The Bold Ones: The Lawyers
Cast
Also known as	The Lawyers
Created by	Roy Huggins (credited as John Thomas James)
Directed by	Douglas Heyes
Starring	Burl Ives Joseph Campanella James Farentino
Opening theme	Pete Rugolo
Composer	Stanley Wilson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	29 (Including two pilot movies) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Roy Huggins
Producer	Jo Swerling Jr.
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	45–48 minutes
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	December 10, 1968 (1968-12-10) – February 13, 1972 (1972-02-13)

The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (or The Lawyers) is an American legal drama that aired for three seasons on NBC from September 1968 through February 1972.

Synopsis

The series starred Burl Ives as Walter Nichols, a respected attorney who hires two brothers (Joseph Campanella and James Farentino) who are lawyers to help him with his case load.

The Lawyers was part of The Bold Ones, a rotating series of dramas that also included The New Doctors (with E.G. Marshall), The Protectors (with Leslie Nielsen) and The Senator (with Hal Holbrook). It was nominated for three Emmy awards and won two of them.^[1] Pat Hingle and Walter Brooke each made two guest appearances, and had previously appeared in The New Doctors. Kermit Murdock also made two guest appearances, and later appeared in cameo roles in The Senator.

During the production of the first series of 8 episodes, James Farentino complained vociferously to the producers about the scripts and was suspended for three weeks, missing two shows.^[2] Later, near the end of the third series, he announced he was leaving of his own volition, but the series was not renewed for a fourth year.^[3]

Cast

Main cast

Burl Ives as Walter Nichols an attorney that hires the Darrel brothers to help him with his cases. (appeared in 26 episodes and both films)
Joseph Campanella as Brian Darrell, one of the two Darrel Brothers who helps Nicholas with his cases. (appeared in 24 episodes and the second film)
James Farentino as Neil Darrell, the other one of the two Darrel Brothers. (appeared in 19 episodes and both films)

Recurring characters

John Milford as Lieutenant Paul Hewitt (appeared in 6 episodes)
Todd Martin as Deputy District Attorney Skinner (appeared in 3 episodes)

Guest stars

Charles Aidman made three appearances including "The Rockford Riddle" and "The Search for Leslie Grey"
Patricia Barry made two appearances playing different roles
Ramon Bieri made two appearances as Judge Hartman
Walter Brooke made two appearances as Dr. Howe including "By Reason of Insanity"
Frank Campanella made two appearances
Bob Corff made two appearances as Brother Bartholomew
Roger Davis made three appearances including "The Long Morning After: Pt. 1 and Pt. 2"
Pete Duel made an appearance in "Trial of a Pfc"
Dana Elcar made two appearances as District Attorney Shannon including "The Crowd Pleasers"
Will Geer made three appearances including "The Verdict"
Clarke Gordon made two appearances
Anne Helm made two appearances
Pat Hingle made two appearances as General Sternwood
Charles Lampkin made two appearances
Randolph Mantooth made an appearance as Terry Kimble in "The Strange Secret of Yermo Hill"
Jared Martin made two appearances including "Trial of a Pfc"
Pamela McMyler made two appearances as Linda Sternwood
George Murdock made two appearances as District Attorney Braddock
Kermit Murdock made two appearances as Judge Chapman including "Justice is a Sometime Thing"
Herbert Nelson made two appearances
Leslie Perkins made two appearances
John S. Ragin made two appearances
Ford Rainey made two appearances
John Randolph made two appearances as Dr. Paul Schaefer
Nina Shipman made two appearances as Louise Miller
David Spielberg made three appearances as Vernon Wahlburg
Mel Tormé made an appearance as Harry Carter in "The Crowd Pleaser"
Richard Van Vleet made two appearances as James Fryman
James Wainwright made two appearances as Bill Stillman
Richard Conte made an appearance as Frank DeLacey in "Trial of a Mafioso"

Episodes

Season	Episodes	Originally aired
Season	Episodes	First aired	Last aired
Pilots	2	December 10, 1968 (1968-12-10)	March 11, 1969 (1969-03-11)
1	8	September 21, 1969 (1969-09-21)	February 15, 1970 (1970-02-15)
2	8	September 27, 1970 (1970-09-27)	February 28, 1971 (1971-02-28)
3	11	September 19, 1971 (1971-09-19)	February 13, 1972 (1972-02-13)

Pilots

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Sound of Anger"	Michael Ritchie	Roy Huggins and Dick Nelson	December 10, 1968 (1968-12-10)
Two teenagers who have been engaged in pre-marital sex become the prime suspects when the girl's disapproving father is mysteriously murdered. NOTE: Guy Stockwell plays Brian Darrell in this first pilot film. He was replaced in the second film and subsequent series by Joseph Campanella.
2	"The Whole World Is Watching"	Richard A. Colla	Richard Levinson and William Link	March 11, 1969 (1969-03-11)
After a university police officer is killed during a campus protest, student activist Gil Bennett is arrested for the murder. Milking this turn of events for his cause, Bennett refuses to testify about his innocence. Nichols and the Darrell brothers now must find the young man's one hope; the only witness to the crime who has his own motive for not coming forward.

Season 1 (1969–70)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"A Game of Chance"	Douglas Heyes	Story by : Whit Masterson Teleplay by : Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James)	September 21, 1969 (1969-09-21)
A rogue cop who makes a habit of dwelling in the gray area of the law is the target of junior partner Neil Darrell, who's out to expose the officer's abuse.
2	2	"The People Against Ortega"	Richard T. Heffron	Story by : William Pearson Teleplay by : Dick Nelson	October 12, 1969 (1969-10-12)
Brian's client, who was wrongfully convicted of a capital murder many years ago, accidentally kills the wife of the district attorney during a failed escape attempt shortly before he is cleared of the original crime. Brian chooses to continue to represent his client during the trial for the accidental killing, even though the DA and his wife were good friends of Brian's. James Farentino does not appear in this episode.
3	3	"The Crowd Pleaser"	Vincent Sherman	Story by : David Giler and Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James) Teleplay by : Frank Fenton	November 2, 1969 (1969-11-02)
The lawyers are shocked when their client, a cocky real estate agent accused of murdering a prostitute, gleefully admits to the crime during a private party celebrating his acquittal. When another man is subsequently convicted of the crime and faces the death penalty, Neil makes an agonizing decision that could sacrifice his career.
4	4	"The Rockford Riddle"	Richard T. Heffron	Story by : F.D. Averno Teleplay by : Matthew Howard	November 16, 1969 (1969-11-16)
Walter volunteers to represent a mentally ill homeless man who has just admitted to murdering a peer, on the condition that the man divulge the facts of a previous murder for which Walter represented him several years earlier; in that case, the man admitted to murdering his wife's rival when his wife was on trial for the murder, only to recant his guilt immediately after she was acquitted. The character who had actually committed the earlier murder in a jealous rage is played by Claudine Longet, who, in real life, would shoot and kill her boyfriend, skier Spider Sabich, in 1976. James Farentino does not appear.
5	5	"Shriek of Silence"	Fernando Lamas	Story by : Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James) Teleplay by : Robert Foster and Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James)	November 30, 1969 (1969-11-30)
The lawyers represent a front-running gubernatorial candidate who is being framed for the murder of a female campaign worker by his former campaign chairman, a man forced to resign because the candidate found out he was a homosexual. His defense becomes a lot more complicated when he is witnessed moving the body out of his apartment and into a park as part of an ill-conceived plan to avoid being linked to the crime.
6	6	"Trial of a Mafioso"	Richard Benedict	Robert Hamner	January 4, 1970 (1970-01-04)
The lawyers represent an incarcerated former mobster who has provided key testimony against other mob bosses while in prison and is ultimately exonerated after an eventful retrial. Although their client has arranged for a helicopter to take him out of the country upon release, the lawyers are given the dangerous task of transporting him from the courthouse to the remote location where the pickup will take place.
7	7	"Point of Honor"	Gene Levitt	Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James)	January 25, 1970 (1970-01-25)
Brian gets himself involved in a murder case, and now privileged communication between a lawyer and his client has become a key issue. James Farentino does not appear.
8	8	"The Shattered Image"	Richard C. Bennett	Story by : George Zuckerman Teleplay by : William D. Gordon	February 15, 1970 (1970-02-15)
Ted Hollister is charged with the murder of the ward of a rich guardian, and Walt Nichols agrees to defend him. Joseph Campanella does not appear.

Season 2 (1970–71)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
9	1	"The Verdict"	Alexander Singer	Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James)	September 27, 1970 (1970-09-27)
Despite their differing beliefs on the subject, the lawyers agree to represent an obstetrician who is charged with murder after performing an illegal abortion. Strongly disagreeing with the judge's jury instructions and citing Oliver Wendell Holmes, Neil decides to use a nonstandard tactic which results in a large fine and contempt of court charge.
10	2	"Panther in a Cage"	Nicholas Colasanto	Stephen Kandel	October 18, 1970 (1970-10-18)
A member of the Black Panthers is accused of pushing a police detective off a second story balcony to his death during the execution of a search warrant at their local headquarters. His father, a successful business executive who has been trying to get his son to abandon his extremist lifestyle, hires The Lawyers to represent him, but their task is complicated by his unwillingness to cooperate or control his emotions in the presence of the jury.
11	3	"Trial of a PFC"	Alexander Singer	Story by : Gloryette Clark Teleplay by : Frank Fenton	November 8, 1970 (1970-11-08)
A Vietnam vet is accused of murdering his best friend. James Farentino does not appear.
12	4	"The People Against Doctor Chapman"	Jeannot Szwarc	Jerry Bredouw	December 6, 1970 (1970-12-06)
A doctor claims there is a witness that can clear him of the murder of which he is accused, but no one can find this witness. James Farentino does not appear.
13	5	"The Loneliness Racket"	Richard C. Bennett	Gloryette Clark	December 20, 1970 (1970-12-20)
A woman is held for murder when her computer-dating service date turns up dead.
14	6	"The Search for Leslie Grey"	Richard Benedict	Story by : Matthew Howard Teleplay by : Howard Browne	January 10, 1971 (1971-01-10)
A business tycoon, Leslie Grey, starts to panic when he finds out that his past is now under investigation.
15	7	"The Hyland Confession"	Daniel Petrie	Story by : Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James) Teleplay by : Frank Fenton	January 31, 1971 (1971-01-31)
A young woman, who has her own live-in Swami and a history of psychiatric problems, quickly signs a confession after awakening from a meditation session and finding her successful recording-artist husband dead in front of her and the murder weapon in her hand. Her defense hinges on the believability of an interrogation conducted by her psychiatrist, in which she was under the influence of sodium pentothal. James Farentino does not appear.
16	8	"The Price of Justice"	Alexander Singer	Jack B. Sowards	February 28, 1971 (1971-02-28)
A man accused of murder refuses to talk and defend himself against the charges. His heritage holds the key as to why.

Season 3 (1971–72)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
17	1	"The Invasion of Kevin Ireland"	Alexander Singer	Story by : Bret Huggins Teleplay by : Jack B. Sowards	September 26, 1971 (1971-09-26)
Mistakes on a credit report lead to a ruined life for one man, who chooses to fight back in court against the credit reporting agency that admits to no wrongdoing.
18	2	"The Strange Secret of Yermo Hill"	Jeffrey Hayden	Story by : Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James) Teleplay by : William D. Gordon	October 17, 1971 (1971-10-17)
The boyfriend of a dead girl holds a bizarre secret that may reveal who actually killed the young lady.
19	3	"Hall of Justice"	Richard T. Heffron	Robert Hamner	October 31, 1971 (1971-10-31)
Cases before the court include an assault against a minor, an alleged "mercy" killing, and a narcotics charge.
20	4	"In Defense of Ellen McKay"	Alexander Singer	Story by : Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James) Teleplay by : David Chase	November 14, 1971 (1971-11-14)
One of the firm's clients, Ellen McKay, is about to stand trial for killing her husband. In the middle of all this, Brian finds himself falling for her romantically.
21	5	"By Reason of Insanity"	Alexander Singer	Gloryette Clark	November 28, 1971 (1971-11-28)
The lawyers successfully argue an insanity defense for a young man who is apprehended while collecting the large ransom he demanded after kidnapping a middle-aged man whom he had been obsessed with since the age of thirteen. However, Walter has good reason to fear that the verdict isn't the last chapter of this bizarre saga.
22	6	"Justice Is a Sometime Thing"	Jeffrey Hayden	Robert Hamner	December 21, 1971 (1971-12-21)
A Hispanic man is mistaken for an assault suspect when he instinctively comes to the aid of the victim, but then panics and runs off upon discovering that the girl he was with has fled because she feared being deported. The lawyers are finally able to locate the girl, but not before the man escapes from jail because he feared his dangerous cellmate and was facing a probable 20-year sentence without the girl's witness testimony.
23	7	"The Letter of the Law"	Douglas Heyes	Douglas Heyes	December 26, 1971 (1971-12-26)
There's one last thing an attorney who is about to die must do, and that is to see the mistake he made many years before reversed. He must see brought to justice the killer he helped to get away with murder. James Farentino does not appear. (Note that this episode is virtually a repeat of the December 1960 Episode of Checkmate, entitled "The Murder Game". Also written by Douglas Hayes, and also with the same number of actors and former clients, and the same generic type of crimes the lawyer defended against. Names are dissimilar, although the names of the two guilty parties are most similar. In both shows, the organizations (i.e., the law firm and the detective agency) have three starring members, and in both cases, the most junior member is not a part of the show.)
24	8	"The Long Morning After: Part 1"^[4]	Douglas Heyes	Douglas Heyes	January 9, 1972 (1972-01-09)
Officially, the deaths of two women have been termed an accident and a suicide. Neil turns sleuth to prove the deaths were a double murder. To be continued...
25	9	"The Long Morning After: Part 2"	Douglas Heyes	Douglas Heyes	January 16, 1972 (1972-01-16)
Neil suspects a powerful industrialist of a double homicide.
26	10	"In Sudden Darkness"	David Moessinger	Story by : Gloryette Clark Teleplay by : Charles E. Israel and David Moessinger	January 30, 1972 (1972-01-30)
Lauren Hazelwood killed her father. That much is known. And unless she tells her lawyers and the court why, she has a date set with the California gas chamber. James Farentino does not appear.
27	11	"Lisa, I Hardly Knew You"	Alexander Singer	Story by : Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James) Teleplay by : Elick Moll	February 13, 1972 (1972-02-13)
Neil keeps flashing back to the tragedy of a romance.

Home media

On December 1, 2015, Timeless Media Group released The Bold Ones: The Lawyers- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.^[5]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient
1969	Emmy Award	Nominated	Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role	Hal Holbrook (For second Pilot episode: "The Whole World Is Watching")
1972		Nominated	Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - For a Series or a Single Program of a Series	Richard Bracken, Gloryette Clark, and Terry Williams
		Won	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme	Alexander Singer (For episode "The Invasion of Kevin Ireland")
		Won	Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition - For a Series or a Single Program of a Series	Pete Rugolo (For episode "In Defense of Ellen McKay")
	Writers Guild of America Award	Nominated	Best Written Dramatic Episodic Script (Any Length)	Brett Huggins (Story) and Jack B. Sowards (Teleplay) (For episode "The Invasion of Kevin Ireland")

References

External links

The Bold Ones