The Defenders (1961) Episode Guide

1 :01x01 - Quality of Mercy

First aired: Sep/16/1961
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Buzz Kulik
Guest star: Gene Hackman (Jerry Warner), Jack Klugman (Grimaglia)

2 :01x02 - Killer Instinct

First aired: Sep/23/1961
Writer: John Vlahos
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Guest star: Edith Meiser (Mrs. Kane), William Shatner (Jim McCleery), Jeffrey Rowland (Bobby McCleery), Joanne Linville (Peg McCleery)

A wartime hero who had been trained to act like a "destructive animal," kills a man with a judo blow. At his trial the vital question is "did he kill because he could not control the killer instinct?"

3 :01x03 - Death Across the Counter

First aired: Sep/30/1961
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Buzz Kulik

4 :01x04 - The Riot

First aired: Oct/07/1961
Writer: Max Ehrlich
Director: Buzz Kulik

5 :01x05 - Young Lovers

First aired: Oct/14/1961
Writer: John Vlahos
Director: Buzz Kulik

6 :01x06 - The Boy Between

First aired: Oct/21/1961
Writer: Robert Thom
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Guest star: Barnard Hughes (**Unknown**)

7 :01x07 - The Hundred Lives of Harry Simms

First aired: Oct/28/1961
Writer: Alvin Boretz
Director: John Brahm

8 :01x08 - The Accident

First aired: Nov/04/1961
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Buzz Kulik

9 :01x09 - The Trial of Jenny Scott

First aired: Nov/11/1961
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Buzz Kulik

10 :01x10 - The Man with the Concrete Thumb

First aired: Nov/18/1961
Writer: Ernest Kinoy
Director: Ralph Nelson
Guest star: Loring Smith (Francis Conn)

11 :01x11 - The Treadmill

First aired: Nov/25/1961
Writer: James Yaffe, Peter Stone
Director: Don Richardson

12 :01x12 - Perjury

First aired: Dec/02/1961
Writer: Adrian Spies
Director: Boris Sagal

13 :01x13 - The Attack

First aired: Dec/09/1961
Writer: John W. Bloch
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

14 :01x14 - The Prowler

First aired: Dec/16/1961
Writer: David Shaw
Director: Paul Bogart

15 :01x15 - Gideon's Follies

First aired: Dec/23/1961
Writer: Robert J. Crean
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Guest star: Conrad Bain (Unknown)

16 :01x16 - The Best Defense

First aired: Dec/30/1961
Writer: Ernest Kinoy
Director: Paul Stanley

17 :01x17 - The Bedside Murder

First aired: Jan/06/1962
Writer: Max Ehrlich
Director: Fielder Cook

18 :01x18 - The Search

First aired: Jan/20/1962
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: John Brahm
Guest star: Jack Klugman (Charles Gramaglia)

19 :01x19 - Storm at Birch Glen

First aired: Jan/27/1962
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: John Brahm

20 :01x20 - The Point Shaver

First aired: Feb/03/1962
Writer: Mann Rubin
Director: Buzz Kulik

21 :01x21 - The Locked Room

First aired: Feb/10/1962
Writer: Ernest Kinoy
Director: David Greene

22 :01x22 - The Empty Chute

First aired: Feb/17/1962
Writer: Max Ehrlich
Director: Jack Smight

23 :01x23 - The Crusader

First aired: Feb/24/1962
Writer: Jerome Ross
Director: Daniel Petrie

24 :01x24 - The Hickory Indian

First aired: Mar/03/1962
Writer: David Karp
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

25 :01x25 - The Iron Man

First aired: Mar/10/1962
Writer: Albert Sanders
Director: Buzz Kulik
Guest star: Pat Henning (Tom Powers), Polly Rowles (Helen Donaldson), Edgar Stehli (Professor Wilson), Robert Gerringer (D.A. Fontana), Ben Piazza (Jack Powers), Ken Kercheval (Jack Wilks), Augusta Merighi (Mrs. Carisi), John Alexander (Judd Forrest), Dino Narizzano (Martin White), Lester Rawlins (Psychiatrist), Ray Reinhardt (Mr. Jackson), Freda Holloway (Esther Forbes), John Boruff (Judge)

26 :01x26 - The Tarnished Cross

First aired: Mar/17/1962
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

27 :01x27 - The Last Six Months

First aired: Mar/31/1962
Writer: Max Ehrlich
Director: David Greene

28 :01x28 - The Naked Heiress

First aired: Apr/07/1962
Writer: Alvin Boretz
Director: Jack Smight

29 :01x29 - Reunion with Death

First aired: Apr/21/1962
Writer: David Shaw
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

30 :01x30 - The Benefactor

First aired: Apr/28/1962
Writer: Peter Stone
Director: Daniel Petrie

31 :01x31 - Along Came a Spider

First aired: May/05/1962
Writer: Peter Stone
Director: Elliot Silverstein
Guest star: Bette Henritze (Katie), James Earl Jones (Andrews), Michael Higgins (Dr. Fowler), Paul Hartman (Sid Barber), Russell Hardie (Judge Gottlieb), Leslye Hunter (Melissa), Kathleen Maguire (Beverly), Warren Wade (Charlie Tree)

32 :01x32 - The Broken Barrelhead

First aired: May/26/1962
Writer: David Karp
Director: David Greene

33 :02x01 - The Voices of Death

First aired: Sep/15/1962
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

34 :02x02 - Blood Country

First aired: Sep/22/1962
Writer: Ernest Kinoy
Director: Buzz Kulik

35 :02x03 - The Indelible Silence

First aired: Sep/29/1962
Writer: Charles Garment
Director: Don Richardson

36 :02x04 - The Seven Ghosts of Simon Gray

First aired: Oct/06/1962
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: Paul Bogart

37 :02x05 - The Unwanted

First aired: Oct/13/1962
Writer: Robert Thom
Director: Alex March

38 :02x06 - Madman (1)

First aired: Oct/20/1962
Writer: Robert Thom
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

39 :02x07 - Madman (2)

First aired: Oct/27/1962
Writer: Robert Thom
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

40 :02x08 - The Bigamist

First aired: Nov/03/1962
Writer: David Karp
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

41 :02x09 - The Avenger

First aired: Nov/17/1962
Writer: James Lee
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Guest star: Peter Von Zerneck (Dr. Gerhardt)

42 :02x10 - The Invisible Badge

First aired: Nov/24/1962
Writer: William Woolfolk
Director: John Newland

43 :02x11 - The Hidden Jungle

First aired: Dec/01/1962
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: Denis Sanders
Guest star: Jean Stapleton (Mrs. Larsen)

44 :02x12 - The Savage Infant

First aired: Dec/08/1962
Writer: David Karp
Director: Don Richardson

45 :02x13 - The Apostle

First aired: Dec/15/1962
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: Charles S. Dubin

46 :02x14 - Grandma TNT

First aired: Dec/22/1962
Writer: David Karp
Director: Elliot Silverstein

47 :02x15 - Don't Take the Stand

First aired: Dec/29/1962
Writer: David Davidson
Director: Ted Post

48 :02x16 - Kill or Be Killed

First aired: Jan/05/1963
Writer: Larry Cohen
Director: Sydney Pollack

49 :02x17 - Man Against Himself

First aired: Jan/12/1963
Writer: Raphael Hayes
Director: Paul Bogart

50 :02x18 - The Poisoned Fruit Doctrine

First aired: Jan/19/1963
Writer: A. J. Russell
Director: Shepard Traube

51 :02x19 - Poltergeist

First aired: Jan/26/1963
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Shepard Traube

52 :02x20 - Ordeal

First aired: Feb/02/1963
Writer: David Shaw
Director: Alex March

53 :02x21 - The Hour Before Doomsday

First aired: Feb/09/1963
Writer: William Woolfolk
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

54 :02x22 - The Traitor

First aired: Feb/16/1963
Writer: Larry Cohen
Director: David Greene

55 :02x23 - The Eye of Fear

First aired: Feb/23/1963
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: Paul Stewart

56 :02x24 - Metamorphosis

First aired: Mar/02/1963
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: David Greene

57 :02x25 - The Last Illusion

First aired: Mar/09/1963
Writer: William Woolfolk
Director: David Greene

58 :02x26 - The Heathen

First aired: Mar/23/1963
Writer: Ernest Kinoy
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

59 :02x27 - A Book for Burning

First aired: Mar/30/1963
Writer: William Woolfolk
Director: David Greene

60 :02x28 - A Taste of Vengeance

First aired: Apr/06/1963
Writer: A. J. Russell
Director: Don Richardson

61 :02x29 - The Colossus

First aired: Apr/13/1963
Writer: Larry Cohen
Director: Paul Bogart

62 :02x30 - Judgment Eve

First aired: Apr/20/1963
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: David Greene
Guest star: Gene Hackman (Guard)

63 :02x31 - The Noose

First aired: Apr/27/1963
Writer: Larry Cohen
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Guest star: Bruce Gordon (Bennett Fletcher)

The Prestons arrive in a small town to defend a man charged with murder only to discover that their client was lynched the night before.

64 :02x32 - Everybody Else is Dead

First aired: May/11/1963
Writer: James Lee
Director: Paul Bogart
Guest star: Malcolm Brodrick (Adam Potter), Leslye Hunter (Jenny Potter), Val Avery (Mac Peters), Darren McGavin (Howard Potter), Doris Rich (Mrs. Thomas), Bernard Lenrow (Claude Bathrick), Geraldine Brooks (Laura Potter)

65 :02x33 - The Trial of Twenty-Two

First aired: May/18/1963
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

66 :02x34 - The Brother Killers

First aired: May/25/1963
Writer: David Karp
Director: Don Richardson

67 :03x01 - The Weeping Baboon

First aired: Sep/28/1963
Writer: Reginald Rose
Director: Stuart Rosenberg

68 :03x02 - The Empty Heart

First aired: Oct/05/1963
Writer: Stanley Greenberg
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Guest star: Lee Grant (unknown), Murray Hamilton (unknown), Sylvia Davis (Mrs. Clay), Sidney Blackmer (unknown)

A sad story, coupling the subtle depressions of the life of a New York party girl with the imminent real tragedies that sit constantly, on the borders of her activities. In this the tragedy is an indictment for attempted murder when she violently repels the advances of a drunk who insists she join his party. Lee Grant is excellent in this sordid and yet sensitive role, ably backed up by veteran Sidney Blackmer as her antagonist and veteran Murray Hamilton as the D.A.