Boston Legal (Series) - TV Tropes Boston Legal You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share Timeline Yup, it's that kind of show. "You're thinking. I used to do that, but when you grow old, you realise what it's all about: Money." — Denny Crane Boston Legal is a legal dramedy series than ran on ABC from 2004 to 2008. It was to the Bunny-Ears Lawyer trope what House is to Dr. Jerk . The series starts as a senior partner at the firm goes completely insane and has to be hauled off to a sanitarium — and the rest of the staff aren't models of mental wellness, either. They include a renowned trial lawyer in the early stages of Alzheimer's (affectionately referred to as Mad Cow Disease by him and the rest of the firm), several lawyers suffering from everything from extreme shyness to Asperger Syndrome , and the lead, who is merely lecherous and corrupt (although he, too, suffers from occasional mental issues ). Together they take on cases that are almost as odd as they are. Created by David E. Kelley .

Technically a Spin-Off from The Practice , with which it shares Alan Shore, Denny Crane, a few female supporting roles who were victims of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome or otherwise Put on a Bus , and virtually nothing else. It ran for a total of 101 episodes in five seasons. Boston Legal provides examples of: Accuse the Witness Jeffrey Coho takes this Up to Eleven during his big trial. He accuses three separate witnesses of being the murderer, including the husband and the neighbor of the victim. Lastly, he accuses the mother of a defendant of being the real murderer of the defendant's lover, in order to get the son acquitted. While Jeffrey thinks their story of the mother being in an incestuous relationship with her son and having killed out of jealousy is just a cover story, it's actually true. Alan does this in an overly melodramatic and obviously insincere manner during another trial, and tries to excuse it to the judge by saying he had to do something to distract the jury from the witness's damaging testimony. This is played straight in another episode where Katie Lloyd asks the husband of the victim if he was the murderer.

Subverted in yet another episode, where Alan and Denny separately represent two sons who are both accused of killing their father. They secretly agree to have both the boys accuse the other one of being the murderer while on the stand, while pretending that they each pulled this trick on the other. The jury can't decide if it was one boy or the other, or if it was both boys, or someone else entirely, creating reasonable doubt. Activist Fundamentalist Antics : One episode had two religious groups suing each other for blasphemy-related charges. Adrenaline Time : Done for transitions between scenes, usually showing one character dramatically walking to the next scene. Also appears in the intros. Amoral Attorney : Inverted in Alan Shore (he's more than happy, eager even, to bend or break legal ethics to uphold his own moral ones). And Starring : James Spader leads off, Candice Bergen gets the "with" and William Shatner brings up the rear with the "and." Aroused by Their Voice : Shirley can get Denny hot and bothered just by whispering his name.

Asshole Victim : Used sometimes, such as when Catherine Piper kills Bernard, who gloats about his two murders making him feel godlike, or when a man who used his money to get him skilled lawyers who engineered a not guilty plea is killed by his victim's mother. Author Tract : Especially in the later years, many cases involved the firm getting involved in political issues and Alan Shore would invariably deliver a closing argument in the author's voice. Lampshaded in "Selling Sickness": Judge Weldon: Counsel, what are you doing? Alan: [standing on crate] Getting on my soapbox, Your Honor, I do it once a week. Backdoor Pilot : The final season of The Practice . Bathos : The Series. For just one example, Denny Crane presenting an articulate, rational, and reasonable argument against gun control... while dressed as a revolutionary war soldier with Yankee Doodle playing in the background. Badass Boast : Alan Shore delivers quite a few of these throughout the series. Lawyer: The law is on our side, Mister Shore. Tragedies happen every day. Alan: Yes, and you're about to experience one firsthand. See you in court.

Chairman: Mister Shore, our school has been sued several times. Never successfully. Alan: You know what they say, Lester. You never forget your first time. Berserk Button : As far as CP&S is concerned - Shirley. As far as Shirley herself is concerned... well, don't make fun of/attempt to fire Denny Crane. Just... don't. Bittersweet Ending : A pretty deep and utterly inconclusive Twist Ending , in fact. Almost surprising considering the tone of the rest of the show. Carl and Shirley get married... but so do Alan and Denny , so that Denny's fortune would be preserved in Alan. Denny's case to get the experimental Alzheimer's medicine is appealed to the Supreme Court where he meets his hero Justice Scalia and wins his case... But in the midst of all this a Chinese international company buys out Crane, Poole, and Schmidt, then the company won a lawsuit when Shirley sued on the grounds that the Chinese have no right to buy a law firm. They put the litigations department under watch, especially Alan. And they took Denny's name off the firm and renamed the firm Chang, Poole, and Schmidt.

Black Widow : The firm once defended a woman who married for money whose husband turned up dead. It's left ambiguous whether or not she actually killed him. Breaking the Fourth Wall : Repeatedly done, mainly with Denny and Alan, who like to "pretend" their life is a TV series. The examples are numerous; Denny toasting to next season and Alan hoping it's on the same night, a character telling Alan not to fall for a woman because "she's only a guest star", Alan having a conversation with Chelina (played by Kerry Washington ) about the last time they saw each other being after "you were moved to Tuesdays", "you left to do movies" and "here we are, with old footage", Denny telling two new arrivals that "if they were new regulars they would have gotten here for the season premiere", welcoming them to "Boston Legal" and saying "Cue the music", and Carl openly saying "The only show on television with an average cast over 50 is Bo...No, I can't say it.

That would break the, ehrm, wall." Bunny-Ears Lawyer : The Trope Namer is Alan Shore, but almost the entire cast qualify, save one of the interns that showed up for a few months who didn't have any quirks. Odo was The Only Sane Man . And Brad is The Comically Serious . Character Filibuster : Oh, so many times. Partially justified in that they're lawyers and it's their job to give long speeches, but more often than not their closings had only a tangential relationship to the case at hand. Alan Shore is basically the epitome of this trope. It's a trick that legendary civil libertarian lawyer Clarence Darrow used to employ. No one since Darrow has ever come close to doing it right... Except the fictional Alan Shore. A father once pulled a gun on Alan at work after Alan agreed to represent the guy's ex-wife in a custody battle. The son of a woman whose accused murderer was cleared by Denny Crane and his father once took Denny Crane and much of the rest of the supporting cast hostage in order to stage the trial again. Chubby Chaser : Marlene Stanger. Androgy-Woman Era Sally Heep. Judge Gloria Weldon.

That weird middle-aged chick they called 'The Beav' for some reason. Most of the female audience members...season three on. Chuck Cunningham Syndrome : Many characters. The only characters that aren't this or put on a bus are Alan Shore, Denny Crane, Shirley Schmidt, Carl Sack, Jerry Espensen, and Katie Lloyd. No Fourth Wall : Denny Crane can identify guest characters and season finales, and isn't shy about discussing them. Characters talk obliquely of getting their own spin-offs. A heated argument between two characters regarding the merits of Obama and McCain was on an episode that aired the day before Election Day. Heck, people have the show's theme song as cell phone ringtones. And in one of the final episodes someone sues the Network for not having television programing with older casts. Carl: You know, the only show unafraid to have its stars over 50 is Bo... Gee, I can't say it. (gesturing toward the cameras and the audience) It would, um, break the wall . And, from the finale: Denny: Like jumping a shark!

invoked Another time, when an extra opens their mouth to support a one-off character: Alan: You're an extra. You don't get to talk. And, of course: Denny: Welcome to Boston Legal ... Cue the music ! (The opening credits begin to roll inter-cut with shots of Jeffery Coho looking absolutely stupefied). The Theme Music Power-Up gets this treatment a number of times- when Shirley hires Jerry, he mentions that he has a favourite song he hums when happy. After prompting from Shirley, he proceeds to hum and sing along with the theme for the entire duration of the opening credits, much to Shirley's bemusement. And again when Alan and Denny go to LA, and Denny proceeds to play the first few bars of the theme with a kazoo. Smug Snake : On a show about amoral, high-powered lawyers? I'm shocked. Spin-Off : Of The Practice , although you'd be forgiven for not noticing. Part of what distinguishes the two is the fact that none of the Practice characters made any guest appearances. While this is arguably justified in that every non-female member of Young, Frutt and Berluti hated Alan by the end of the Practice, David E.

Kelley noticeably opened the door for Eugene to appear on Boston Legal as a judge, which he never did. Split Personality : As with so many subjects, Boston Legal managed to both lampoon the situation while also addressing the serious side. Clarice and Clarence were often treated as this in jest at first- on several occasions Denny Crane appeared to be confused about why the lovely legal assistant kept having her brother substitute for her, for instance. It was gradually revealed, however, that Clarice was an oddly accurate portrayal of a mild form of dissociative disorder in which a person creates an alternate personality facade to cope with anxiety or trauma. Clarence was too scared to stand up for himself or speak in public, but Clarice the Sassy Black Woman had no such issues. The two gradually came to a Split-Personality Merge as Clarence came to embrace his inner sassy black lady without having to be a sassy black lady. Strawman Political : Alan Shore very frequently goes up against broad conservative caricatures, and always wins. Oddly, he himself resembles the conservative straw man of a corrupt liberal trial lawyer. Denny Crane is a straw man political caricature of a conservative gun nut, although this did allow him to save the day a few times.

Keeping guns in your office seems so much less crazy when you just used them to shoot the man about to kill your friends. The show is more than self-aware enough to strawman consciously, and the real beauty of it is its use of the basic fact that a lawyer is supposed to advocate for his client: Alan is a liberal, but he's not always on the liberal side of the case, and Brad, a conservative, passionately defends a number of liberal causes. (Denny, for his part, is very good at avoiding cases he doesn't want, up to and including shooting his client. Straight Man : A trifecta — Paul Lewiston, Brad Chase, and Shirley Schmidt. Boston Legal - Show News, Reviews, Recaps and Photos - TV.com EDIT Led by an Emmy Award-winning cast, "Boston Legal" returns for its fifth and final season to tell the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Sometimes irreverent and funny, sometimes intense and moving, "Boston Legal" prides itself on being at the forefront of issue-oriented television, often addressing issues that are underreported by the media.

Fast-paced and wildly comedic, the series confronts social and moral issues, while its characters continually stretch the boundaries of the law. Back-to-back Emmy Award winners James Spader and William Shatner play Alan Shore and Denny Crane, unlikely kindred spirits among the brigade of high-priced litigators at Crane Poole & Schmidt. In addition, Shirley Schmidt (played by five-time Emmy winner Candice Bergen), a founding partner of the firm, continues to help bring order to the chaotic office. She keeps a vigilant eye on all, particularly on Denny Crane, with whom she shares a checkered past. Continuing to keep the office staff in tow is no-nonsense senior partner Carl Sack (Emmy Award winner John Larroquette), yet another ex-boyfriend of Shirley's, who has a newfound respect for the quirky team. Added to the mix are Jerry Espenson (Emmy Award winner Christian Clemenson), Shore's friend and fellow lawyer who suffers from Aspergers syndrome; and Katie Lloyd (Tara Summers), a young associate who is proving that she can run with the big dogs in the Boston offices.

US Broadcast History Oct 2004 - Mar 2005, Sunday at 10:00 PM on ABC and CH (Canada) Sep 2005 - Apr 2008, Tuesday at 10:00 PM on ABC and CH (Canada) Apr 2008 - May 2008, Wednesday at 10:00 PM on ABC and E! (Canada) Sep 2008, Monday at 10:00 PM on ABC and E! (Canada)moreless Best Denny Crane Quotes From Boston Legal Share By Josh Bell Egomaniacal, sexually ravenous, prone to malapropisms: Those are just a few of the ways to describe Denny Crane, the mega-successful lawyer played by William Shatner over five seasons of the ABC legal dramedy Boston Legal , from 2004-2008. In later seasons, Denny devolved into a cartoon along with the rest of the show, but early on he was always ready for a clever quip. Here’s a look at the best Denny Crane quotes.

• From “Legal Deficits” (Season 2): Preparing for trial: “I have an erection. That’s a good sign. I’m ready to go to trial. Lock and load.” • From “Young Cannibal” (Season 3): “You know the old joke, Alan? Man shows up at the pearly gates, sees this guy in a pinstripe suit and a briefcase, a cigar, prancing about. He says to Saint Peter, ‘Who’s that guy?’ Saint Peter says, ‘Ah, that’s just God. Thinks he’s Denny Crane.’” • From “’Til We Meat Again” (Season 1): Protesting a ban on red meat: “We’re carnivores. When the pilgrims landed, first thing they did was eat a few Indians.” continue reading below our video 5 Classic Novels Everyone Should Read • From “An Eye for an Eye” (Season 1): In response to an unfavorable judicial ruling: “You know what I’m going to do, Brian, just to show you there are no hard feelings?

I’m going to sleep with your wife.” • From “BL: Los Angeles” (Season 2): Trying to convince Shirley Schmidt to kiss him: “Shirley! I’m in my 70s. I’m still a physical specimen, but you never know. What if I drop dead one day? You never got that last tonsil brushing.” • From “The Innocent Man” (Season 4): Defending his inappropriate behavior toward a woman: “I didn’t proposition her. I merely asked her to sleep with me.” • From “Head Cases” (Season 1): “Don’t waste your time trying to get into my head. There's nothing there.” • From “Questionable Characters” (Season 1): “Hell, if I had a nickel for every woman I’d promised to marry in exchange for sex ... actually, I do.” • From “Tortured Souls” (Season 1): Trying to convince Alan Shore to take on a despicable client: “Alan, c’mon, we hate all our clients.

It’s good to hate, allows us to overcharge and still sleep at night.” • From “Finding Nimmo” (Season 2): Encouraging Alan to take a fishing trip with him: “We need to go to the woods and touch ourselves ... get in touch with ourselves.” • From “Men to Boys” (Season 2): After a female associate takes offense to his inappropriate comment: “I’ve often found that it’s the chubby girls who offend most easily.” • From “Helping Hands” (Season 2): Describing his new girlfriend: “Alan, Bev is the woman I’ve always dreamed of: an angel in the bedroom and a whore in the kitchen.” • From “New Kids on the Block” (Season 3): Greeting a new female associate: “Well, well, well, well, well. If you’re a client, I’ll get you off; if you’re not ... the offer’s still there.” • From “Fat Burner” (Season 3): “I’ll have that jury eating out of my lap.” Boston Legal Fan Reviews & Ratings - TV.com Boston Legal: The Denny Crane of Legal Series!

10 By Ca3naki , Nov 14, 2013 I was watching Boston Legal as a child-adolescent. I came back to it now that I'm older and half-way through my law studies. This show is AMAZING!!! It keeps the right balance between comedy and drama. While we might laugh, then comes a thought-provoking case. The "lawyers" are awesome!!! I particularly enjoy the way they cross-examine witness. Sometimes it is cruel, but that's how great lawyers are. Another thing that I particularly enjoy, two to be exact is 1. the fact that they actually lose from time to time and 2. they go to court, a lot! The reason why I mention that is because, I can't help but comparing it to Suits, where I can understand the not-going-to the court thing, due to the fact that the american judicial system, from what I've seen is very pro the dissolution of the disputes before going to trial. And also that's what they specialize in. But they never lose. And it's impossible to be a lawyer and not lose.

The quotes from Boston Legal are amazing and most certainly depict the reality of the court rooms, not necessarily in the US, but in general. (my most recent one "That's how you win lawsuits! You're right! Even when you are wrong") And of course!!! The amazing cast!!! I love James Spader and William Shatner and their combination in the series was a complete success!!! But the rest of the cast was also very good!!! DO YOU AGREE? One of the best shows!!! 9.5 By shk , Feb 12, 2013 BL is definitely one of the best shows ever, and could have easily become the best had a couple of characters not been given unnecessary importance. Gerry and Catherine were two characters which made me felt as if they both are related to the producer as if it was really important to include them in the cast. With such an excellent script, there was no need at all to rely on the foolish activities of Gerry and Catherine to make us laugh. It was far over done, infact there came a time where I used to fast forward whenever Gerry used to come. All remaining cast were an integral part of the series particularly Allen and Denny.

I hope it comes back for the sixth season, and hopefully without Gerry. DO YOU AGREE? Incredible & unique this show steals the imagination & the heart if you just let it. Showing no fear, the writers & creators & actors, all the staff have created a truly adult drama with great humor! Well done 10 By mistresswitch , Oct 17, 2010 In each character we see truly different people, in each episode we deal with new & interesting topics. We've watched discussions on politics & religion, human rights, corporate rights, right to speak, right to die, we've seen it all. Each episode we grow to love or hate the characters that are presented before us, the actores are truly brilliant and pull of their character wonderfully well. The only bad thing I can say about this series is that is has been cancelled. Perhaps some time in the future we will see our characters again though not in reruns. :-) To the amazing crew and cast, you did yourselves proud in the final season, more so in the final episodes. You went down fighting and you won many life long fans & hearts. Well done to you all. DO YOU AGREE?

Uniquely fulfilling characters in a class leading show that when taken to the heart leaves all others in its wake. 10 By muppetman42 , Sep 10, 2010 Watching the final episode of this show actually had me worried. I have so loved every moment of the outstanding series I was concerned that this last one would be completely over the top. And it was, but in such a perfect way that it was stupendous. The Supreme Court speech by James Spader is just exemplary. The character of Denny Crane is played to perfection by William Shatner. The other characters all, in this show have all been wonderful, but it is the warm friendship between Denny and Alan that have so set this series apart from any other. Perfect escapism, beautiful acting, outrageous humour but with some real underlying points made that we can all reflect on. I don't believe I have ever enjoyed a series more than Boston Legal. DO YOU AGREE? Political sniping spoils otherwise great show 1.0 By mrweston , Aug 14, 2010 Started as a very funny show. I think William Shatner is comedic genius.

The interplay between Shatner and Spader made this a must watch show. When Candice Bergen joined the cast the weekly underhanded political attacks started. Theses attacks, usually only a few lines, were not even humorous. I do not understand why the the writers felt the need to spoil a comedy with these mean spirited diatribes. I emailed the show and expressed that this spoiled my enjoyment and suggested they stick to only comedy. I got no response, I assume that the viewers entertainment was considered second to the writers desire to express political rants. Saddened, I stopped watching; as did others. DO YOU AGREE? Summary: 10/10 A must see show! Below are reasons why and why not this show should be watched. 10 By Saiyans91 , Jun 09, 2010 Premise: The show is about a group of unconventinal lawyers working for a law firm called Crane, Poole and Schmidt who take up cases and fight it out. Reasons to Watch Boston Legal: 1. Great Mix of Comedy and Drama – I initially used to think comedy and drama didn't go very well together. But Boston Legal proved me wrong!

The writing is brilliant with the right mix of drama and comedy at the right time. You will get moments of laughter and thought provoking within a gap of few minutes and only this show can pull it off without being akward. Thus this makes this show unique and a reason to watch. 2. Great Characters and Breaking off it: All the characters on Boston Legal are funny, entertaining, smart and just a treat to watch. Starting with the perfection of the 2 male leads Alan Shore played by James Spader and Denny Crane played by William Shatner. It is extremly exciting to see what these two do everyday, how they fight their cases, their beliefs and opinions and their ravenous sexual appetite. Along with other characters like Shirley Schimdt, Jerry Espenson etc it becomes a reason of its own to watch it. Also it is one of the very few shows were the characters break character and become aware they are on a television show. Examples can be found on Wikipedia. I find this extremly hilarious. 3. Relevant Issues which are interesting: The cases on Boston Legal are always entertaining ,interesting and throught provoking. Many of the cases deal with current real life issues like terrorism, torture, murder, illegal migration etc.

Reason not to watch Boston Legal: 1. Provocative: If you are a feminist you may not like this show because some comments made by Alan Shore and Denny Crane towards women may be taken as provocative. I however find this extremely funny. This is the only reason not to watch it. Overall: Clearly, the reasons to watch heavily outweights the reasons not to. Hence it is a "Must-See" show. If you don't watch it you really missing out on something! DO YOU AGREE? One of the best shows ever! 10 By frenioz00 , Apr 10, 2010 Boston Legal started with the hard job of improving The Practice's slow plot... and it certainly delivered! Since the very first episodes one could see that this show would mean a turning point for law-centered dramas. Both James Spader, as Alan Shore, and William Shatner, as the infamous Denny Crane, rocked the series! All the episodes mixed drama and comedy in the most perfet way. Also, as the series moved on, the inclusion of new, excentric and hilarious characters made this show a must-see!

I mean, how about Christian Clemenson in his role as Jerry Espenson? How funny was he?! Also, recurring character Catherine Piper by Betty White with her constant troubles and hilarious lines! On the more dramatic side of the show, I have to say I was never let down. All the cases were extremly interesting and amazingly handled by this group of unconvential lawyers! DO YOU AGREE? One of the Best Court Dramas Made! 10 By Gar1121 , Jul 02, 2009 To me, this is one of the best shows ever made by the ABC corporation, one of the best shows that involve court drama, and one of the best shows of my lifetime. I really seem to love this show because it mixes serious civil law drama with random senseless comedy, which is two things I really love in any TV show. I got so involved when Denny and Alan fought about Alzheimer's Disease, and I laughed so hard when Denny Crane, while talking to a courtroom about Alan being "The Bull's Eye of Crime", he removed his pants and showed the large bull's eye on the back of his underwear!

Alas, all things must come to an end, and Boston Legal ended too early, only with four years. I loved this show so much, and I will tell ABC to bring this show back. And if not, I'll shoot them with paintball guns and call them communists as what Denny Crane did to the Chinese. DO YOU AGREE? I love this show show much! From the plot line to the characters, it's perfect! 10 By agithacristyfan , Apr 20, 2009 Alot of people say that spin-offs are never as good as the original series. And for a long time, I completely agreed...until I watched my first episode of Boston Legal! I've fallen in love with this show! I don't care what people say, Boston Legal is one of the funniest, most entertaining shows I've ever watched! The characters are both empathetic and dynamic ("Denny Crane...coco for cocoapuffs") and the plot-line is simple, yet elegantly done. And instead of siding with one party or idea and mocking the others, they mock all the general ideas: making it amusing yet fair at the same time!

To cut to the chase: an awsome show! DO YOU AGREE? What am I going to watch now? 10 By nickimac5 , Apr 18, 2009 I have been a fan of Boston Legal since the first episode and have never missed a show. Now it seems my weekly fix of BL will be over as of next week so who will replace the complex emotional, comedy duo of Deny and Alan? I am looking forward to the last episode, perhaps they could bring back Brad and Tara, another two favorites of mine. Each season was better than the one before. It will be sadly missed and I am surprised that they wont be continuing with another series. Has it failed so badly to win ratings? Any suggestions of what I can view instead? DO YOU AGREE? 10 By maniac72 , Mar 24, 2009 Boston Legal was one of the best show on TV in the past few years( along with The West Wing and The Family Guy). It was funny, touching, made you think and had some of the best characters ever on TV.

At the root of of the show were William Shatner's and James Spader's characters Denny Crane and Alen Shore's relationship, they are best friends and truely love each other. The rest of the cast is amazing!!!! And the writing was as good as a TV show can get... Yes it was a liberal show and thank god for that, when did thinking out of the box become so bad?? I will miss it. DO YOU AGREE? bring it back !!!!!! I miss this thought provking show 8.0 By lilliansmama , Mar 23, 2009 I looked forward to it every week I cannot believe it it gone someone bring it back!!!!!!!!!!!it was one of the only shows that talked about what needed talking about and the cast was perfect .....cant someone bring back this wonderful show...is anyone talking about it comming back maybe on cable or a nother station I thinkthe reviews were good everyone I talk to who saw it loved it where do I sign the petition to bring it back?? and why do I have to write 100 words? who made up that rule its kind of a strange rule all I want to say is bring back Boston Legal DO YOU AGREE?

My opinion on the cancellation of Boston Legal. A terrible blunder that can be corrected! 10 By ufo654 , Feb 06, 2009 I know at times the dialogue could get a bit raunchy...but, it was always funny. From Alan and Denny's sleep overs to all the love affairs going on and quite frankly I loved the way the show would always hit on some topical political issues...bringing humor? Yes, all of the time....Educating some? Absolutely! I loved the show and watch even the reruns all of the time..here on Tuesday and Wednesday it runs 3 in a row.. My husband loved the show and he hates television and hates me too sometimes..Just today, I was informed that the show is cancelled. Wow! I almost cried...and my husband will probably cancel the tv altogether. Damn..first my favorite lipstick shade was removed after 5 years..the only shade I liked..and now Boston Legal...Cancelled!! That cannot be! Where can I picket...All has been ruined for me with the knowledge I will never hear Shirley whisper in Denny's ear...."Denny Craaaaaane"..Phooey DO YOU AGREE?

Basically a story of two professional attorneys and the firm they work for. Weekly episodes are serialized and characters generally see how much trouble they can get into and out of. 9.5 By jyarter , Feb 05, 2009 Great follow up to another court room drama. Entertaining mix of very heavy subjects and light comedy make this a fun hour. From what I understand it was way to expensive to keep on TV longer than the five years. Watching from season to season you would see major changes in the cast lineup. It seemed they were trying to keep the overall cost down by not signing anyone other than Spader, Shatner, and Bergen to long term contracts. Unfortunately I don't think the overall ratings were enough to keep it going, but the classic Spader and Shatner scenes especially the balcony ones are worth the price of the season DVD's alone. This is a show you can go back and watch again and again. DO YOU AGREE? BRING IT BACK or launch a spin off series. 5.0 By GHOSTBEHINDUBOO , Jan 17, 2009 I agree, BRING IT BACK!

I have recently re-watched all five seasons of Boston Legal and as Denny would say "Lock and Load". I will miss the weekly court battles, righting the world of all it's injustices, how ever ridiculous they may have been. It's going to be a poorer World without hearing the infamous and God like statement, which is the answer to all questions, "Denny Crane"! I will miss the brilliantly crisp and eloquent dialogue Danny and Alan had at the end of every episode on their balcony. The conclusion of every episode was superb, rounding up in their eyes what we should take away from that weeks show. Alan Shore's courtroom battles were legendary. You always knew that Alan would wipe the board with who ever he was locked horn's with, but I never tired of the long closings. I particularly enjoyed the ones where he had just presented a heart felt, chill down the back of the spine, emotional closing and then just sat down silently and looked forward. Cool or what! The writers of the show were clever in the way they showed us the characters chinks in their armour. The most obvious being Denny's Mad Cow. But they also showed Alan's, Brad's, Clarence's and of cause Jerry's.

I think that's why the show was so good. The writer's showed us all sides to the characters giving them depth and substance. In short you learnt to care about them, which is the 'be all and end all' of a shows success. Lets face it if you don't care what happens to characters your not going to tune in week after week. I feel ABC might have something up their sleeves when it comes to the demise of Boston Legal. Denny and Alan on their final balcony scene hinted about a new show featuring the pair of them starting a new Law firm! It's not the first time William Shatner has added a comment at the end of a season on their balcony scene. I'm not sure if William Shatner adlibbed and the editors just left it in. We will just have to wait and see. In conclusion, ABC should seriously re-think the demise of Boston Legal and either bring it back or launch a spin off with Denny and Alan. I hope they do the latter. DO YOU AGREE? From David E. Kelley's imagination to the screen, Boston Legal is definitely one of his best. The hilarious and sometimes serious stories and intelligent script writing come together and create a brilliant show - Boston Legal.

9.5 By NCISlife , Dec 28, 2008 From David E. Kelley's imagination to the screen, Boston Legal is definitely one of his best. The hilarious and sometimes serious stories and intelligent script writing come together and create a brilliant show - Boston Legal. The verdict is in - it's a great show. It is sad that the show ended, but at least it ended on good terms. The two hour series finale was fantastic, tying up all the loose ends. Intelligent and witty lawyers fight for their clients in court, all the while trying to keep themselves from trouble and personal problems. Everything seems to come together. It's brilliant! DO YOU AGREE? By cymerion , Dec 27, 2008 Bring them back Alan and Danny can't be gone forever... They were and are the best... There were never one dull episode. They were always great! Their fights there political arguments... Even at the end their constant struggle with the network... You were king's among men... May god have mercy on your souls Alan Shore and Danny Crane... This wish extends to the rest of the crew... The were brilliant backing this two up.

I have nothing else to say except that I think that ABC made a huge mistake to put them off the air... This series truly were gods among insects! DO YOU AGREE? David E. Kelley has done it again. Actually he outdid himself in these 100 episodes about the Boston Law Firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. With the show all wrapped up, it's time for a review. 9.0 By Les_Nessman , Dec 19, 2008 My Top Ten Favorite Elements of Boston Legal # 10 - The Downsizing When Boston Legal started it was cluttered with a bevy of lawyers, clerks and other assorted office help. Every episode looked like The West Wing. But by this final 5th season they got it right. Six key individuals, actually 3 pairs; Denny and Alan, Shirley and Carl, Jerry and Katie. This allowed the writers to develop and bring to a neat conclusion the personal stories of each principle and even more to the point, hone these three relationships so that by the end we cared for each one. # 9 - The Judges Sometimes they were just as crazy as the lawyers and defendants. After all this is a David E. Kelley trademark.

Henry Gibson was my particular favorite and I'm glad he appeared in so many episodes. # 8 -The Issues Usually slanted toward the hard Left, we were nevertheless informed about the hard hitting problems of our day. When was the first time you were really made aware of the sub-prime lending fiasco? For me it was last year when Clarence's home was foreclosed on Boston Legal. Then we had abortion euthanasia, capital punishment and a hundred other serious as well as bizarre issues. # 7 - Quirky characters Bernard was my personal favorite (played to perfection by Leslie Jordan) but there was also that nut job Lincoln (David Dean Bottrell) who kidnapped Shirley and serenaded her with his ukulele (that Chipmunk Christmas tune as I recall) as a harpoon gun was aimed at her. Melvin Palmer (Christopher Rich) was a nice foil for Alan (You're a hoot, that's what you are) and Clarence/Clarice was simply delightful as well. So many more could be mentioned. # 6 - John Larroquette There were so many over-the-top actors on this show they needed someone kind of serious for balance. Enter John Larroquette, the bombastic lawyer from Night Court.

But in Boston John played Carl Sack, not Dan Fielding. And much to my surprise it paid off. Carl even ended up wedded to Shirley Schmidt which was just lovely. # 5 - Breaking the 4th wall and insider humor Numerous references to their own show were scattered throughout the series but especially in the last couple of episodes. They even devoted a third of the show a couple weeks ago to berating the networks for not providing better programming for viewers over 50 years of age. That particular episode showcased Betty White and John Larroquette. There is now a gaping hole that hundreds of hours of inane fare targeted toward youth cannot fill. # 4 - Redemption and growth of Jerry Espenson A couple seasons ago, the Aspergers inflicted oddball threatened to slit the throat of Shirley Schmidt with her own birthday cake knife. This season he was named a senior partner in the firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Jerry was portrayed by the talented Christian Clemenson who won an Emmy in 2006 as a guest actor. Clemenson was then added to the cast as a regular. One of my favorite 'Jerry' moments came when he sang the opening theme song in his own inimitable way.

Some of the most poignant scenes not related to Denny's Mad Cow disease (his euphemism for Alzheimer's) belonged to Jerry as he discussed his struggle to fit into society. # 3 - Alan Shore's Summations An episode was never really complete until we heard Alan (James Spader) enthusiastically pontificate before judge or jury on behalf of his client. As much as Spader deserves credit for these, the writers are worthy of acclaim as Emmys could easily have been awarded each season based on these scenes alone. My favorite was when Alan defended Shirley's plea to mercifully increase the pain medication for her father in "The Mighty Rogues,' a moment that is captured in AprilFox's review of the episode and an episode I have yet to delete from my dvr archives. # 2 - The balcony scenes At times these were the only scenes worth watching. The balcony overlooking Boston was a haven, a sanctuary where Denny and Alan could reflect upon their day, their lives and their friendship. With a big stogie in one hand and a tumbler of scotch in the other, these men explored their vulnerabilities, their dreams and their failings as men. Which naturally leads us right into.......

# 1 - The relationship between Denny and Alan These two overtly heterosexual men loved each other deeply. They shared their innermost secrets, fears and passions; nothing was off-limits. They helped one another through a number of personal crisis. They differed on some key political views but they never allowed those differences to come between them. In the end they always remained better than friends, better than brothers, better than lovers. On the final episode they were actually married by Supreme Court Justice Scalia in a real "jump the shark" moment which they referred to themselves (see # 6 above). I don't know if there is another bonding between two men in the history of televison, gay or straight, that runs this deep, this powerful. I know I don't have that kind of a person in my life. I know of few that can testify that they do. DO YOU AGREE? I came prepared to hate this show and wound up loving it instead. 8.0 By jawsthecabbie , Dec 19, 2008 As I've said in previous reviews, T.V. doctors and cops are light years away from the real thing. This also extends to lawyers.

I've got a cop for an ex-brother-in-law, a doctor for a brother-in-law at present married to my sister who is in fact, a lawyer, so I speak from a position of authority on the subject. I watched my first episode of Boston Legal prepared to come away with a verdict of "Oh, Puleeeeze", but I really liked it instead. It's quirky and funny and dramatic all in the right proportions and appeals to my own decidedly weird sense of humor. And as much as I liked Srar Trek, it's nice to see William Shatner do such an excellent job at bringing such a radically different character to life. I'm sad to see that Boston Legal is in it's final season. I'll miss it when it goes. DO YOU AGREE? One of the greatest of all time. 10 By londoncherry , Dec 17, 2008 Boston Legal shows off his art in every way, shape and form possible. The show literally shines with polish; it's sleek, beautiful, well edited, has blistering pacing, a punchy dialog to match, superb sets and a truely awesome and catchy theme song.

A show that doesn't take itself too seriously (it almost breaks the fourth wall on several occasions.) But all of this slick, polish and shine is simply the backdrop to some star performances. While Alan and Denny are, at least on the surface two very different men. Underneath it they share a great closeness, they understand and accept each other with a degree of closeness that is at times touching. Boston Legal can appear to be a show about trials and lawyers on the surface, but underneath that it's a show about friendship and loyalty. It's this aspect that keeps me coming back, like Scrubs this show can be alternately funny and touching within the space of a single scene. Shows like that are gold. I'm vey sad to see them go... DO YOU AGREE? I am a liberal democrat.The most entertaining thing is the neo-con bashing 9.0 By coolcatkid , Dec 17, 2008 I admit that the critics may have been right that it had gotten stale with the same running gags but for me I can never get enough of the political humor that this show often presented .

Candice has always been a personal favorite of mine since the days of her show and the Dan Quayle bashing on Murphy Brown .James Spader was aces in this show .His performances were a cut above the norm we see in mainstream TV acting .Even the oft maligned William Shatner was brilliant at times in this show .his portrayal of a right wing-nut neo-con was absolutely hilarious .I will be sorry that this show has ended because political comedies are such a rare breed .I am sure that some reality show will swoop in and take its place but at least I will have this series on dvd and when I am feeling nostalgic I will be watching it again . DO YOU AGREE? Total waste of time, energy and brain cells 2.0 By guruv , Dec 11, 2008 I want to invent a new phrase. We all know about a show jumping the shark. But I cannot use that phrase to this show during this season because its an insult to all those shows which jumped the shark. How about "eating the shark", "waltzing the shark", "screwing the shark". Honestly! The season finale was a total disaster.

It was a stupid propoganda against the Chinese for no reason. Marriage of Denny and Alan was totally uncalled for. The Supreme court scenes were a total mockery of everything. If I was an American, I would sue the producers for bad taste in how this episode was done. All in all, I am glad this show is over. DO YOU AGREE? This show is a very good show but the later episodes have not been as good as the season before it. 9.5 By mch9797 , Dec 06, 2008 I love Boston legal I watch it every time a new episode comes on but lately I have not been to impressed with the episodes. Minus the very last one they have been kind of weak. I think that their cases have gotten a little over the top and the fact that they keep winning bogus cases is starting to annoy me. I really loved last seasons episodes and last year I would have said my favorite shows would have went The Office, Boston Legal and Heros. I gave this show a 9.5 because it used to be amazing so it still deserves credit. DO YOU AGREE?

Boston Legal (TV Series 2004–2008) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error on Amazon Video ON DISC Boston Legal is a spin-off of the long-running Kelley series The Practice, following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore (James Spader) at the legal firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Creator: Before Alan and Denny go to the Supreme Court, they must fight an injunction to keep them from getting married to each other. Meanwhile, religious differences could threaten Shirley and Carl's ... 9.3 Denny is forced to recount a trial with his father from fifty years earlier when the victim's son--carrying a gun and wired to a bomb--returns demanding justice. Meanwhile, Alan is found in contempt ... 8.9 Alan assist Chelina in Texas, where a former client is getting executed while he is maybe innocent.

Denny and Shirley represent an old friend of theirs when she is charged with having sexual ... 8.8 Check out India Spotlight Related News a list of 41 titles created 31 Dec 2010 a list of 27 titles created 26 Sep 2011 a list of 42 titles created 19 Jan 2014 a list of 39 titles created 3 months ago a list of 26 titles created 2 months ago Search for " Boston Legal " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Title: Boston Legal (2004–2008) 8.4/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 14 wins & 65 nominations. See more awards » Videos Edit Storyline Ethically-challenged attorney Alan Shore, formerly of Young, Frutt & Berluti, settles in at a wealthy and powerful firm focusing on civil cases.

With some help from his friend and mentor, veteran attorney Denny Crane, Shore quickly makes his mark winning cases no one would take, often using less than honest methods. In doing so, he develops a rival in his colleague Brad Chase, who has been assigned to the office partly to keep an eye on the increasingly eccentric (and possibly senile) Denny Crane. Though his questionable conduct might make him a few enemies along the way, Alan's not one to be underestimated, nor will he let trivial things like honesty or integrity get in the way of winning a case. Written by Todd Smitts Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the courtroom. Genres: 3 October 2004 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Lake Bell (Sally) claims her audition for the role was unsuccessful. See more » Goofs In several episodes when Denny and Alan are looking to join (and actually do join) a branch of the military, they choose the Coast Guard Auxillary, to which the show mistakenly refers to as "the Auxilliary Coast Guard".

See more » Quotes A hilarious and unlikely spin-off 10 January 2005 | by tghoneyc (United States) – See all my reviews I admit I didn't watch "The Practice" as a regular show, but I saw enough to see that it was a dark, clever series examining the everyday work of a small Boston firm who primarily defended criminals. "Boston Legal" is a much different show. Centered around a civil and corporate firm that only occasionally deals in criminal cases. The place is a circus, it's David E. Kelley's hybrid of "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal," although the latter included hallucinations and bizarre love lifes. Emmy-winner James Spader, the ever shameless and subtly self-destructive Alan Shore is the slimy playboy who, like it or not, is a fantastic attorney. Denny Crane (fellow Emmy-winner William Shatner) seems like the perfect match for Shore's unpredictable fashion. Both men are unorthodox, and Denny is slipping. He's also a great attorney, but he doesn't know it half the time.

The two are the perfect team, each willing to forgive the other for their shortcomings in the area of law, and cover each other as such. Paul Lewiston (Rene Aberjonois) is the figurehead of everything they are not. He is respectable, by-the-book, and without conscience. The embodiment of the sleazy corporate attorney, and more concerned with keeping a client than with admitting a falacy on their part. Brad Chase (Mark Valley) is in the same boat insofar as playing by the rules, but he's Denny's man, and it pisses him off that Alan gets all the attention for his crimes. Laurie Colson (Monica Potter) is the idealistic attorney who has dabbled in Alan Shore's method of practicing law with disastrous consequences. Tara Wilson (Rhona Mitra) is finally sleeping with Alan, and happily playing along in his little game. And Sally Heep (Lake Bell) has all but disappeared since she broke up with Alan, so that she is little more than an errand boy (girl).

And most recently Candice Bergen has joined the cast at Crane, Poole, and Schmidt, as Shirley Schmidt (Edwin Poole has gone off the deep end after showing up at work, having only dressed the top half of his body.) and she appears to be Alan Shore in reverse. She's manipulative, wisecracking, and short with answers, but she seems to appeal to the ethical way of practicing law. Now back from New York and busting balls due to a law suit filed by one of their employees, she seems a welcome edition to the show. Perfect follow-up to "Desperate Housewives," and just as funny. It's proof that David E. Kelley still has a few tricks up his sleeve. 98 of 113 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes

Question: In the TV series "Boston Legal", who played the character of Denny Crane?
Answer: William Shatner