The Trials of O'Brien

The Trials of O'Brien is a 1965 television series starring Peter Falk as a sordid Shakespeare-quoting lawyer and featuring Elaine Stritch as his secretary and Joanna Barnes as his ex-wife. The series ran for only 22 episodes. Among its guest stars: Milton Berle, Robert Blake, David Carradine, Faye Dunaway, Britt Ekland, Tammy Grimes, Buddy Hackett, Gene Hackman, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Cloris Leachman, Roger Moore, Rita Moreno, Estelle Parsons, Joanna Pettet, Brock Peters, Tony Roberts and Martin Sheen. Falk often said that he actually liked this financially unsuccessful series much better than his later smash-hit Columbo.

Drama

Comedy

The Trials of O'Brien

Drama

Comedy

Created By: Gene Wang
First Aired on: Sep 18, 1965
Popularity: 7.2038: 4 votes
Networks: (US)
Production: The O'Brien CompanyFilmways Pictures (US)Mayo Productions
Status: Ended: Show Ended

Seasons & episodes

Total 1 seasons, 22 episodes

Season 1

Aired 60 years ago

22 Episodes

Episode 1Over Defense is Out48 min
O'Brien represents a client who was charged with murder after being released from prison. Guest star: Vincent Gardenia
Episode 2Bargain Day on the Street of Regret48 min
O'Brien wins the contract of boxer Joe Rooney (Robert Blake) in a dice game, but the pugnacious Rooney is in jail for stealing money from his former manager. Guest Stars include Hershel Bernardi (star of series ""Arnie"", a Broadway ""Fiddler"", and much more), Tony Musante (""Toma"") and Albert Dekker (""Dr.Cyclops"", ""Experiment Perilous"", probably one of his last roles before his strange auto-erotic death) and the lovely, talented Judi West (""Fortune Cookie""), in her television debut, as Joe's girlfriend.
Episode 3Notes on a Spanish Prisoner48 min
Eva Grimaldi (Mary Tahmin) cons the con: she borrows $2500 from her boyfriend Ollie Maxwell (Buddy Hackett) to ransom her millionaire father, who is being held prisoner in Latin America.
Episode 4Never Bet on Anything That Talks48 min
O'Brien's English bookie is charged in the death of an accountant, but the person who can clear him is nowhere to be found.
Episode 5What Can Go Wrong48 min
After discovering that a man is dating his ex-wife (Joanna Barnes), O'Brien delightedly sets him up as a "pigeon" in order to trap a killer. Guest stars: Roger Moore and Michael Constantine.