television dramatic series starring Reed Hadley (1911-1974) as Bart Matthews, an attorney for the indigent. The Public Defender is a half-hour 69-episode television dramatic series starring Reed Hadley (1911-1974) as Bart Matthews, an attorney for the indigent. The series aired on CBS from March 11, 1954 to June 23, 1955, a season and a half. The series was sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes; by the middle of its second season, Revlon cosmetics became an alternate sponsor.