Ally McBeal

Like, why? Why is she in every episode? Far too much Vonda

Out of all the mediocre American comedy shows we were bombarded with in the 1990's, Ally McBeal was a fine piece of work.

It is a comedy set in the legal sector. As a former legal clerk, I found the show quite funny at times and all the stars performed very well in their roles.

Calista Flockhart was the main star. She was the intelligent lawyer who excelled in the courtroom but her private life was a shambles. There was a lot of history between her and another lawyer Billy (played by Gill Bellows) who was now with Georgia (played by Courtney Thorne-Smith). This led to some interesting scenes.

The head of the firm was Richard Fish played by Greg Germann. Fish was only interested in the almighty dollar and didn't take life too seriously. There was also John Cage played by Peter MacNicol who was an eccentric lawyer whose courtroom antics really entertained.

The show was brilliant for it's first few years but like most TV shows, it outstayed it's welcome and lasted longer than it should have. The later episodes were very average at times.

However, Ally McBeal was a decent show and I definitely recommend the earlier episodes.

When "Ally McBeal" premiered in Australia in July 1997, I by perchance taped the pilot episode, not even knowing what it was about. It was that sole episode that drew me into "Ally" magic, which quickly dominated a dull Monday night, 8:30pm timeslot.

As a teenager who gives the typically teenaged aim of "Dawson's Creek", "Felicity" and "Charmed" a miss, "Ally" was a complete relief, despite the fact then I knew little about the law.

As expected from David E. Kelley, the characters and the actors portrayals of them are simply first rate. By far the best of the ensemble, Calista Flockhart in the title role is sensational as the insecure, uptight lawyer of Boston. The Ally character is bound to become a future cultural icon of the 1990s.

Peter MacNicol, as the weird John Cage, Greg Germann as the legally unaware, unsympathetic boss Richard Fish and Lucy Liu as the moody, bitchy Ling are the forefront supporting actors of the cast. Jane Krakowski as the snoopish, inventive secretary Elaine is pretty good too.

However, it is the weaker characters of Nelle (Portia deRossi), Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Billy (Gil Bellows) and Renee (Lisa Nicole Carson) that have begun to show their wear and tear in the second series. Merely, they seem to be paid for standing around looking pretty. Hopefully David E. Kelley will develop these characters more in the coming seasons, otherwise they will continue to be dominated by the stronger cast, looking like beautiful people dressed up with sex to look better than they really are.

The "Ally" cast, and their continuing ongoing struggles in the court room and in their personal lives in a dream of a law firm has been for the majority of the season, one of the most entertaining of the shows on the air today.

However, Kelley's creativity and imagery that goes into each special treat of an episode is excellent. For once, plot and character seem to go hand in hand. By breaking the barriers and creating a show that is neither four parts drama to one part comedy, or four parts comedy to one part drama, was the just the beginning of his dealing with controversial issues.

Since the cross over episode with Kelley's even better show "The Practice", I have graduated from little league law to the darker, grittier side of Boston which has now replaced "Ally" as my favourite show. But the allure for more "Ally" is still there.

As long as Kelley can continue to separate sex and controversy entirely from a show of pure genius, "Ally" will be continue to be fresh and by all means, a great show.

David E. Kelley's a talented man, no doubt about it (and since he's married to Michelle Pfeiffer, many would add "sickeningly lucky" on top of that); when you have a CV that includes writing for Steven Bochco shows and successfully launching your own Twentieth Century Fox-affiliated company (and let's not forget, "girls club" has been his only real flop on the tube - even "Chicago Hope," which is doomed to be the Billie to "ER"'s Britney Spears, still ran for six years), on top of being the primary writer for your shows, it takes more than mere luck.

"Ally McBeal" was a delight for the first four years - though many claimed it would have been better without Calista Flockhart, I doubt it. True, the other characters and actors were of equal or better value - who'd want the show to be without Greg Germann as Fish, the world's most likeable inconsiderate wattle-obsessed dolt ("Ally, it's not my nature to be concerned about people, but what's wrong?") - but the show did clearly have Miss McBeal at its centre; and let us not forget that for all her insecurities, her looniness, and horrible luck in her personal life, she was in fact a pretty good lawyer when you think about it. Certainly better in court than Fish...

The people and writing were always funny and easy to take, apart from Lisa Nicole Carson as Renee* (in a TV special about the show, "This Life"'s creator Amy Jenkins said she thought Renee was smug. I agree), and adding the sultry and classy Lucy Liu to the cast was a chance that worked - her reduced role in the latter episodes, though understandable from her point of view, was a sad sign of the show's degeneration, but when Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden arrived and Peter MacNicol left that was it... and as for that child - spare me. The fun and the thrill were gradually seeping out, and Cage/Fish stopped being a place you wanted to visit. Episodes like the one where a man wanted to fly didn't help either - the toll of writing nearly every episode by himself must have affected Mr. Kelley. (Also note how that bar suddenly let people more famous than Vonda Shepard take a turn on stage. And as for Sting being allowed to act... although in fairness, Mariah Carey's episode was better than "The Bachelor" or "Glitter.")

In the end, I was searching my soul one night, and found there was so much more to life than watching a dying series. But one poor season after four good ones isn't a bad average. Thanks for the first 80%, David E. Kelley... youuuuu stinker! (He said affectionately.)

*About Lisa Nicole Carson; in all the articles written about how skinny all the women on the show were, nobody seems to have noticed that Miss Carson and Jane Krakowski are, as they say, really built.

I'm in the middle of season four as i write these words. It's been a few years since the last time i watched Ally McBeal but somehow it was time again to visit the old gang at Cage & Fish.

I absolutely fell in love with this show, it's characters and story's a few years ago and I'm falling in love all over again. This show, it's heart, gentleness and (sometimes)idealistic look at life and love can get me to weep like a little schoolgirl (and I'm a man, age 32).

The story's about fulfilled and unfulfilled dreams, lost loves, Christmas spirit, special friendships,The passing of time and meandering moments, etc. have me glued to my television once again.