In today's world, where the term "lawyer" is unfairly synonymous with "ambulance chaser" or "political player", we could use a guy like Herbert L. Maris. Thankfully, there are a few lawyers like Maris still around today, and for that, we have TV series like this to thank.
For the uninitiated, Herbert L. Maris is an LA attorney whose specialty is defending the unjustly accused in situations where no one else can or will help. He usually is aided by police lieutenant Weston, who ironically is the cop who has his clients tossed in the clink. There isn't that much antagonism between the two, and Weston usually sees the light in the nick of time, particularly when Maris is in over his head... for instance, when he is held captive by a group of thugs (led by a pre-Spock Leonard Nimoy!!) who framed a rookie cop (James "The Virginian" Drury) for murder.
As is the case with 50's series, many young up-and-comers bit their teeth into some episodes, such as Mary Tyler Moore, Robert Conrad, Burt Reynolds, Sally Kellerman, and others. Maris himself is portrayed brilliantly by a young Macdonald Carey, six years before he found his calling in daytime TV as the kindly Dr. Horton on "Days Of Our Lives". And it wasn't the first time Carey played a doc, either; three years before "Lock Up", he took on the role as radio's beloved "Dr. Christian", or rather, Dr. Christian's nephew. Carey has the knack of playing people who you would kill to have on your side; in this case, some people are accused of taking it quite literally.
"Lock Up" is a Fred Ziv-United Artists Television Production, based on the life of Herbert L. Maris (yes, he was a real-life defense lawyer). 78 episodes were made between 1959 and 1961.
