The Guardian is an American drama television series created by David Hollander which originally aired on CBS from September 25, 2001, to May 4, 2004. The show stars Simon Baker as Pittsburgh corporate attorney Nick Fallin, with Dabney Coleman as his father and boss. When Nick is convicted of drug use he is sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service as a guardian ad litem; the show focuses on this, his recovery from drug addiction, and his strained relationship with his father. It includes guest stars such as Farrah Fawcett, and featured scenes with the Pittsburgh Police in multiple episodes.

Simon Lucas Baker is an Australian actor and director. He is best known for his role as Patrick Jane in the CBS drama series The Mentalist (2008–2015), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nomination.