 1963
- E19 Poltergeist Jan 26, 1963
- E20 Ordeal Feb 2, 1963
- E21 The Hour Before Doomsday Feb 9, 1963
- E22 The Traitor Feb 16, 1963
- E23 The Eye of Fear Feb 23, 1963
- E24 Metamorphosis Mar 2, 1963
- E25 The Last Illusion Mar 9, 1963
- E26 The Heathen Mar 23, 1963
- E27 A Book for Burning Mar 30, 1963
- E28 A Taste of Vengeance Apr 6, 1963
- E29 The Colossus Apr 13, 1963
- E30 Judgment Eve Apr 20, 1963
- E31 The Noose Apr 27, 1963
- E32 Everybody Else is Dead May 11, 1963
- E33 The Trial of Twenty-Two May 18, 1963
- E34 The Brother Killers May 25, 1963
Season 3 · 36 episodes
- E1 The Weeping Baboon Sep 28, 1963
- E2 The Empty Heart Oct 5, 1963
- E3 The Captive Oct 12, 1963
- E4 The Bagman Oct 19, 1963
- E5 Conspiracy of Silence Oct 26, 1963
- E6 The Cruel Hook Nov 2, 1963
- E7 Star-Spangled Ghetto Nov 9, 1963
- E8 Loophole Nov 16, 1963
- E9 The Seal of Confession Nov 30, 1963
- E10 Climate of Evil Dec 7, 1963
- E11 The Crowd Pleaser Dec 14, 1963
- E12 Old Lady Ironsides Dec 21, 1963
- E13 Fugue for Trumpet and Small Boy Dec 28, 1963
- E14 Claire Cheval Died in Boston Nov 23, 1963
- E15 The Last Day Jan 11, 1964
- E16 Blacklist Jan 18, 1964
- E17 Who'll Dig His Grave? Jan 25, 1964
- E18 All the Silent Voices Feb 1, 1964
- E19 The Secret Feb 8, 1964
- E20 The Pill Man Feb 22, 1964
- E21 Drink Like a Lady Feb 29, 1964
- E22 Survival Mar 14, 1964
- E23 Moment of Truth Mar 21, 1964
- E24 The Hidden Fury Mar 28, 1964
- E25 Die Laughing Apr 11, 1964
- E26 May Day! May Day! Apr 18, 1964
- E27 The Thief Apr 25, 1964
- E28 Yankee Go Home May 2, 1964
- E29 The Man Who Saved His Country May 9, 1964
- E30 Mind Over Murder May 16, 1964
- E31 The Sixth Alarm May 23, 1964
- E32 The Fine Line May 30, 1964
- E33 The Non-Violent Jun 6, 1964
- E34 Stowaway Jun 13, 1964
- E35 Hollow Triumph Jun 20, 1964
- E36 The Uncivil War Jun 27, 1964
Season 4 · 30 episodes
- E1 The Seven Hundred-Year Old Gang (1) Sep 24, 1964
- E2 The Seven Hundred-Year Old Gang (2) Oct 1, 1964
- E3 Hero of the People Oct 8, 1964
- E4 Go-Between Oct 15, 1964
- E5 Conflict of Interests Oct 22, 1964
- E6 The Man Who . . . Oct 29, 1964
- E7 Turning Point Nov 5, 1964
- E8 A Taste of Ashes Nov 12, 1964
- E9 Comeback Nov 26, 1964
- E10 The Siege Dec 3, 1964
- E11 Whitewash Dec 10, 1964
- E12 A Voice Loud and Clear Dec 17, 1964
- E13 King of the Hill Dec 31, 1964
- E14 Whipping Boy Jan 7, 1965
- E15 Eyewitness Jan 14, 1965
- E16 The Silent Killers Jan 21, 1965
- E17 Death on Wheels Jan 28, 1965
- E18 The Unwritten Law Feb 4, 1965
- E19 The Objector Feb 11, 1965
- E20 Fires of the Mind Feb 18, 1965
- E21 No-Knock Feb 25, 1965
- E22 The Merry-Go-Round Murder Mar 4, 1965
- E23 Nobody Asks What Side You're On . . . Mar 11, 1965
- E24 Impeachment Mar 18, 1965
- E25 The Sworn Twelve Mar 25, 1965
- E26 A Matter of Law and Disorder Apr 8, 1965
- E27 Youths and Maidens on an Evening Walk Apr 15, 1965
- E28 The Prosecutor Apr 29, 1965
- E29 The Bum's Rush May 6, 1965
- E30 Only a Child May 13, 1965
Frequently asked questions
Who are the lead actors?
The series stars E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son attorneys Lawrence and Kenneth Preston.
When did the series air?
The Defenders aired on CBS from 1961 to 1965.
Who created the show?
The series was created by television writer Reginald Rose.
What kind of cases do they handle?
The attorneys specialize in legally complex cases involving diverse defendants like conscientious objectors and civil rights demonstrators.
Is it a legal drama?
Yes, it is an American courtroom drama television series focused on the work of defense attorneys.