While You Wait For The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4, Watch The Creator's Great 4-Season Show With Billy Bob Thornton On Streaming

By Guy Howie

Published Mar 22, 2025

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The Lincoln Lawyer is the world’s most popular and well-regarded legal drama right now, but it’s not the only top-notch show available on streaming platforms that’s themed around the practice of law. In fact, David E. Kelley, the veteran TV writer and producer behind Netflix’s screen adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer, has another classic legal series from the past decade streaming on Prime Video. The show stars Billy Bob Thornton as a disillusioned, alcoholic lawyer somewhat reminiscent of The Lincoln Lawyer’s Mickey Haller.

So, while waiting for The Lincoln Lawyer’s season 4 filming to be completed, with Haller himself set to stand trial on the charge of a murder for which he’s been framed, it’s definitely worth checking out the cases of Billy McBride, which span four seasons of Kelley’s legal drama on Prime. McBride is perhaps less cynical about the justice system than Mickey Haller, but he also has plenty of the same qualities that make Mickey such an engrossing character. It’s easy to see how the two TV heroes have been shaped by the same screenwriter.

The Lincoln Lawyer's Creator Also Made A Legal Drama For Prime Video

David E. Kelley’s Show Goliath Premiered On Prime Video In 2016

Fans of The Lincoln Lawyer might well enjoy Billy McBride’s legal exploits just as much as those of Haller. They can find Billy Bob Thornton’s McBride in Goliath, David E. Kelley’s four-season, 32-episode legal show on Prime Video. The series begins with McBride having turned his back on the legal profession, despite being an outstanding lawyer. He’s battling an alcohol problem, and appears to be sliding towards the point of no return, until he’s persuaded to take a case he has a personal connection to, which sets the wheels in motion for his reluctant return to practicing law.

Goliath was the last legal drama series that Kelly created prior to his development of The Lincoln Lawyer from Michael Connolly’s novels, and it’s clear to see that there’s some overlap between his work on the two shows. In fact, while Kelley wrapped up Billy McBride’s story after four seasons of Goliath, it feels as though he used the character as a blueprint for his creation of the TV version of Mickey Haller.

Fans Of The Lincoln Lawyer Should Definitely Watch Goliath

Goliath’s Protagonist Billy McBridge Has A Lot In Common With Mickey Haller

Like Billy McBride, Mickey Haller has his own problem with addiction. After a surfing accident that nearly killed him, Haller soon became addicted to the painkillers he had to take during his recovery from his injuries. Meanwhile, the reason for McBride’s alcoholism is even more tragic. He’s a defense lawyer, as Haller is in The Lincoln Lawyer, and sometimes has to defend people accused of grave crimes. McBride once successfully defended someone accused of murder, only for them to kill an entire family after they were acquitted. This case led McBride to quit his job and slide into alcohol dependency.

With so many similarities between the series and their characters, it’s hard to imagine any fans of The Lincoln Lawyer not enjoying Goliath, which was also well-reviewed upon its initial release.

As well as both being defense lawyers struggling with addictions, The Lincoln Lawyer’s Mickey Haller and Goliath’s Billy McBride both practice their profession in the Los Angeles area. McBridge’s practice Cooperman McBride is based in Santa Monica, whereas Haller works in the City of Angels itself. In addition, Lincoln Lawyer cast member Tania Raymonde plays a major role in Goliath. With so many similarities between the series and their characters, it’s hard to imagine any fans of The Lincoln Lawyer not enjoying Goliath, which was also well-reviewed upon its initial release.

The Lincoln Lawyer Has One Advantage Over Goliath

There’s No End In Sight For The Lincoln Lawyer

Despite its popularity and success, however, David E. Kelley ended Goliath after just four seasons, with Billy McBride’s story making for a total of 32 hours of television. Thankfully, we shouldn’t expect Kelley to do the same with The Lincoln Lawyer. Since his newer show is based on a novel series, it could in theory gone on for many more seasons yet, since each season of The Lincoln Lawyer roughly corresponds to one of Michael Connolly’s Mickey Haller books.

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As long as Connolly keeps writing, and viewers keep watching, it’s likely that Kelley will continue producing new seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer for the foreseeable future. What’s more, the break before each new season will give fans the chance to go into Kelley’s back catalogue of legal dramas, and discover more forgotten gems like Goliath.

Even before his show about Thornton’s Billy McBride, Kelley created several other legal dramas right up the street of Lincoln Lawyer fans, including the excellent Boston Legal, starring James Spader. He’s also the brains behind 1990s legal comedy series Ally McBeal. Still, after four decades working on legal-themed TV shows, The Lincoln Lawyer is David E. Kelley’s most successful series yet.