''Boston Legal'' is an American

legal drama A legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice play ...

and

comedy drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple co ...

television series created by former lawyer and Boston native

David E. Kelley David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney, known as the creator of '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', '' Picket Fences'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''The Practice'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Publi ...

, produced in association with

20th Century Fox Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Compa ...

for

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. The series aired from October 3, 2004, to December 8, 2008. The series stars

James Spader James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor. He has portrayed eccentric characters in films such as the drama ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' (1989) for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, the action scie ...

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

and

Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...

. It is a direct spin-off and continuation of the TV series ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in 1 ...

'', with several characters from the eighth season of that series moving to ''Boston Legal''. While never a

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

smash hit, the show was critically acclaimed, receiving 26

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series in 2007 and 2008.

Plot

''Boston Legal'' follows the exploits of former ''Practice'' character Alan Shore, and his passionate co-workers, at the fictional offices of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. The high-end litigation firm, based in Boston, handles both civil and criminal law cases. The series plays on the chemistry between smarmy Shore and loose cannon Denny Crane. Middle-aged Shore is wry and wily, while mid-70s Crane (suffering from early

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

) is flamboyant and eccentric. Shore often uses questionable methods to win cases. Crane is obsessed with the reputation of his name, which he frequently repeats. Though political opposites, Shore and Crane are best friends. Episodes more often than not end with the two relaxing and musing together on the firm's balcony (while they smoke cigars and sip

scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...

Cast

''The Practice'' characters

Alan Shore '' Boston Legal'' is an American legal- comedy-drama created by David E. Kelley. The series, starring James Spader, with Candice Bergen, and William Shatner, was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC. ''Boston Legal ...

(''

'' season 8; seasons 1–5) *

Denny Crane '' Boston Legal'' is an American legal- comedy-drama created by David E. Kelley. The series, starring James Spader, with Candice Bergen, and William Shatner, was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC. ''Boston Lega ...

(''

'' season 8; seasons 1–5) *

Rhona Mitra Rhona is the name of: * Rhona Adair (1878–1961), British golf champion * Rhona Bennett (born 1976), American singer, actress and model * Rhona Brankin (born 1950), Labour Co-operative politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament * Rhona Bro ...

as Tara Wilson (''

'' season 8; season 1; recurring season 2) *

Lake Bell Lake Siegel Bell (born March 24, 1979) is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She has starred in various television series, including ''Boston Legal'' (2004–2006), '' Surface'' (2005–2006), ''How to Make It in America'' (2010–2 ...

as Sally Heep (''

'' season 8; season 1; guest season 3)

Main characters

as Shirley Schmidt (seasons 1–5, starting with episode 11) *

René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony A ...

as Paul Lewiston (seasons 1–3; recurring season 4–5) * Mark Valley as Brad Chase (seasons 1–3; recurring season 4) *

Monica Potter Monica Gregg Potter (née Brokaw; born June 30, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles in the films ''Con Air'' (1997), ''Patch Adams (film), Patch Adams'' (1998), and ''Along Came a Spider (film), Along Came a Spider'' ...

as Lori Colson (season 1; recurring season 2) *

Julie Bowen Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer (born March 3, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Claire Dunphy in the ABC sitcom ''Modern Family'' (2009–2020), for which she received critical acclaim and six nominations for the Primetim ...

Denise Bauer Denise Campbell Bauer (born January 30, 1964) is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to France and Monaco. Bauer served as Ambassador of the United States to Belgium from 2013 to 2017. After being nominated by President ...

(seasons 2–3; guest season 5) * Ryan Michelle Bathe as Sara Holt (season 2) *

Justin Mentell Justin Michael Mentell (December 16, 1982 – February 1, 2010) was an American artist and actor. He was best known for his role as Garrett Wells on ''Boston Legal''. He died in a car accident in Iowa County, Wisconsin. Life and career Ment ...

as Garrett Wells (season 2) *

Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for playing Dana Gordon in the television series '' Entourage'' (2005–2011) and Claire Simms in the television series ''Boston Legal'' (2006–2007). Sh ...

as Claire Simms (season 3) *

Craig Bierko Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor and singer. Early life Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York where his mother Pat ran The Harrison Players, a local community theatre. After graduating Blind Brook High School, ...

as Jeffrey Coho (season 3) *

Gary Anthony Williams Gary Anthony Williams (born March 14, 1966) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He voiced the character of Uncle Ruckus on ''The Boondocks'', and a number of video game characters. He also appeared on the television series '' Weeds'', ...

as Clarence Bell (seasons 3–4) *

Christian Clemenson Christian Dayton Clemenson (born March 17, 1958) is an American film and television actor. He is well known for his portrayal of Jerry "Hands" Espenson in the television series ''Boston Legal'', for which he was nominated for three Emmy Awards a ...

Jerry Espenson '' Boston Legal'' is an American legal- comedy-drama created by David E. Kelley. The series, starring James Spader, with Candice Bergen, and William Shatner, was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC. ''Boston Lega ...

(seasons 4–5; recurring season 2–3) * Taraji P. Henson as Whitney Rome (season 4) *

Saffron Burrows Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' ''Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' ''Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' ''Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and '' Th ...

Lorraine Weller '' Boston Legal'' is an American legal- comedy-drama created by David E. Kelley. The series, starring James Spader, with Candice Bergen, and William Shatner, was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC. ''Boston Lega ...

(season 4) *

Tara Summers Tara Summers (born 19 December 1979) is an English actress. Summers was educated at Heathfield St Mary's School, in Berkshire. She later attended Brown University, where she graduated with a B.A. in history in 2001. Her grandmother was Fritzi ...

as Katie Lloyd (seasons 4–5) *

John Larroquette John Bernard Larroquette (; born November 25, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (1976–1978), the NBC sitcom ''Night Court'' (1984–1992; for which he recei ...

as Carl Sack (seasons 4–5)

Production

Prior to the show's premiere, it had a working title of ''Fleet Street'', an

allusion Allusion is a figure of speech, in which an object or circumstance from unrelated context is referred to covertly or indirectly. It is left to the audience to make the direct connection. Where the connection is directly and explicitly stated (as ...

to the real street in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

where the fictitious Crane, Poole & Schmidt had its offices. The working title was later modified to ''The Practice: Fleet Street'', but this title was dropped in favor of ''Boston Legal''. The real building shown as the law office is located at 500 Boylston Street, 1.4 miles away from Fleet Street. The American producers of the series also hired the British writer and barrister John Mortimer (creator of the UK legal series ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, o ...

'') as a consultant for ''Boston Legal''. The show's pilot was originally produced with former ''The Practice'' stars

and

guest star In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

and

. It featured an expanded storyline with Larry Miller as Edwin Poole, Mark Valley as Brad Chase and

John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor and comedian whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's '' The Late Shift'', and a starring role in the American vers ...

senior partner A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position, traditionally indicating co-ownership of a partnership in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits as "equity partners". Th ...

Jerry Austin.

was later cast as junior partner Lori Colson and

as senior partner Paul Lewiston, replacing John Michael Higgins. The pilot premiered on

on October 3, 2004. On November 30, 2004, it was announced that

would join the cast as senior partner Shirley Schmidt, a character the producers had planned to introduce for several months. Lake Bell left the series mid-season, and René Auberjonois was promoted to main cast member.

Anthony Heald Philip Anthony Mair Heald (born August 25, 1944) is an American character actor known for portraying Hannibal Lecter's jailer, Dr. Frederick Chilton, in '' The Silence of the Lambs'' and '' Red Dragon'', and for playing assistant principal Sco ...

and

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of Golden Age of Television, early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work i ...

also made regular guest appearances, having both appeared as the same characters on ''The Practice''. On April 5, 2005, the series was renewed for a second season, although ABC put the show on hiatus in favor of ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...

'' The success of ''Grey's Anatomy'' placed ''Boston Legal'' on hold until autumn 2005, when it returned for an extended season of 27 episodes. Both

and

left the series during the hiatus, while

was cast as Denise Bauer. Ryan Michelle Bathe and

were later cast as junior associates Sara Holt and Garrett Wells. The second episode of season 3 introduced

as Jeffrey Coho and

as Claire Simms. In episode 11, guest star

joined the cast, with Craig Bierko leaving in episode 15. On June 4, 2007, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' announced that

, Mark Valley and

would not return for season 4. On June 13, 2007, it was announced that actor

(former ''The Practice'' guest star) would join the cast as a senior partner transferred from the New York offices of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, with actress

joining as a young associate.

(former ''The Practice'' guest star), who had guest-starred occasionally as Jerry Espenson (a brilliant but socially inept lawyer), was promoted to main cast. Production also stated that René Auberjonois, Mark Valley, Julie Bowen, and Constance Zimmer may return in guest roles. On July 2, 2007, it was reported that both René Auberjonois and Mark Valley would return in recurring roles; It was also announced that Taraji P. Henson would join the cast in season 4, with

appearing in a recurring role. Burrows later became a full-time cast member. On May 13, 2008, ABC announced that ''Boston Legal'' would return for a fifth and final season in the fall. Saffron Burrows did not return as a series regular, having joined the cast of '' My Own Worst Enemy''. The final season consisted of 13 episodes to reach the "100" episode mark, which facilitated successful syndication. There was speculation that ''Boston Legal'' might receive an additional episode order, if the show had another strong showing in the

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and produced solid ratings in its new fall time slot. The season began airing on September 22, 2008. On June 18 and June 20, 2008 it was reported that Gary Anthony Williams and Taraji P. Henson would not return for season 5 as Clarence Bell and Whitney Rome, respectively. On July 17, 2008, ''Boston Legal'' was nominated for a series-high seven Emmy nominations, including for Best Drama Series for the second consecutive year. Spader, Bergen and Shatner were each nominated for their respective roles. ''Boston Legals two-hour-long series finale aired on Monday, December 8, 2008 at 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central. David E. Kelley stated in an interview with the ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'' on December 7, 2008 that it was ABC's decision to end ''Boston Legal'', and that he "had to fight to bring it back for a short season of 13 episodes". The show was noted for frequently breaking the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

throughout its run.

Episodes

Reception

Ratings and audience profile

According to

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

, ''Boston Legal'' drew the richest viewing audience on television, based on the concentration of high-income viewers in its young adult audience (Adult 18–49 index w/$100k+ annual income). Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''Boston Legal'' on

. ''Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May

sweeps Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

. All times mentioned in this section were in the Eastern and Pacific time zones.''

Awards

: *2005 Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Spader) *2005 Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (William Shatner) *2006 Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Christian Clemenson) *2007 Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Spader) **James Spader also won the 2004 Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the same role on ''The Practice''. **William Shatner also won the 2004 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the same role on ''The Practice''.

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

: *2004 Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie (William Shatner)

Peabody Awards The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

*2005, as David E. Kelley Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television65th Annual Peabody Awards
May 2006.

Home media

As a former ABC series, the show is available for streaming on Disney platform

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

References

External links

* * * {{Portal bar, Television, United States 2000s American comedy-drama television series 2000s American workplace comedy television series 2000s American workplace drama television series 2004 American television series debuts 2008 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming 2000s American legal television series American television spin-offs English-language television shows Peabody Award-winning television programs The Practice Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series created by David E. Kelley Television shows set in Boston Television Academy Honors winners