When Amazon Prime added “L.A. Law” to its library last month, I was immediately interested. I have fond memories of the legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1994, and I was curious about how well it holds up today.
Turns out it holds up OK, with the exception of the anti-LGBTQ, anti-woman and at least borderline racist content.
It’s startling to see how much TV content has changed since the mid-1980s. Viewed through a 2023 lens, there are some truly offensive things in the first couple of episodes of “L.A. Law” — including wildly transphobic behavior and even the use of the N-word.
But I’m not criticizing the writers/producers, who were reflecting the times. I choose to believe this blast from the past reflects that television — and society — has made some progress in the past three decades, because a lot of what happened on “L.A. Law” in 1986 wouldn’t happen on mainstream television today.
• When the series begins, one of the law firm’s partners, Norman Chaney, is found dead in his office. Unbeknownst to anyone at the firm, Norman was a closeted gay man — a fact that comes out at his funeral. His associates are disconcerted and seemingly amused when one of the firm’s secretaries announced that she “met Norman in a gay bar” and that her name “is not Georgia Buckner, it’s George.”
Junior partner Michael Kuzak (Harry Hamlin) takes the opportunity to ridicule an associate who had expressed lustful thoughts about Georgia. And in 2023, how inappropriate would the associate’s comments be about a secretary he assumed was born female? “The Caribbean. Miles of deserted white sand beach. Her and me alone — completely nude.”
Georgia (guest star Robert Knepper) goes on to say that she is “a woman trapped in a man’s body,” and that Norman supported her “morally and financially” and “even offered to pay for her surgery.” He got her a job at the firm as Douglas Brackman’s (Alan Rachins) secretary.
At this point, Douglas gets up and storms out. Arnie Becker (Corbin Bernsen) chuckles out loud. The idea of a trans woman is played for laughs.
Chaney left Georgia $250,000, and Brackman is outraged. “I say we should contest this will,” he says. “This thing was obviously exerting undue influence. Who knows what kind of perversions …”
“How dare you,” Georgia interrupts. “I’ve conducted myself with total love and honesty.”
“Honesty?” Brackman retorts. “You’re not even straight enough to be a decent homo.” At which point Georgia hauls off and slugs Brackman.
Brackman fires Georgia “because I do not want that freak of nature sitting outside my office representing me,” and, with the exception of some mild ribbing from Arnie, that’s the end of it. Senior partner Leland McKenzie (Richard Dysart) even tells Arnie to “cut it out,” without reproving Douglas’ behavior.
• Speaking of Arnie, he’s sleeping with a very junior associate. When the question of keeping her on at the firm comes up, he says he thinks she is “some kind of nympho or something. She’s made repeated sexual overtures toward me ever since she’s been here.” And, at his word, she’s ousted.
Michael and Victor Sifuentes (Jimmy Smits) quickly learn exactly what Arnie did, but do nothing. These are three characters who the show’s writers/producers want you to root for.
• Attorney Ann Kelsey (Jill Eikenberry) deals with an insurance company executive who says things to her like, “You are an extremely able and, if I might say, an extremely svelte person”; “You got a lot of hormones, lady”; and “See you in court, butch.” There are a multitude of other misogynist words and actions.
• In subsequent episodes, various attorneys — including sympathetic characters — regard attacking rape victims as just part of the legal process.
• In a staff meeting, junior associate Andrew Taylor (Mario Van Peebles) expresses displeasure with how he’s being treated by the partners. “I’m not going to be a house [n-word] no more,” he says. (Van Peebles is Black.)
“I wouldn’t tolerate that language about you, sir. I won’t tolerate it from you,” Leland replies. Good for him. But 37 years later, it’s astonishing that NBC let the n-word on the air. And, in subsequent episodes, there’s plenty of racism — which is tolerated, more often than not.
I’m not naive. I don’t think that the problems of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia have been solved since “L.A. Law” went off the air. But, even at a time when horrific behavior is seemingly always in the news, a lot of us take it more seriously than we once did.
Again, I’m not criticizing the “L.A. Law” writers. I wasn’t outraged when I saw these episodes when they first aired, either.
TV is, in large part, modeling better behavior today. Which is a good thing.
That ‘lesbian kiss’
During its eight-year run, “L.A. Law” won 15 Emmys, including four best drama awards. Somewhat astonishingly, it also won the GLAAD Media Award for best drama n 1990 and 1991. Maybe members of the LGBTQ advocacy organization didn’t watch the first couple of seasons.
That’s not really fair. “L.A. Law” did evolve. In 1991, it featured what is believed to be the first romantic TV kiss between two women, although calling it a “lesbian kiss” isn’t altogether accurate — one of the kissers, C.J. Lamb (Amanda Donohoe), was bisexual; the other, Abby Perkins (Michele Greene), was pretty much straight.
Where are all the episodes?
My pleasure over the addition of “L.A. Law” to the Prime Video library was tempered when I realized that, as of this writing, about 40 episodes (out of 171) are missing. Random episodes from each of the show’s eight seasons just aren’t there. And the folks at Prime are only saying that the missing episodes will be added — eventually. It’s weird.
It appears that pretty much all the “L.A. Law” episodes are streaming on YouTube. The quality is lower, but it can fill in Amazon Prime blanks. At least for now. You never know when things like this will get taken down from YouTube.
Editor’s note • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.
