Boston Legal
Encyclopedia
Boston Legal is an American legal
dramedy created by David E. Kelley
, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television
for the ABC
. The series aired from October 3, 2004, to December 8, 2008.
Boston Legal is a spinoff of long-running Kelley series The Practice
, following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore (James Spader
) at the legal firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
The series won five Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award
.
, 1.4 miles away from Fleet Street.
The American producers of the series also hired British writer Sir John Mortimer
(creator of the UK legal series Rumpole of the Bailey
) as a consultant for Boston Legal.
The pilot was originally produced with former The Practice stars James Spader
, Rhona Mitra
and William Shatner
, with support actors Lake Bell
, Mark Valley
and an expanded storyline featuring Larry Miller
as Edwin Poole and John Michael Higgins
as senior partner Jerry Austin. Monica Potter
was later cast as junior partner Lori Colson and Rene Auberjonois
as senior partner Paul Lewiston, replacing John Michael Higgins. The pilot premiered on ABC
on October 3, 2004.
On November 30, 2004, it was announced that Candice Bergen
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 Rene Auberjonois was promoted to main cast member.Anthony Heald
and Betty White
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 chose not to screen the final five episodes of the first season until April 24, 2005 to allow greater exposure of mid-season series Grey's Anatomy
to a larger audience. The success of Grey's Anatomy placed Boston Legal on hold until autumn 2005, when it returned for an extended season of twenty-seven episodes. Both Rhona Mitra
and Monica Potter
left the series during the hiatus, while Julie Bowen
was cast as Denise Bauer. Ryan Michelle Bathe
and Justin Mentell
were later cast as junior associates Sara Holt and Garrett Wells. The second episode of Season 3 introduced Craig Bierko
as Jeffrey Coho and Constance Zimmer
as Claire Simms. In episode eleven guest star Gary Anthony Williams
joined the cast, with Craig Bierko leaving in episode fifteen.
On June 4, 2007, TV Guide
announced that Rene Auberjonois
, Julie Bowen
, Mark Valley
, and Constance Zimmer
would not return for the fourth season. On June 13, 2007, it was announced that actor John Larroquette
(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 Tara Summers
joining as a young associate. Christian Clemenson
, who had guest-starred occasionally as Jerry Espenson (a brilliant but socially inept lawyer) – was promoted to main cast. Production also stated that Rene Auberjonois, Mark Valley, Julie Bowen, and Constance Zimmer may return in guest roles. On July 2, 2007, it was reported that both Rene Auberjonois and Mark Valley would return in recurring roles; It was also announced that Taraji P. Henson
would join the cast in the fourth season, with Saffron Burrows
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 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 the fifth season 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 concurrent 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
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 series also featured a trademark routine whereby characters would occasionally break the fourth wall and make comments implying they are aware that they are characters in a television show.
, 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 ABC
.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps. All times mentioned in this section were in the Eastern and Pacific time zones.
Golden Globe Awards:
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
dramedy created by David E. Kelley
David E. Kelley
David Edward Kelley is an American television writer and producer, known as the creator of Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Boston Legal and Harry's Law, as well as several films. Kelley is one of the only screenwriters to have had a show created by him run on...
, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
for the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The series aired from October 3, 2004, to December 8, 2008.
Boston Legal is a spinoff of long-running Kelley series The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
, following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore (James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) at the legal firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
The series won five Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
.
Production details
Prior to the show's premiere, it had a working title of Fleet Street, an allusion to the real street in Boston 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 before the show premiered. The real building shown as the law office is located at 500 Boylston Street500 Boylston Street
500 Boylston Street is a Post-Modern building located in the Back Bay section of Boston and part of the city's High Spine, completed in 1985. It sits next to the landmark Trinity Church, Boston. It dominates the western half of the city block bounded by Boylston, Clarendon and Berkeley streets and...
, 1.4 miles away from Fleet Street.
The American producers of the series also hired British writer Sir John Mortimer
John Mortimer
Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
(creator of the UK legal series Rumpole of the Bailey
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer which starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an ageing London barrister who defends any and all clients...
) as a consultant for Boston Legal.
The pilot was originally produced with former The Practice stars James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
, Rhona Mitra
Rhona Mitra
Rhona Natasha Mitra , sometimes credited as Rona Mitra, is an English actress, model and singer.-Early life:Mitra was born in Paddington, London, England, the daughter of Anthony Mitra, a cosmetic surgeon, and Nora Downey...
and William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, with support actors Lake Bell
Lake Bell
-Early life:Bell was born in New York City, the daughter of Robin Bell, owner of the design firm Robin Bell Design, Inc. in New York, and Harvey Siegel. Her father is Jewish and her mother is Protestant, and Bell has stated that she was raised in a "comically dysfunctional family".Bell attended The...
, Mark Valley
Mark Valley
Mark Thomas Valley is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama Boston Legal and Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama Human Target.-Personal life:...
and an expanded storyline featuring Larry Miller
Larry Miller (actor)
Lawrence J. "Larry" Miller is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, podcaster, and columnist.-Early life:Miller was born in Valley Stream, New York, attended Valley Stream South High School graduating in 1971. He attended Amherst College...
as Edwin Poole and John Michael Higgins
John Michael Higgins
John Michael Higgins is an American actor 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 version of Kath & Kim....
as senior partner Jerry Austin. Monica Potter
Monica Potter
Monica Potter is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Potter, one of four daughters, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Irish American Roman Catholic family. Her father, Paul Brokaw, was the inventor of the first flame-resistant car wax, and her mother, Nancy, was a secretary....
was later cast as junior partner Lori Colson and Rene Auberjonois
Rene Auberjonois
René Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
as senior partner Paul Lewiston, replacing John Michael Higgins. The pilot premiered on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on October 3, 2004.
On November 30, 2004, it was announced that Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
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 Rene Auberjonois was promoted to main cast member.Anthony Heald
Anthony Heald
Philip Anthony Mair Heald, known professionally as Anthony Heald , is an American actor known for portraying Hannibal Lecter's jail nemesis, Dr. Frederick Chilton in The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, and for playing assistant principal Scott Guber in David E. Kelley's Boston Public...
and Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
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 chose not to screen the final five episodes of the first season until April 24, 2005 to allow greater exposure of mid-season series Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
to a larger audience. The success of Grey's Anatomy placed Boston Legal on hold until autumn 2005, when it returned for an extended season of twenty-seven episodes. Both Rhona Mitra
Rhona Mitra
Rhona Natasha Mitra , sometimes credited as Rona Mitra, is an English actress, model and singer.-Early life:Mitra was born in Paddington, London, England, the daughter of Anthony Mitra, a cosmetic surgeon, and Nora Downey...
and Monica Potter
Monica Potter
Monica Potter is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Potter, one of four daughters, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Irish American Roman Catholic family. Her father, Paul Brokaw, was the inventor of the first flame-resistant car wax, and her mother, Nancy, was a secretary....
left the series during the hiatus, while Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
was cast as Denise Bauer. Ryan Michelle Bathe
Ryan Michelle Bathe
Ryan Michelle Bathe is an American film and television actress.-Career:Bathe grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. She graduated from Stanford University and received a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. Her most notable role to date is playing attorney Sara Holt on the American TV series...
and Justin Mentell
Justin Mentell
Justin Michael Mentell 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:...
were later cast as junior associates Sara Holt and Garrett Wells. The second episode of Season 3 introduced Craig Bierko
Craig Bierko
Craig Philip Bierko is an American actor and singer.-Early life:Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, the son of Pat and Rex Bierko, who ran a local community theatre. Bierko's mother was a Jewish convert to Roman Catholicism...
as Jeffrey Coho and Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer is an American actress perhaps best known for her role as Dana Gordon in HBO's Entourage and as Claire Simms on the critically acclaimed ABC legal comedy-drama Boston Legal...
as Claire Simms. In episode eleven guest star Gary Anthony Williams
Gary Anthony Williams
Gary Anthony Williams is an American screen actor who most recently appeared in Weeds and Boston Legal. Additionally, he is known for his recurring role on Fox's Malcolm in the Middle as "Abe" Kenarban. He has also been known for the comedy series Blue Collar TV as a regular cast member...
joined the cast, with Craig Bierko leaving in episode fifteen.
On June 4, 2007, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
announced that Rene Auberjonois
Rene Auberjonois
René Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
, Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
, Mark Valley
Mark Valley
Mark Thomas Valley is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama Boston Legal and Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama Human Target.-Personal life:...
, and Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer is an American actress perhaps best known for her role as Dana Gordon in HBO's Entourage and as Claire Simms on the critically acclaimed ABC legal comedy-drama Boston Legal...
would not return for the fourth season. On June 13, 2007, it was announced that actor John Larroquette
John Larroquette
John Edgar Bernard Larroquette, Jr. is an American film, television and Broadway actor. His roles include Dan Fielding on the series Night Court, Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, and Carl Sack in Boston Legal.-Personal...
(former The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
guest star) would join the cast as a senior partner transferred from the New York offices of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, with actress Tara Summers
Tara Summers
Tara Summers is an English actress.The granddaughter of bridge player Fritzi Gordon, Summers was educated at Heathfield St Mary's School, in Berkshire. A graduate of Brown University Tara Summers (born December 19, 1979) is an English actress.The granddaughter of bridge player Fritzi Gordon,...
joining as a young associate. Christian Clemenson
Christian Clemenson
Christian Clemenson 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 won the 2006 Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series.-Early life:Clemenson spent his childhood in Humboldt,...
, who had guest-starred occasionally as Jerry Espenson (a brilliant but socially inept lawyer) – was promoted to main cast. Production also stated that Rene Auberjonois, Mark Valley, Julie Bowen, and Constance Zimmer may return in guest roles. On July 2, 2007, it was reported that both Rene Auberjonois and Mark Valley would return in recurring roles; It was also announced that Taraji P. Henson
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
would join the cast in the fourth season, with Saffron Burrows
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Dominique Burrows is an English actress and former fashion model, who starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Lorraine Weller on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
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
My Own Worst Enemy (TV series)
My Own Worst Enemy is an American television drama that aired on NBC in 2008. It premiered on October 13 and ended on December 15 after 9 episodes. The series was produced by Universal Media Studios. Jason Smilovic was the executive producer; David Semel was the director and executive producer...
. 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 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 the fifth season 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 concurrent 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
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
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 series also featured a trademark routine whereby characters would occasionally break the fourth wall and make comments implying they are aware that they are characters in a television show.
Ratings and audience profile
According to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, 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 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps. All times mentioned in this section were in the Eastern and Pacific time zones.
| Season | Timeslot | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Season Rank |
Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sunday 10:00 pm | October 3, 2004 | March 20, 2005 | 2004–2005 | #28 | 12.5 |
| 2nd | Tuesday 10:00 pm | September 27, 2005 | May 16, 2006 | 2005–2006 | #47 | 10.3 |
| 3rd | September 19, 2006 | May 29, 2007 | 2006–2007 | #62 | 9.6 | |
| 4th | Tuesday 10:00 pm Wednesday 10:00 pm |
September 25, 2007 | May 21, 2008 | 2007–2008 | #51 | 9.6 |
| 5th | Monday 10:00 pm | September 22, 2008 | December 8, 2008 | 2008–2009 | #47 | 9.6 |
DVD releases
| DVD Name | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | May 23, 2006 | July 24, 2006 | August 9, 2006 |
| Season 2 | November 21, 2006 | March 5, 2007 | February 21, 2007 |
| Season 3 | September 18, 2007 | January 14, 2008 | October 10, 2007 |
| Season 4 | September 23, 2008 | October 13, 2008 | December 3, 2008 |
| Season 5 | May 5, 2009 | May 11, 2009 | August 5, 2009 |
| The Complete Series | TBA | May 11, 2009 | November 18, 2009 |
Awards
Primetime Emmy 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)
- 2007 Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Spader)
Golden Globe Awards:
- 2004 Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie (William Shatner)