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, and produced by William Froug. The series starred Edmond O'Brien in the title role, with Richard Rust as his assistant Hank Tabor, and Joan Tompkins as his secretary Trudy Wagner.[1]
The character Sam Benedict is based on real-life lawyer Jake Ehrlich, who served as technical consultant for the series.[2] According to Hal Erickson in his 2009 Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows, "Beyond his salty delivery of lines and bulldozer courtroom demeanor, Sam Benedict shared with Jake Ehrlich an up-from-poverty background (including a short stint as a prizefighter!), and a sincere empathy for underdog clients."[1]
"Sam Benedict is based on the real living character of J. W. (Jake) Ehrlich but the stories are fictional."
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 (MOD) release, available through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.[4]