Sam Benedict


Sam Benedict is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman.
Sam Benedict is based on real-life lawyer Jacob W. "Jake" Ehrlich, who served as technical consultant for the series.

Synopsis

The series starred Edmond O'Brien as flamboyant San Francisco attorney Sam Benedict. Richard Rust portrayed his 24-year-old associate, Henry "Hank" Tabor. Joan Tompkins co-starred in all episodes as Trudy Wagner. Most episodes followed two story lines: first Benedict's case and then Tabor's.

Guest stars

Joseph Schildkraut received a best actor Emmy Award nomination for his guest role.

Reception and cancellation

Sam Benedict faced competition from two variety programs: The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show on ABC and the first season of The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS.
In the 1962–1963 season, Sam Benedict was replaced at the 7:30 Eastern time slot on Saturdays by another MGM series about a trainee and his mentor: The Lieutenant starring Gary Lockwood and Robert Vaughn,. Rebroadcasts of the series continued from April to September 7, 1963.

Home media

On November 22, 2016, Warner Bros. released Sam Benedict – The Complete Series on DVD via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a manufacture-on-demand release, available through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.