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The Guardian

The Guardian

2001–2004Ended3 seasons67 episodes~60 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

Nick Fallin is a hotshot lawyer working at his father's ultrasuccessful Pittsburgh law firm. Unfortunately, the high life has gotten the best of Nick. Arrested for drug use, he's sentenced to do 1,500 hours of community service, somehow to be squeezed into his 24/7 cutthroat world of mergers, acquisitions and board meetings. Reluctantly, he's now The Guardian - a part-time child advocate at Legal Aid Services, where one case after another is an eye-opening instance of kids caught up in difficult circumstances.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Guardian?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Guardian streaming on Paramount+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Guardian?

The Guardian earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Guardian worth watching?

The Guardian's Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all shows, from 6.7K ratings across 2 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of shows

70th percentile among Crime65th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)77th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

73 /100

63rd percentile of all shows

65th percentile among Crime55th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

82% liked it

77th percentile of all shows

69th percentile among Crime71st percentile among 2000s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

87th percentile

6.7K ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Crime81st percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show is a dark, emotionally heavy legal drama that centers on a flawed lawyer doing community service at a children's legal aid clinic.

Fans praised

  • Simon Baker's nuanced portrayal of a deeply conflicted character
  • Compelling and emotional legal cases involving vulnerable children
  • The complex, emotionally charged father-son relationship with Dabney Coleman

Detractors panned

  • Main character Nick is sullen, emotionless, and difficult to root for
  • Lulu character inconsistently written, lacks chemistry with Nick
  • Overwhelmingly bleak tone with virtually no happy moments

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

Simon Baker praised for depth, Dabney Coleman brilliant; Wendy Moniz widely criticized as weak

Plot and storyDivisive70

Child advocacy cases compelling; corporate law subplots less engaging

Emotional impactDivisive70

Moving and heartbreaking for fans; oppressively depressing for detractors

Atmosphere65

Gritty, realistic depiction of Pittsburgh legal world and social services

Dialogue65

Realistic, well-written dialogue praised; some find repetitive

CharactersDivisive60

Flawed, realistic characters appreciated by fans; detractor finds Nick wooden and Lulu inconsistent

Tension60

Constant emotional and professional tension; some find it exhausting

Humor15

Show is almost entirely humorless; fans note this as intentional

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2003 · 22 episodes

  • S3E1
    S3E1

    Carnival

    Sep 23, 2003
  • S3E2

    Big Coal

    Sep 30, 2003
  • S3E3
    S3E3

    The Line

    Oct 7, 2003
  • S3E4
    S3E4

    The Father-Daughter Dance

    Oct 14, 2003
  • S3E5
    S3E5

    Shame

    Oct 21, 2003
  • S3E6
    S3E6

    Let's Spend the Night Together

    Oct 28, 2003

Watch experience

What is The Guardian like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 10% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcOne continuous story
ToneThe series plays its legal and emotional conflicts with earnest gravity, never undercutting the seriousness of child advocacy.
The rideThe series maintains a steady pressure of legal and personal stakes, with emotional lows and occasional hopeful resolutions.
StructureEach episode follows a conventional beginning, middle, and end, with a case introduced, investigated, and resolved within the hour, plus ongoing serialized threads.
Episode formatEach episode focuses on a child advocacy case while advancing Nick's personal redemption arc and family tensions.
Season formatThe seasons continue Nick's ongoing story and relationships without a reset; arcs build across seasons.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a sense that justice and compassion can prevail, though the cases are emotionally taxing.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeTypical episode: Nick Fallin defends a child from an abusive or neglectful parent or guardian, facing a specific human threat that must be overcome. The case-of-the-week structure consistently follows this pattern.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% (this title) · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 3% of showsJustice · 14% of showsFamily bonds
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe show centers on a compromised lawyer earning redemption through advocating for children, while wrestling with justice and his strained family relationships.
StanceThe show affirms the value of redemption and advocacy, presenting Nick's transformation as worthy and the legal system as worth fighting within.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingA Pittsburgh legal and child advocacy world in the early 2000s
MusicA score that underscores the emotional gravity without overwhelming dialogue.

Content guide

Is The Guardian okay for kids?

TV-PG

The Guardian is rated TV-PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (48/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at moderate (54/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (60/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • South Korea19
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
heavy for a TV-PG show
heavier than 88%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (34 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Guardian have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Guardian?

Cast

Simon Baker
as Nick Fallin
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Alan Rosenberg
as Alvin Masterson
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Raphael Sbarge
as Jake Straka
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dabney Coleman
as Burton Fallin
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Wendy Moniz
as Louisa 'Lulu' Archer
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Charles Malik Whitfield
as James Mooney
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Denise Dowse
as Judge Rebecca Damsen
Kathleen Chalfant
as Laurie Solt
Dorothea Harahan
as Gretchen
AJ Michalka
as Shannon Gressler
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

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