Street Legal (Canadian TV series)
Street Legal is a Canadian legal drama television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1994 before returning with six new episodes starting March 4, 2019.[1] Street Legal was the longest-running one-hour scripted drama in the history of Canadian television, holding the record for twenty years before being surpassed by Heartland's 125th episode on October 18, 2014.[2]
| Street Legal | |
|---|---|
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| Starring | Sonja Smits C. David Johnson Eric Peterson Cynthia Dale |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 132 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Distributor | CBC TV Program Sales |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Original release | January 6, 1987 – April 8, 2019 |
Synopsis
Street Legal focuses on the professional and private lives of the partners in a small Toronto, Ontario law firm. The primary stars are Sonja Smits, Eric Peterson and C. David Johnson, and the cast also includes Julie Khaner, Albert Schultz, Cynthia Dale, Maria del Mar, Ron Lea, Anthony Sherwood and Diane Polley.
The series is distinctively Canadian, in the use of Canadian court customs and procedures. Much of the show's music was composed by Eric Robertson who was nominated for a Gemini Award in 1987 for his work on the show.
Cast and characters
In the early episodes, the show's three core characters were Carrie Barr (Smits), Leon Robinovitch (Peterson) and Chuck Tchobanian (Johnson), partners in the small downtown Toronto law firm of Barr, Robinovitch and Tchobanian. The three did not necessarily always see eye to eye on things: Tchobanian was a flashy, confident and conservative lawyer who was most interested in taking high-profile cases that would get his name into the media; Robinovitch was an activist labour lawyer who believed in defending the little guy and mounted a campaign for Mayor of Toronto during the series run; Barr was a soft-spoken and initially naïve young lawyer who was sometimes forced to mediate between her more opinionated partners. According to series producer Maryke McEwen, "if you want to label the characters I'd call them Liberal, Conservative and NDP."[3]
Characters introduced later included Mercedes (Sealy-Smith), the firm's no-nonsense office manager; Olivia Novak (Dale), an aggressive, risk-taking new lawyer with the firm who was a foil for Carrie and a love interest for Chuck; Alana Newman (Khaner), a judge who was married to Leon; Rob Diamond (Schultz), who joined the firm as a junior lawyer; Dillon Beck (Sherwood), a crown prosecutor who married Carrie; and Laura Crosby (del Mar), a new lawyer who joined the firm after Carrie was killed by a drunk driver.
In the 2019 revival, Olivia loses her job with a Bay Street firm, and joins RDL Legal, a boutique firm with whom she was formerly competing to land a major case.
Original cast
- Sonja Smits as Carrington "Carrie" Barr
- C. David Johnson as Charles "Chuck" Tchobanian
- Eric Peterson as Leon Robinovitch
- Cynthia Dale as Olivia Novak
- David James Elliott as Nick Del Gado
- Julie Khaner as Alana Newman Robinovitch
- Anthony Sherwood as Dillon Beck
- Albert Schultz as Rob Diamond
- Maria del Mar as Laura Crosby
- Ron Lea as Brian Malony
- Alison Sealy-Smith as Mercedes
2019 revival cast
- Cynthia Dale as Olivia Novak
- Cara Ricketts as Lilly Rue
- Steve Lund as Adam Darling
- Yvonne Chapman as Mina Lee
- Joanne Vannicola as Sam
Show history
The original series pilot aired on CBC Television in 1986 as Shellgame, a television film written by William Deverell which starred Brenda Robins as a lawyer defending accused murderer André (Germain Houde).[4] The film was not well received by audiences or critics, however, and the project was retooled and recast before premiering as a series in 1987.[5]
The series debuted on January 6, 1987, with a six-episode run that season.[3] Maryke McEwen was the executive producer. Early critical response to the series frequently compared it to the contemporaneous American series L.A. Law, with some reviewers even coining the dismissive epithet T.O. Law.[6] The series then returned for a longer second season in September 1987.[7]
From the third through the seventh seasons, Brenda Greenberg was first senior producer, then executive producer, with Nada Harcourt taking over for the final season.
The show's last regular weekly episode aired on February 18, 1994.[8]
Production wrapped up with the two-hour television film Last Rights, which aired on November 6, 1994. Loosely based on the case of Sue Rodriguez, an assisted suicide activist who died a week before Street Legal's final regular episode aired, the film centred on Olivia's criminal trial after helping a terminally ill friend (Brent Carver) commit suicide.[9] The film drew 1.6 million viewers.[10]
Revival
The concept for a 2019 revival of Street Legal was first discussed during a lunch including Cynthia Dale and Sally Catto, CBC’s general manager of programming. During a subsequent lunch, producer Bernie Zukerman and Catto began to plan specifics for a relaunch.[11] The revival centres on Olivia Novak (Dale), joining a small boutique law office, RDL Legal, after losing her job with a powerful Bay Street firm.[1] In addition to Dale reprising her original role, the cast also includes Cara Ricketts, Steve Lund and Yvonne Chapman.[2] Eric Peterson and Anthony Sherwood made guest appearances reprising their roles as Leon Robinovitch and Dillon Beck, but were not part of the full-time cast. Actors Allan Hawco, Patrick Labbé, Leni Parker, Rosemary Dunsmore and Tom McCamus also appeared in supporting roles.
The new season of six episodes premiered on March 4, 2019 on CBC Television.[2] After each episode was broadcast, it also became available for viewing on the CBC Gem streaming service. The primary theme of the six episodes is the opioid crisis in Canada,[12] including a class action lawsuit against a major pharmaceutical company that manufactures a highly addictive drug.[2][13]
In April 2019, the CBC announced that the reboot would not be renewed for a second season.[14] The series will premiere sometime in 2021 on Ovation in the United States and will also be released on the Ovation NOW app streaming service in the "Mystery Alley" channel section.[15]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 6 | January 6, 1987 | February 10, 1987 | ||
| 2 | 13 | September 27, 1987 | December 20, 1987 | ||
| 3 | 19 | October 7, 1988 | February 24, 1989 | ||
| 4 | 16 | October 13, 1989 | February 9, 1990 | ||
| 5 | 16 | October 5, 1989 | February 1, 1991 | ||
| 6 | 18 | October 4, 1991 | January 31, 1992 | ||
| 7 | 18 | October 4, 1992 | January 31, 1993 | ||
| 8 | 20 | October 8, 1993 | November 6, 1994 | ||
| 9 | 6 | March 4, 2019 | April 8, 2019 | ||
Season 1 (1987)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Birds of a Feather" | Alan Erlich | Tom Scheinbeck | January 6, 1987 |
| 2 | 2 | "Even Lawyers Sing the Blues" | Randy Bradshaw | Larry Gaynor & Don Truckey | January 13, 1987 |
| 3 | 3 | "A Little Knowledge" | Marc Strange | Ian Sutherland | January 20, 1987 |
| 4 | 4 | "Sting Like a Butterfly" | Sturla Gunnarsson | Don Truckey | January 27, 1987 |
| 5 | 5 | "A Matter of Honour" | Mort Ransen | Marc Strange | February 3, 1987 |
| 6 | 6 | "Tango Bellarosa" | Randy Bradshaw | Ian Adams & Marc Strange | February 10, 1987 |
Season 2 (1987)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Baby Talk" | TBA | TBA | September 27, 1987 |
| 8 | 2 | "Star Struck" | TBA | TBA | October 4, 1987 |
| 9 | 3 | "Desperate Alibi" | TBA | TBA | October 11, 1987 |
| 10 | 4 | "Assault" | TBA | TBA | October 18, 1987 |
| 11 | 5 | "Mr. Nice Guy" | TBA | TBA | October 25, 1987 |
| 12 | 6 | "Just One Kiss" | TBA | TBA | November 1, 1987 |
| 13 | 7 | "Judgement Call" | TBA | TBA | November 8, 1987 |
| 14 | 8 | "Fever of the Blood" | TBA | TBA | November 15, 1987 |
| 15 | 9 | "Lost and Lonely Hearts" | TBA | TBA | November 22, 1987 |
| 16 | 10 | "Take My Jokes, Please" | TBA | TBA | November 29, 1987 |
| 17 | 11 | "Gold Rush" | TBA | TBA | December 6, 1987 |
| 18 | 12 | "Romeo and Carol" | TBA | TBA | December 13, 1987 |
| 19 | 13 | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | TBA | TBA | December 20, 1987 |
Season 3 (1988–89)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "A Powerful Prison Story" | TBA | TBA | October 7, 1988 |
| 21 | 2 | "The Waiting Chair" | TBA | TBA | October 14, 1988 |
| 22 | 3 | "Elliot vs. McTavish" | TBA | TBA | October 21, 1988 |
| 23 | 4 | "State of Mind" | TBA | TBA | October 28, 1988 |
| 24 | 5 | "The Homecoming" | TBA | TBA | November 4, 1988 |
| 25 | 6 | "Mondo Condo" | TBA | TBA | November 11, 1988 |
| 26 | 7 | "Murder by Video" | TBA | TBA | November 18, 1988 |
| 27 | 8 | "Whose Woods Are These" | TBA | TBA | November 25, 1988 |
| 28 | 9 | "Act of Silence" | TBA | TBA | December 2, 1988 |
| 29 | 10 | "Equal Partners" | TBA | TBA | December 9, 1988 |
| 30 | 11 | "Cat and Mouse" | TBA | TBA | December 16, 1988 |
| 31 | 12 | "Basketball Story" | TBA | TBA | January 6, 1989 |
| 32 | 13 | "Principles" | TBA | TBA | January 13, 1989 |
| 33 | 14 | "Brotherhoods" | TBA | TBA | January 20, 1989 |
| 34 | 15 | "Beauties and Beasts" | TBA | TBA | January 27, 1989 |
| 35 | 16 | "In Search of a Dream" | TBA | TBA | February 3, 1989 |
| 36 | 17 | "Slipping Through the Cracks" | TBA | TBA | February 10, 1989 |
| 37 | 18 | "Conflict of Interest" | TBA | TBA | February 17, 1989 |
| 38 | 19 | "World-Class City" | TBA | TBA | February 24, 1989 |
Season 4 (1989–90)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 1 | "Soul Custody" | TBA | TBA | October 13, 1989 |
| 40 | 2 | "Partners and Other Strangers" | TBA | TBA | October 20, 1989 |
| 41 | 3 | "Without Prejudice" | TBA | TBA | October 27, 1989 |
| 42 | 4 | "See No Evil" | TBA | TBA | November 3, 1989 |
| 43 | 5 | "The Cradle Will Rock" | TBA | TBA | November 10, 1989 |
| 44 | 6 | "Complex Offer" | TBA | TBA | November 17, 1989 |
| 45 | 7 | "Film Noir" | TBA | TBA | November 24, 1989 |
| 46 | 8 | "Confession" | TBA | TBA | December 1, 1989 |
| 47 | 9 | "Home" | TBA | TBA | December 8, 1989 |
| 48 | 10 | "Blue Collar" | TBA | TBA | December 15, 1989 |
| 49 | 11 | "Security Exchange" | TBA | TBA | January 5, 1990 |
| 50 | 12 | "The Bracelet" | TBA | TBA | January 12, 1990 |
| 51 | 13 | "Leon's Story" | TBA | TBA | January 19, 1990 |
| 52 | 14 | "Wedding" | TBA | TBA | January 26, 1990 |
| 53 | 15 | "Godfather of Mimico" | TBA | TBA | February 2, 1990 |
| 54 | 16 | "Suite Sixteen" | TBA | TBA | February 9, 1990 |
Season 5 (1990–91)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 1 | "Holy Thursday" | TBA | TBA | October 5, 1990 |
| 56 | 2 | "Spare Parts" | TBA | TBA | October 12, 1990 |
| 57 | 3 | "Double Agenda" | TBA | TBA | October 19, 1990 |
| 58 | 4 | "Shadow Boxing" | TBA | TBA | October 26, 1990 |
| 59 | 5 | "Standard of Care" | TBA | TBA | November 2, 1990 |
| 60 | 6 | "The Psychic" | TBA | TBA | November 9, 1990 |
| 61 | 7 | "Softsell" | TBA | TBA | November 16, 1990 |
| 62 | 8 | "Divine Image" | TBA | TBA | November 23, 1990 |
| 63 | 9 | "Sanctuary" | TBA | TBA | November 30, 1990 |
| 64 | 10 | "Lies" | TBA | TBA | December 7, 1990 |
| 65 | 11 | "Tyger, Tyger" | TBA | TBA | December 14, 1990 |
| 66 | 12 | "Murder" | TBA | TBA | January 4, 1991 |
| 67 | 13 | "The Cookies Crumble" | TBA | TBA | January 11, 1991 |
| 68 | 14 | "The Prosecution" | TBA | TBA | January 18, 1991 |
| 69 | 15 | "Election Day" | TBA | TBA | January 25, 1991 |
| 70 | 16 | "The Truth" | TBA | TBA | February 1, 1991 |
Season 6 (1991–92)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 1 | "The Legacy of Stanley Wall" | TBA | TBA | October 4, 1991 |
| TBA | 2 | "The Harley" | TBA | TBA | October 11, 1991 |
| 72 | 3 | "Presumed Toxic" | TBA | TBA | October 18, 1991 |
| 73 | 4 | "Reasonable Doubt" | TBA | TBA | October 25, 1991 |
| 74 | 5 | "Shades of Difference" | TBA | TBA | November 1, 1991 |
| 75 | 6 | "Questions of Dignity" | TBA | TBA | November 8, 1991 |
| 76 | 7 | "Sing for Me, Olivia" | TBA | TBA | November 15, 1991 |
| 77 | 8 | "Keeping Secrets" | TBA | TBA | November 22, 1991 |
| 78 | 9 | "The Good Lawyer" | TBA | TBA | November 29, 1991 |
| 79 | 10 | "Hollywood North" | TBA | TBA | November 29, 1991 |
| 80 | 11 | "Eye of the Beholder" | TBA | TBA | December 6, 1991 |
| 81 | 12 | "Too Many Cooks" | TBA | TBA | December 13, 1991 |
| 83 | 13 | "On Women and Independence" | TBA | TBA | December 20, 1991 |
| 84 | 14 | "Children's Hour" | TBA | TBA | January 6, 1992 |
| 85 | 15 | "Breach of Trust" | TBA | TBA | January 10, 1992 |
| 86 | 16 | "November" | TBA | TBA | January 17, 1992 |
| 87 | 17 | "After the Fall" | TBA | TBA | January 24, 1992 |
| 88 | 18 | "The Phoenix" | TBA | TBA | January 31, 1992 |
Season 7 (1992–93)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89 | 1 | "BRT and Associates: A New Beginning" | TBA | TBA | October 30, 1992 |
| 90 | 2 | "Affairs of the Heart" | TBA | TBA | November 6, 1992 |
| 91 | 3 | "Break-ups and Mergers" | TBA | TBA | November 13, 1992 |
| 92 | 4 | "Persistence of Vision" | TBA | TBA | November 20, 1992 |
| 93 | 5 | "It's a Wise Child" | TBA | TBA | November 27, 1992 |
| 94 | 6 | "Rules of the Game" | TBA | TBA | December 4, 1992 |
| 95 | 7 | "Never Say Die" | TBA | TBA | December 11, 1992 |
| 96 | 8 | "Lefter Than Thou" | TBA | TBA | December 18, 1992 |
| 97 | 9 | "Believe the Children" | TBA | TBA | January 1, 1993 |
| 98 | 10 | "Thicker Than Water" | TBA | TBA | January 8, 1993 |
| 99 | 11 | "Best Interest of the Child" | TBA | TBA | January 15, 1993 |
| 100 | 12 | "Pride and Prejudice" | TBA | TBA | January 22, 1993 |
| 101 | 13 | "Forgiveness" | TBA | TBA | January 29, 1993 |
| 102 | 14 | "Sec and Death" | TBA | TBA | February 5, 1993 |
| 103 | 15 | "Conduct Unbecoming" | TBA | TBA | February 12, 1993 |
| 104 | 16 | "The Price" | TBA | TBA | February 19, 1993 |
| 105 | 17 | "Strange Bedfellows" | TBA | TBA | February 26, 1993 |
| 106 | 18 | "Faking It" | TBA | TBA | March 5, 1993 |
Season 8 (1993–94)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | 1 | "Strictly Business" | TBA | TBA | October 8, 1993 |
| 108 | 2 | "Hasta La Vista" | TBA | TBA | October 15, 1993 |
| 109 | 3 | "Truth or Dare" | TBA | TBA | October 22, 1993 |
| 110 | 4 | "But Not Forgotten" | TBA | TBA | October 29, 1993 |
| 111 | 5 | "Black and White in Color" | TBA | TBA | November 5, 1993 |
| 112 | 6 | "Fit Punishment" | TBA | TBA | November 12, 1993 |
| 113 | 7 | "What's Love Got to Do with It?" | TBA | TBA | November 19, 1993 |
| 114 | 8 | "Truth, Lies and Consequences" | TBA | TBA | November 26, 1993 |
| 115 | 9 | "Do the Right Thing" | TBA | TBA | December 3, 1993 |
| 116 | 10 | "Feared by the Bad, Loved by the Good" | TBA | TBA | December 10, 1993 |
| 117 | 11 | "The Cost of Love" | TBA | TBA | December 17, 1993 |
| 118 | 12 | "Fair Is Foul" | TBA | TBA | January 7, 1994 |
| 119 | 13 | "The Firm" | TBA | TBA | January 14, 1994 |
| 120 | 14 | "Persons Living or Dead" | TBA | TBA | January 21, 1994 |
| 121 | 15 | "Crossroads" | TBA | TBA | January 28, 1994 |
| 122 | 16 | "The Morning After" | TBA | TBA | February 4, 1994 |
| 123 | 17 | "No Holds Barred" | TBA | TBA | February 11, 1994 |
| 124 | 18 | "The Long and Winding Road" | TBA | TBA | February 18, 1994 |
| 125 | 19 | "Last Rites: Part 1" | TBA | TBA | November 6, 1994 |
| 126 | 20 | "Last Rites: Part 2" | TBA | TBA | November 6, 1994 |
Season 9 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [16] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [16] | Canada viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | 1 | "Glass Floor" | Sturla Gunnarsson | Bruce M. Smith | March 4, 2019 | 0.37[17] |
| 128 | 2 | "Moving Day" | Sturla Gunnarsson | Lynne Kamm | March 11, 2019 | 0.34[18] |
| 129 | 3 | "Neighbours" | Sturla Gunnarsson | Nikolijne Troubetzkoy | March 18, 2019 | 0.30[19] |
| 130 | 4 | "Homecoming" | Chloé Robichaud | Nicolas Billon | March 25, 2019 | 0.20[20] |
| 131 | 5 | "Cracks" | Chloé Robichaud | Lynne Kamm | April 1, 2019 | 0.27[21] |
| 132 | 6 | "Leap" | Chloé Robichaud | Bruce M. Smith | April 8, 2019 | 0.25[22] |
Production
The creators of the 2019 series are Bruce M. Smith and Bernie Zukerman.[23] The series is co-produced by IGP Productions and Broken Clown Company. The executive producers are Zukerman and Smith while the producers are listed as Cynthia Dale and Rayne Zukerman. Filming of the six episodes was completed primarily in Montreal with some work done in Toronto.[2]
References
- "'Street Legal' reboot among new shows in CBC's 2018/19 lineup". National Post, May 24, 2018.
- "Cynthia Dale says new Street Legal is no nostalgia trip". Toronto Star, March 1, 2019.
- "'Toronto' Law joins the ranks". Windsor Star, January 6, 1987.
- "An effortless attempt to weld Miami's vice to Toronto's virtue: Glitz and gimmicks not enough to save Shellgame". The Globe and Mail, January 4, 1986.
- "CBC offers last year of plenty". Toronto Star, July 10, 1986.
- "No defence offered in support of CBC's Street Legal show". Vancouver Sun, January 6, 1987.
- "Give Street Legal a chance - it's not bad". Montreal Gazette, September 25, 1997.
- "Actors heading out in new directions as Street comes to end". Financial Post, February 26, 1994.
- "Street Legal finale provides an argument for an appeal". Toronto Star, November 6, 1994.
- "Street Legal fans loyal to the end". Toronto Star, November 11, 1994.
- "Street Legal reboot storyline features law firm meltdown". Canadian Lawyer. February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
It took me about two seconds to say ‘What a great idea. It’s probably one of the most popular shows ever. Let me put together an idea for what a new show would look like.
- "25 years later, Stratford's Cynthia Dale returns as Olivia Novak in Street Legal reboot". Stratford Beacon-Herald. March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- "Street Legal reboot storyline features law firm meltdown". Canadian Lawyer. February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
Together with show runner Bruce Smith, Zukerman sat down and in a relatively short time shaped an idea of Dale’s character Olivia working in a large law firm trying to put together a big class action lawsuit against big pharma and the case gets scooped by a young firm.
- "Street Legal reboot cancelled after one season". CBC News, April 6, 2019.
- https://www.nexttv.com/news/ovation-tv-gets-canadian-dramas-from-beta-film
- "Street Legal Episodes Guide and Summaries". Next Episode. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
- Brioux, Bill (March 6, 2019). "NUMBERS IN CANADA: Street Legal gets run over in Monday opener". Brioux.tv. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- Brioux, Bill (March 13, 2019). "NUMBERS IN CANADA: Street slips slightly in Week Two overnights". Brioux.tv. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- Brioux, Bill (March 21, 2019). "NUMBERS IN CANADA: Monday and Tuesday overnights call 911". Brioux.tv. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- Brioux, Bill (March 27, 2019). "NUMBERS IN CANADA: Street Legal hits pot hole in Week Four". Brioux.tv. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- Brioux, Bill (April 3, 2019). "NUMBERS IN CANADA: Big Brother Canada an overnight success". Brioux.tv. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- Brioux, Bill (April 11, 2019). "NUMBERS ACROSS CANADA: Final verdict reached on Street Legal". Brioux.tv. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- "CBC's Street Legal returns, grittier and great, thanks to Bruce M. Smith". TV, eh?. March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
External links
- Street Legal at IMDb