ABSTRACT
Since its beginnings, American television has offered the public a wide variety of programs, many of them dealing with law and order. Police series are an example. They have been very diversifi ed in nature: either federal, state or forensic police or different specialized services assigned to deal with specifi c problems. Another important television genre concerning crime is the series about private investigators. Early “public service” shows gave summaries of important trials,1 invited guests to debate on current timely legal questions2 or tried to help fi nd fugitive criminals.3 Even though they dealt with legal questions, these shows did not require specifi c knowledge of trials or the work of lawyers and judges. There have also been documentaries on important historic trials or on legal questions such as the death penalty for minors, but these are usually single broadcasts and do not enter our area of study, which will concentrate on works of legal fi ction.
