| Ally McBeal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | David E. Kelley |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Vonda Shepard |
| Opening theme | "Searchin' My Soul" |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 112(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | September 8, 1997 (1997-09-08) – May 20, 2002 (2002-05-20) |
| Related | |
| The Practice | |
Ally McBeal is an Americanlegalcomedy-drama television series created byDavid E. Kelley that originally aired onFox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. It revolves aroundCalista Flockhart in thetitle role as a lawyer working in theBostonlaw firm Cage and Fish. Although the series is ostensibly a legal drama, its main focus is the romantic and personal lives of the main characters. The series was produced by David E. Kelley Productions and20th Century Fox Television, with Kelley serving as executive producer alongsideBill D'Elia.
Ally McBeal received critical acclaim in its early seasons, winning theGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 1998 and 1999, and also winning theEmmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1999. Despite these achievements, it was canceled by Fox after five seasons. In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a limited series was in early development at 20th Television with Flockhart possibly returning.[2] In August 2022, it was reported thatABC was in early development of a sequel series and had approached Flockhart to reprise her role and executive-produce. However, despite the report, neither project has eventuated yet.
Allison Marie "Ally" McBeal begins working at theBoston law firm Cage & Fish, co-owned by her law school classmate Richard Fish (Greg Germann). She left her previous firm due to sexual harassment. On her first day, Ally is dismayed to discover that she will be working alongside her ex-boyfriend Billy Thomas (Gil Bellows)—whom she has never gotten over. Even worse, Billy is now married to fellow lawyer Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith), who later joins Cage & Fish. The triangle among the three forms the basis for the main plot for the show's first three seasons.
AlthoughAlly McBeal is ostensibly a legal drama, the main focus of the series is the romantic and personal lives of the main characters, often using legal proceedings asplot devices to contrast or reinforce a character's drama. For example, bitter divorce litigation of a client might provide a backdrop for Ally's decision to break up with a boyfriend. Legal arguments were also frequently used to explore multiple sides of various social issues.
Cage & Fish (which becomes Cage/Fish & McBeal; Cage, Fish, & Associates towards the end of the series), the law firm where most of the characters work, is depicted as a highly sexualized environment symbolized by its unisex restroom. Lawyers and secretaries in the firm routinely date, flirt with, or have a romantic history with one another and frequently run into former or potential romantic interests in the courtroom or on the street.
The series had many offbeat and frequently surrealrunning gags and themes, such as Ally's tendency to immediately fall over whenever she met somebody she found attractive, Richard Fish'swattle fetish and humorous mottos ("Fishisms" and "Bygones"), John's gymnastic dismounts out of the office's unisex bathroom stalls, or the dancing twins (played by Eric and Steve Cohen) at a frequented bar. The show uses vivid, dramatic fantasy sequences for Ally's and other characters' wishful thinking; of particular note is the early internet sensation, thedancing baby.
The series also featured regular visits to a local bar where singerVonda Shepard regularly performed (though occasionally handing over the microphone to the characters). Star contemporary singers also performed in the bar at the end of the shows, including acts such asMariah Carey,Barry White andAnastacia. The series also took place in the same continuity as David E. Kelley's legal dramaThe Practice (which aired onABC), as the two shows crossed over with one another on occasion, a rare occurrence for two shows that aired on different networks.
Ultimately, in the series finale "Bygones", Ally leaves Cage & Fish and relocates to New York City.
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| Actor | Character | Seasons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Calista Flockhart | Ally McBeal | Main | ||||
| Greg Germann | Richard Fish | Main | ||||
| Lisa Nicole Carson | Renée Raddick | Main | Guest | |||
| Jane Krakowski | Elaine Vassal | Main | ||||
| Peter MacNicol | John Cage | Main | Recurring | |||
| Gil Bellows | Billy Allen Thomas | Main | Guest | |||
| Courtney Thorne-Smith | Georgia Thomas | Main | Guest | |||
| Portia de Rossi | Nelle Porter | — | Main | |||
| Lucy Liu | Ling Woo | — | Main | Recurring | ||
| Vonda Shepard | Herself | Recurring | Main | |||
| James LeGros | Mark Albert | — | Recurring | Main | — | |
| Robert Downey Jr. | Larry Paul | — | Main | Guest | ||
| Regina Hall | Coretta Lipp | — | Recurring | Main | ||
| Julianne Nicholson | Jenny Shaw | — | Main | |||
| James Marsden | Glenn Foy | — | Main | |||
| Josh Hopkins | Raymond Millbury | — | Main | |||
| Hayden Panettiere | Maddie Harrington | — | Main | |||
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | Rank | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||||
| 1 | 23 | September 8, 1997 (1997-09-08) | May 18, 1998 (1998-05-18) | 57 | 8.1[4] | |
| 2 | 23 | September 14, 1998 (1998-09-14) | May 24, 1999 (1999-05-24) | 23 | 9.6[5] | |
| 3 | 21 | October 25, 1999 (1999-10-25) | May 22, 2000 (2000-05-22) | 39 | 8.5[6] | |
| 4 | 23 | October 23, 2000 (2000-10-23) | May 21, 2001 (2001-05-21) | — | — | |
| 5 | 22 | October 29, 2001 (2001-10-29) | May 20, 2002 (2002-05-20) | — | — | |
In Australia,Ally McBeal was aired by theSeven Network from 1997 to 2002. In 2010, it was aired repeatedly byNetwork 10.
In the UK,Ally McBeal was aired byChannel 4, premiering on June 3, 1998, and concluding on October 30, 2002.[7] It began airing for free on Channel 4's streaming service on August 30, 2024.[8]
Seymore Walsh, a stern judge often exasperated by the eccentricities of the Cage & Fish lawyers and played by actor Albert Hall, was also a recurring character onThe Practice. In addition, Judge Jennifer (Whipper) Cone appears onThe Practice episode "Line of Duty" (S02 E15), while Judge Roberta Kittelson, a recurring character onThe Practice, has a featured guest role in theAlly McBeal episode "Do you Wanna Dance?"
Most of the primaryPractice cast members guest starred in theAlly McBeal episode "The Inmates" (S01 E20), in a storyline that concluded with thePractice episode "Axe Murderer" (S02 E26), featuring Calista Flockhart and Gil Bellows reprising theirAlly characters. Unusually for a TV crossover,Ally McBeal andThe Practice aired on different networks. Bobby Donnell, the main character ofThe Practice played byDylan McDermott, was featured heavily in both this crossover and anotherAlly McBeal episode, "These are the Days".
RegularPractice cast membersLara Flynn Boyle andMichael Badalucco each had an uncredited cameo as their characters inAlly McBeal (Boyle as a woman who trades insults with Ally in the episode "Making Spirits Bright" and Badalucco as one of Ally's dates in the episode "I Know him by Heart").
In Season 5,Lara Flynn Boyle had an uncredited guest appearance as a rebuttal witness opposite guest starHeather Locklear's character in the episode, "Tom Dooley".
14Beacon Street in Boston was the exterior which was used as the location for the law firm "Cage & Fish" (later "Cage, Fish, & McBeal"), which was located on the 7th floor of this building.[3]
Upon premiering in 1997, the show was an instant hit, averaging around 11 million viewers per episode. The show's second season saw an increase in ratings and soon became a top 20 show, averaging around 13 million viewers per episode. The show's ratings began to decline in the third season, but stabilized in the fourth season afterRobert Downey Jr. joined the regular cast as Ally's boyfriend Larry Paul, and a fresher aesthetic was created by new art director Matthew DeCoste. However, Downey's character was written out after the end of the season due to Downey's troubles with drug addiction.[9]
The first two seasons, as well as the fourth, remain the most critically acclaimed and saw the most awards success at the Emmys, SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. In 2007,Ally McBeal placed #48 onEntertainment Weekly's 2007 "New TV Classics" list.[10]
| Season | Number of viewers | Network | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997–98 | 11.4 million | Fox | #59[11] |
| 2 | 1998–99 | 13.8 million | Fox | #20[12] |
| 3 | 1999–2000 | 12.4 million | Fox | #35[citation needed] |
| 4 | 2000–01 | 12.0 million | Fox | #40[13] |
| 5 | 2001–02 | 9.4 million | Fox | #65[14] |
Fox canceledAlly McBeal after five seasons. In addition to being the lowest-rated season ofAlly McBeal and the grounds for the show's cancellation, the fifth season was also the only season of the show that failed to win any Emmy or Golden Globe awards.
Ally McBeal received some criticism from TV critics and feminists who found the title character annoying and demeaning to women (specifically regarding professional women[15]) because of her perceived flightiness, lack of demonstrated legal knowledge, short skirts,[16] and emotional instability. Perhaps the most notorious example of the debate sparked by the show was the June 29, 1998, cover story ofTime magazine, which juxtaposed the character of Ally McBeal with three real-life pioneering feminists (Susan B. Anthony,Betty Friedan,Gloria Steinem) and asked "Is Feminism Dead?"[17] In the January 18, 1999Ally McBeal episode, "Love Unlimited", Ally talks to her co-worker John Cage about a dream she had, saying "You know, I had a dream that they put my face on the cover ofTime magazine as 'the face of feminism'."[18]
Music was a prominent feature ofAlly McBeal.Vonda Shepard, a relatively unknown musician at the time, performed regularly on the show and her song "Searchin' My Soul" was the show's theme song. Many of the songs Shepard performed were established hits with lyrics that paralleled the events of each episode, for example, "Both Sides Now", "Hooked on a Feeling" and "Tell Him". Besides recording background music for the show, Shepard frequently appeared at the ends of episodes as a musician performing at a localpiano bar frequented by the main characters. On rare occasions, her character would have conventional dialogue. A portion of "Searchin' My Soul" was played at the beginning of each episode, but the song was never played in its entirety.
Several of the characters had a musicalleitmotif that played when they appeared. John Cage's was "You're the First, the Last, My Everything", Ling Woo's was theWicked Witch of the West theme fromThe Wizard of Oz, and Ally McBeal herself picked "Tell Him", when told by a psychiatrist that she needed a theme song in aSeason 1 episode.[19]
Due to the popularity of the show and Shepard's music, a soundtrack titledSongs from Ally McBeal was released in 1998, as well as a successor soundtrack titledHeart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal in 1999. Two compilation albums from the show featuring Shepard were also released in 2000 and 2001. A Christmas album was also released under the titleAlly McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas.[20] The album received positive reviews, and Shephard's version ofKay Starr's Christmas song "(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag", received considerable airplay during the holiday season.[21]
Other artists featured on the show includeBarry White,Al Green,Gladys Knight,Tina Turner,Macy Gray,Gloria Gaynor,Chayanne,Barry Manilow,Anastacia,Elton John,Sting andMariah Carey.Josh Groban played the role of Malcolm Wyatt in the May 2001 season finale, performing "You're Still You". The series creator, David E. Kelley, was impressed with Groban's performance at The Family Celebration event and based on the audience reaction to Groban's singing, Kelley created a character for him in that finale. The background score for the show was composed byDanny Lux.
| Soundtrack name | Number of tracks | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Songs from Ally McBeal | 14 | May 5, 1998 |
| Heart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal | 14 | November 9, 1999 |
| Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas | 14 | November 7, 2000 |
| Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life | 14 | April 24, 2001 |
| The Best of Ally McBeal | 12 | October 6, 2009 |
Due tomusic licensing issues, none of the seasons ofAlly McBeal were available onDVD in the United States until 2009, though the show had been available in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic with all the show's music intact since 2005. In the UK, Ireland, and Spain all seasons are available in a complete box set.
20th Century Fox released the complete first season on DVD in Region 1 on October 6, 2009. They also released a special complete series edition on the same day.[22] Season 1 does not contain any special features, but the complete series set contains several bonus features, including featurettes, an all-new retrospective, theepisode ofThe Practice in which Calista Flockhart guest-starred, and a bonus disc entitled "The Best of Ally McBeal Soundtrack." In addition, both releases contain all of the original music.[23] Season 2 was released on April 6, 2010. Seasons 3, 4, and 5 were all released on October 5, 2010.[24]
| DVD name | No. episodes | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 23 | October 6, 2009 | February 21, 2005 | April 26, 2006 |
| The Complete Second Season | 23 | April 6, 2010 | February 21, 2005 | April 26, 2006 |
| The Complete Third Season | 21 | October 5, 2010 | February 21, 2005 | April 26, 2006 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 23 | October 5, 2010 | May 9, 2005 | April 26, 2006 |
| The Complete Fifth and Final Season | 22 | October 5, 2010 | May 9, 2005 | April 26, 2006 |
| The Complete Series | 112 | October 6, 2009 | October 30, 2006 | April 18, 2012[25] |
In 1999, at the height of the show's popularity, a half-hour version titledAlly began airing in parallel with the main program. This version, designed in a sitcom format, used re-edited scenes from the main program, along with previously unseen footage. The intention was to further develop the plots in the comedy drama in a sitcom style. It also focused only on Ally's personal life, cutting all the courtroom plots. The repackaged show was canceled partway through its initial run. While 13 episodes ofAlly were produced, only ten aired.[26]
In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a limited series was in early development by20th Television with Flockhart possibly returning.[2]
In August 2022, it was reported thatABC was in early development of a sequel series with Karin Gist writing and executive producing.[27] The series would follow a young Black woman out of law school who joins the law firm. Flockhart has been approached to both reprise her role and executive-produce.[28]
Flockhart, Germann, MacNicol and Bellows reunited at the2024 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in a choreographed dance toBarry White's "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" recreating the unisex bathroom from the series.[29]
In a third-season episode of the British comedyThe Adam and Joe Show, the show was parodied as "Ally McSqueal" using soft toys.[30]
Afirst season episode of the animated sitcomFuturama, "When Aliens Attack", centers on an invasion of Earth by the Omicronians precipitated by a signal loss during the climax of an episode ofSingle Female Lawyer, whose main character is Jenny McNeal.[31]
In afourth season episode of the showThe Good Place, the Judge, played byMaya Rudolph, handsTed Danson's character (Michael) a petition to rebootAlly McBeal, stating "everything else is getting rebooted."
In the 2021 filmThe Mauritanian,Guantanamo Bay detention camp detaineeMohamedou Ould Salahi says to an American judge "Even inMauritania, we have watchedLaw & Order andAlly McBeal."
In afourth season episode of the showCrazy Ex-Girlfriend, a lyric in the song "Don't Be a Lawyer", mentions the show "No one you work with looks likeAlly McBeal".[32]
SFL is a decent parody of Ally McBeal, a show that was very popular at the time this episode aired, but which hardly anyone talks about anymore.
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