4 best legal dramas to stream

From LA Law to Suits, the legal drama is a time-honoured genre of TV. These dramas don't just take us to the courtroom and introduce us to criminals and fraudsters. They're as much about the dramatic and glamorous personal lives of the lawyers as they are about the law. These are our top seven legal dramas to stream.

Perry Mason S1

Perry Mason is the show that started it all. The original incarnation, an institution in the US, ran from 1957 to 1966 and introduced the world to the procedural drama that took viewers from crime to cops to courtroom. This new eight-part series, with Matthew Rhys as the investigator-slash-lawyer, was produced by HBO, and was called "dripping in style" by Rotten Tomatoes.

Suits S1-9

This is the flashiest law show of the lot – and you can binge it from start to finish. New York hotshot lawyer Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) makes a mistake by “hiring” eidetic memory genius Mike Ross (Patrick J Adams) after a chance encounter. While Harvey knows the law better than anyone, Mike’s ability to recall the tiniest detail of the most random case he’s read about proves invaluable (plus, he made money writing law exams pretending to be actual students, so he’s done a lot of reading).

And sure, it’s not morally or ethically correct, but Harvey and Mike (and their besties at the law firm) have a darn good time lying and getting away almost scot-free. The banter between the characters and the interwoven lives are reason enough to watch, plus Harvey is the best-dressed lawyer on TV… ever!

The Good Fight S1-5

The spin-off from The Good Wife follows Alicia’s boss Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) as she tries to rebuild her career and reputation. After she falls victim to a financial scam and winds up broke, Diane has to start working again. And since her firm is wrecked, she has to join another and start from the bottom again.

Watch out for a couple of Good Wife cameos, but the new cast is equally talented – Cush Jumbo, Rose Leslie (from Game of Thrones) and Justin Bartha. What’s really cool about this series is that besides the law aspect, storylines are heavily influenced by the current world, from social matters like #BlackLivesMatter, to controversial US President Donald Trump. Nothing is out of bounds and it speaks to viewers loud and clear above the legal jargon muttered in court.

Fynskrif S1-2

The Afrikaans drama (which translates to “Fine Print”) centres on the lawyers at Van Wyk & Vennote as they struggle not just to win their respective cases, but also deal with their personal lives and situations. It has a dramedy vibe thanks to the cleverly written scripts, similar to The Good Wife and Good Fight, and the cases are often socially conscious, so viewers’ personal experiences will suck them into the relatable drama.

Don’t expect gavel-banging courtroom action, though – Fynskrif’s three seasons focus more on the work behind the scenes of the cases as the lawyers put together their battle plans. Look out for stars like Beer Adriaanse, Cintaine Schutte, Elana Afrika, Kim Cloete and more, who’ve mostly swapped from their normal genres to step up to the bench.