The immensely popular legal drama TV show Suits aired for nine seasons from 2011 to 2019. The show explores legal cases, office dynamics, personal relationships, and moral dilemmas. Carried by a phenomenal cast led by Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht, Suits is one of the most watched legal drama TV shows around. With a stellar 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, the series joins the other greats of the genre.
The show delves into the world of high-stakes corporate law, with more than enough humor to keep things light. Its blend of legal drama, humor, and interpersonal relationships, backed by a great script and storyline, made the show a hit with viewers. The legal drama genre has spawned some other great shows, and fans of Suits would have no problem finding interesting stories to binge after finishing up with Harvey Specter and Mike Ross.
The Lincoln Lawyer
Michael Connelly’s book, The Lincoln Lawyer, was first adapted into a movie in 2011. It starred Matthew McConaughey as the lead character, Mickey Haller. Over a decade later, in 2022, a series premiered on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in the lead role. The show follows Mickey Haller, a criminal defense lawyer, as he tackles cases in Los Angeles, working from the back of his Lincoln Navigator SUV. Although it retained the same title as the 2011 movie, the first season of the show is actually an adaptation of the second book in the series.
How to Get Away With Murder
This legal thriller’s central character is Annalise Keating, a law professor and defense attorney played by EGOT champion, Viola Davis. The show follows her, and an ambitious group of law students she takes under her wings. The story kicks off with a bang, beginning with the students getting entangled in a murder plot. It never gets boring, and it features intricate plot twists made more exciting by the show’s flash-forward narrative style.
Throughout the six seasons, the stakes get increasingly higher, the characters’ relationships evolve, and bigger mysteries are unraveled, making it a perfect binge after Suits. Davis’s portrayal of Annalise Keating in How to Get Away With Murder earned her overwhelming critical acclaim and an Emmy Award.
Billions
Billions is known for its exploration of power, finance, law, and morality. It is set in the world of high finance and follows the intense rivalry between two influential and ambitious figures. Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis star in the lead roles, playing Chuck Rhoades and Bobby “Axe” Axelrod respectively. Throughout the series, viewers are shown the intricacies of both the legal and financial worlds. Billions is notable for its exploration of moral gray areas within the financial and legal worlds. It also features sharp writing and a diverse cast who portray complex characters.
Succession
While Succession may not be described as a pure legal drama, it has enough legal drama elements to convincingly pass as one. This gripping drama series primarily focuses on the dysfunctional and wealthy Roy family. It premiered in 2018 and ran for four seasons, with the series finale airing on May 28, 2023. It features a brilliant ensemble cast with Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Alan Ruck portraying the Roy family. Fans of Suits will enjoy Succession’s dark humor, complex characters, and intricate writing. The show has received critical acclaim and is praised as one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
Scandal
Scandal aired on ABC for seven seasons, from April 5, 2012, to April 19, 2018. The political drama is set in Washington D.C., and revolves around Olivia Pope, brilliantly portrayed by Kerry Washington. Pope is a crisis management expert and a former White House Communications Director. The series combines political intrigue, legal drama, and personal relationships between the characters to create a gripping narrative. It’s also known for its intense monologues, fast-paced storytelling, and unexpected plot twists. During its seven-season run, Scandal garnered a dedicated fan base and has been praised for its immersive storytelling, complex characters, and stellar performances of its cast members.
The Good Wife
During its run, this legal and political drama received widespread critical acclaim. It aired for seven seasons, between 2009 and 2016. The Good Wife centers around the lead character, Alicia Florrick, portrayed by Juliana Margulies. It follows her return to her career as a lawyer after her husband, a former state’s attorney, is imprisoned due to a sex and corruption scandal.
The series explores Alicia’s personal and professional struggles, as well as the complexities of her relationships with her husband, her children, and her colleagues. The Good Wife is known for its intelligent and intricate legal cases and has been praised for its storyline, complex characters, and the performance of its cast.
L.A. Law
This iconic eight-season legal drama TV show is a juggernaut in the legal drama genre. L.A. Law is set in a fictional Los Angeles firm called “McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney, and Kuzak.” It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the firm’s attorneys as they handle a variety of legal cases. The show is known for its blend of legal drama, humor, and social commentary. It’s also popular for the wide range of legal issues it tackles. L.A. Law features a diverse cast of unique characters and explores their interactions with clients, colleagues, and adversaries. The show received critical acclaim during its run, winning 15 Emmy Awards, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.
The Practice
The Practice follows the attorneys of the law firm “Donnell, Young, Dole & Frutt” located in Boston. The show ran for eight seasons and features a great ensemble cast, led by Dylan McDermott portraying Bobby Donnell. He is the firm’s founder, and a central character of the show until season 8 where he stars in a guest role. The Practice is known for its realistic portrayal of legal proceedings, courtroom drama, and the complexities of the legal system. The show follows a “case of the week” format, where each episode typically features a new case that the attorneys must handle. It is critically acclaimed and won an impressive 15 Primetime Emmy Awards out of 41 nominations.
Better Call Saul
![Better Call Saul | Series Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HN4oydykJFc/hqdefault.jpg)
Better Call Saul serves as a prequel to the acclaimed drama Breaking Bad. The critically acclaimed series first premiered in 2015 and ran until 2022, producing six phenomenal seasons of legal crime drama. It focuses on the transformation of James “Jimmy” McGill into the morally ambiguous lawyer Saul Goodman. Bob Odenkirk plays the titular character and delivers an exceptional performance throughout the show’s six seasons. The series is set primarily in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the early 2000s, and provides a deep exploration of the character’s backstory. Better Call Saul is brilliantly written and is widely regarded as one of the greatest shows of all time, alongside its parent series, Breaking Bad.
Law & Order
The long-running Law & Order TV franchise originally premiered with this series in 1990. The police procedural and legal drama series has run for 22 seasons so far and is still going strong. It combines police procedural with legal drama elements to provide a comprehensive look at the criminal justice system. Each Law & Order episode follows an interconnected two-part format. The first half follows the police investigation and apprehension of suspects, while the second half follows the prosecution of those suspects in court. This format helps effectively emphasize the two primary elements of the show. Law & Order is set in New York and often draws inspiration from real-life cases. Numerous spin-offs and adaptations have come from the critically acclaimed original series, including the long-running Law & Order: Special Victims Unit series.