When Does Boston Legal Get Funny
Denny Crane and Alan Shore .... enough said !
Boston Legal is one of the best takes on a TV legal drama that I have seen. It manages to mix drama and comedy pretty well for the most part and introduces us to Alan and Denny who are magnetic characters, played to perfection by James Spader and an incredible William Shatner. To review this whole 5 season series (which i have steadily worked through on DVD over the last 2 months) would take forever, so let me highlight a few good and bad points as i see them.
Season 1 & 2 had a sharper edge and better dialogue than subsequent seasons. It felt almost as if they were searching for better ratings from season 3 onwards and chose to introduce characters and plots which would deliberately jazz things up a bit. In my opinion the show suffered because of this.
The characters Jefferey Coho, Claire Simms, Lorraine Weller and Clarence / Clarice Bell added virtually nothing to the show that wasn't there already (other than the cross dressing element) and as they failed to perk up ratings its almost as if David E Kelly thought "well... tried some new faces, didn't work, lets write them out and try something else."
I also felt that the writers seemed to ignore the more obvious direction that they could have taken, which would have been to flesh out the Denny and Alan characters even more. You are treated to some glimpses of their past when they are discussing their lives on the balcony, but Dennys brilliant former career is never seen first hand and Alans many previous painful issues are only represented in the narrative. Perhaps if even more screen time had been given to these two instead of trying to continually bolster up the supporting characters, the show would have been more successful.
The recurring theme of the lawyers in the show standing trial for their various indiscretions and always getting away with it was an over used plot and began to wear a bit thin. Similarly, I can only recall one trial verdict of any kind that didn't go in favour of Mssrs Crane, Poole and Schmidt.
There were flashes of poetry with this show that i felt genuinely moved by. To name a few .....
- Alans closing argument to allow Shirleys father the right to a dignified death
- Dennys dominant yet tender legal confrontation with his "son" Donny.
- Alans arguing against the death penalty in front of the supreme court
- Paul's fatherly approach to everyone at the firm.
- Alans good and honest heart (which he tries hard to conceal)
- The brilliant portrayal of Jerry Espenson by Christain Clemenson
- The unbreakable friendship between Denny and Alan, and subsequently between most of the characters at Crane, Poole and Schmidt.
In summation (may as well use the legal terminology), despite the shows many lulls and obvious flaws, I absolutely loved it. William Shatner is a revelation in his role and James Spader is Perfect in his.
On a personal note, I have lost count of the times my wife has gone ballistic because I have responded to a situation or question by simply saying in the appropriate tone ................. "Denny Crane!"
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Shatner is the BOMB!!!!!!!!
I don't know, for a guy in his early 70's who has been royally and unfairly panned for his entire career, William Shatner as Denny Crane may be the absolute highlight of his long career! What a role and what a show. My ultimate benchmark as to how good a show is how fast I am back to that show during the commercial breaks. Didn't miss one second of Boston Legal so I guess that tells you that I liked it a lot. Of course the "Shat Man" drew me in but the overall show got me hooked. Well worth the late hour on Sundays. Rene Auberjonois ( of DS 9 fame) was an added surprise.
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"I Can't Believe I Like Something Starring William Shatner!"
It's no big secret that down through the years,William Shatner was made fun of "a lot". From his,"Gremlin On The Airplane" appearance on Twilight Zone,what some say was "wooden" acting on "Star Trek" (except all those Trekkies)to "T.J. Hooker" & his laughable,tongue in cheek,renditions of popular songs. Not to mention a few bad films here & there.
I couldn't help but not take him seriously. ...but now,Shatner's won an Emmy or two and I can't believe I'm saying this... he deserves it. As Denny Crane he is hilarious and at the same time kind of sad. Sad because we know his character's mind is slowly drifting into Alzheimer's Disease.
It's also amazing to see this character,that is everything the feminist movement ever complained about in men. He smokes,drinks,sleeps with many women and is an ego-maniac with too much power. ...but at least hes lovable,sort of.
James Spader's dry style is terrific and his courtroom speeches are not just powerful & true but they also seem genuinely heartfelt. Which is amazing considering his character can be quite the cynic and seemingly part time womanizer like Denny. Except,he tends to be a bit more respectful of females. (Look for Spader in the classic episode of Seinfeld,as the guy who wont tell george Costanza he's sorry.)
I'm happy to see the likes of Candice Bergen,Rene Aubenjenois & Betty White on the show as well. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Bety White "take-out" a guy with a heavy black frying pan! I mean,dang! She's (for a time) reminded me of my Grandmother!
Candice Bergen has successfully put a "Grand Canyon" between her Murphy Brown character and Shirley. The difference? Murphy Brown is sarcastic but truly cares about people. On B.L. ,Shirley does stand up for human rights in the courtroom. At the firm,she can be insensitive and a bit callous twords the feelings of others.
Case in point,not promoting one lawyer to partner because he doesn't make enough money for the firm,as well as the fact he has a personality quirk that makes him imperfect for the image of the firm.
Usually I don't go for "law" or "court" shows but since this one has an almost M*A*S*H like combo of humor and drama (without being heavy handed) I finally have a dramatic show that I can also laugh at.
Ten stars easily!!
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A hilarious and unlikely spin-off
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.
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Denny Crane!
I'm a lawyer, and I normally avoid law shows. I like science fiction. But this has . . . Denny Crane. Or rather, this has Captain Kirk, William Shatner, as an old, demented, republican, gun totting, ego-maniacal unenlightened, philandering, unethical, sexist, homophobic anti- environmentalist powerful attorney, and it is absolutely frelling hysterical. When they let Shatner, Candice Bergman, and James Spader do their thing, this show is gold. The rest of the regularly appearing cast is fairly good.
Sure not modeling good behavior, mind, and sometimes the legal errors go far beyond what is necessary for the plot. I think they could loose some of the younger lawyers, who really don't add anything to the mix that I can tell but seem to be regarded as necessary for demographic reasons. Once in a while it falls flat. But for the most part, this show is great.
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cleverly written first episode
If the first episode is any indication, Boston Legal will continue what it started as "The Practice" last year and remain on the air. Given the splash made by James Spader on the waning Practice, this spin off was developed. And last night's episode was clever and funny, with a black woman charging racial discrimination for her daughter who was not cast as Annie. Every time anyone looked at this kid, she sang "Tomorrow." The episode sported a cameo appearance and a hilarious bit by the Reverend Al Sharpton. There were other subplots, but for me, Annie stole the show! Rebecca de Mornay seems missing from the cast, but there is the neat addition of Mark Valley, from the ill-fated, also excellent "Keen Eddie." I look forward to future episodes to see what Spader, Shatner and the able cast will be up to.
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A near-perfect series that should not have been cancelled
I'm going to make this as short as possible short, as I have little to say. As far as "pure" drama series' go, Boston Legal is the one that had it all right.
Fabulous actors, writers with imagination and a sense of humor, and most of all, the series had a soul. It had an opinion, and the nerve to bring it forth. Entertainment that is afraid of making a statement can be relaxing, but relaxing entertainment that manages to make a statement, whether the viewer agrees with the statement or not, is something much greater.
5 seasons is a lot better than a lot of worthy series have done, but still, the cancellation is a huge injustice and I will sorely miss the wits that this series had to offer. It is a shame that a series such as Boston Legal does not reach the grand audience that it well deserves.
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Excellent Show
Considering all the crap that is normally on Sunday(e.g. football and Nascar), this show is a refreshing change of pace. Spader and Shatner are an excellent duo. Spader already received an emmy, and hopefully Shatner will receive one too, if for no other reason than to silence the ignorant critics of this well-rounded show. Rarely will you find a legal show, that is humorous and poignant at the same time. Denny Craine's succinctness and Shore's coolness make this show a stand out. If ABC is smart, they will hold on to this show and try to replicate it's success, while in the meantime dumping all their worthless reality shows(redundancy I know). In conclusion, the great story lines and skillful acting make this show one of the best current series on television.
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This show may be better than The Practice ever was
After 8 episodes of Boston Legal, I am hooked. I was a big fan of The Practice for the first 4 seasons or so but lost interest until the final season when Spader was brought on. His emmy-winning portrayal of Alan Shore has transferred seamlessly to this spin off, and the rest of the ensemble cast is, by and large, excellent. It took a couple of episodes for me to warm up to the Lori Colson character but now I can see why she is the female center of the show -- she is effectively the anti-Shore. Shatner is (surprisingly) brilliant and, while the Tara character doesn't get enough airtime, I love every second she's on screen. The tone of the show is a pitch-perfect mix of quirkiness, drama and dark humor, and the pacing is much swifter than The Practice, which in the later seasons became sluggish, droning and depressing. Here's hoping Boston Legal can keep it going!
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A long overdue review of one of the best new shows of the season
David Kelley had a brilliant idea in allowing James Spader's Allan Shore in his own show, Boston Legal. With cast mates like the great William Shatner and Candice Bergen, you can't go wrong. It is entertaining, fresh, and fun to watch than The Practice. The spin off is actually better than the original series. I like The Practice but it was too serious. It lacked fun! I like watching guest stars like the great Shelley Long who should win an Emmy for her guest appearance as a nymphomaniac divorcée. I like watching Betty White return as Shore's nemesis from his Dedham days when he defended Patrick Dempsey's character for murder. Boston Legal is a lot more entertaining and reminds me of the L.A. Law days of television.
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The Best Show On TV. Period.
Forget Desperate Housewives or anything else. Boston Legal is the comedy-drama that has been missing from TV for a long, long time. I barely watched "The Practice" but I got hooked when James Spader and William Shatner had guest-roles. When I heard these two would lead the spin off "Boston Legal", I was exuberant!
James Spader as Alan Shore is by far the best acting on TV. The guy is priceless, reaching a level of pure arrogance that you can't help but love. William Shatner as Denny Krane is just as good. The women of the show bring a lot more beauty then Desperate Housewives. I view them as support characters, however as this show is all about Alan Shore and DENNY KRANE.
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You Should Watch this Show
I think you should watch this show.
It's delightfully weird.
Totally unrealistic, it has just enough I-don't-know-what to enable the all important willing suspension, and once you got that, you're golden.
Here's the little stuff, the stuff that you'll enjoy but don't need to go out of your way for:
1) It has Candice Bergen! Bergen fulfills her role (uber-classy uber-MILF) perfectly. (Plus, she's Candice Bergen. To this date, no one does Bergen as well as Bergen.)
2) Clemenson/Espenson is likable and offbeat. One of the best "spice" characters since, oh, I dunno, Hill Street Blues.
3) Sometimes John Larroquette shows up, and he's so tall! He doesn't have to actually say anything funny. He's John Larroquette. It's a grin just for him to show up. (That sounds dismissive and snarky, but it's not meant to be. I honestly believe this is Larroquette's great comic gift: he shows up. That's all he needs to do. That's what he does. It doesn't matter what he says, because all the humor is in the wry, sardonic (and tall) presence. On Night Court, he had some funny lines, but that was actually a distraction. Remember The West Wing and The Practice... he had no funny lines there, but the effect was the same: Larroquette's wry, sardonic (and tall) presence = a grin. (Although, to be fair, in The Practice he did actually play a character in addition to showing up.))
4) It has William Shatner!
And here's the big stuff, the stuff you'll never experience if you don't go out of your way to watch a few episodes:
1) It has William Shatner! Star Trek gave us William Shatner giving us Captain James T. Kirk. Boston Legal gives us William Shatner giving us William Shatner (as Denny Crane)... the intelligent goof we always suspected was playing Captain Kirk. Even if you weren't a Trekkie, it's such a cool feeling to feel like you're getting to hang out with the *real* Captain Kirk, the (intelligent, goofy) man behind the myth.
2) Despite -- or rather, alongside -- the show's unabashed unrealistic stance, it takes an honest stab at depicting honest emotions, especially (but not only) in the traditional closing scene, where Spader/Shore and Shatner/Crane share a Scotch, a cigar, a presumably rather nippy Boston evening, and a friendship.
3) It has James Spader! Who? James Spader! Who's Jame's Spader? I don't know, I never heard of him before I saw this show, but he's incredible. His character (Alan Shore) brings something unlike anything I've ever seen on television... a character that is, I think, truly Shakesperean in its immediacy and otherness.
In fact, I believe this is the secret ingredient of Boston Legal's success. Spader's Shore has a Shakesperean otherness, and once we accept this otherness (as we are compelled to do), it doesn't matter how unrealistic (or compressed or reductive) the rest of the show is. Once we (the audience) have signed up for this otherness, once the writers have that signature on the dotted line, they're free play around and cut corners as they like. Thankfully, they often (though not always) do so to good effect.
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Denny Crane:" We look good together". Alan Shore: "Yes, we do."
Boston Legal is my dream come true - Comedy / Crime /Legal Courtroom Drama which is a perfect combination of all genres and is as funny as it is clever and gripping. The idea of "Boston Legal" had came to its creator, David E. Kelley during the last season of once very popular but sadly quietly dying legal drama "Practice". I was a big fan of the show and I stayed with it to the end. Bringing to "Young, Berluti, & Frutt" of "Practice" an ethically-challenged, arrogant, morally ambiguous but brilliant and somehow likable attorney Alan Shore (James Spader) was Kelley's great idea. The last season of Practice became one of best thanks to Spader who resurrected it by simply being there. When I heard that Spader would have a spin-off "Boston Legal", I could hardly wait for it and it has never disappointed me. Boston Legal is "Crane, Poole, and Schmidt", a famous and wealthy firm that specializes on civil cases. In the center of the show are Alan Shore and his older friend and mentor Denny Crane (William Shattner). To bring them together in one show and let them have a wonderful relationship that is based on their differences (comparing to Denny who is in love with the sound of his own name, Alan seems highly moral and stable model citizen) and is at the same time hilarious, sincere, and moving was a pure genius. Each episode would end with both Alan and Denny sitting on the balcony, smoking cigars, drinking scotch and having a friendly conversation and those are the best moments of the show.
Alan and Denny are the central characters in "Boston Legal" but every attorney in the "Crane, Poole, and Schmidt" is a unique individual. There is a former marine Brad, the veteran of Operation Desert Storm with the strong principles - the complete opposite to Alan. There is Clarence, a man with several personalities and Claire, the girl who loves him. Candice Bergen has joined the cast at Crane, Poole, and Schmidt, as Shirley Schmidt, sharp like a razor senior partner as brilliant, manipulative, and arrogant as both Denny and Alan are. There is also a dwarf Bethany "who comes and goes" with whom Denny has an on- and off- relationship. Jerry "Hands" Espenson with his Asperger syndrome has re-joined the firm and his return will certainly add to the practice (and the show) success. You may like them or not but they all have one thing in common - they are fantastic attorneys, always on the top of their game. All actors, the series regulars and the guests constantly give first-class performances, writing is superb in every episode, and "Boston Legal" has become one of if not the best comedy-drama on TV today.
In the conclusion, I'd like to share one of my favorite scenes in the show. Denny and Allan are on the balcony talking about Shirley. Denny and Shirley used to have a passionate affair way back and she is still the love of his life. Alan's lust for Shirley is so overwhelming that he showed up in the office party dressed up like her (and he managed to look better than she did) explaining that everyone had to dress up like a person he/she admires the most.
Denny (thoughtfully, remembering something very special to him) - "Shirley...One night while making love, she recited Proust."
Alan: "Did you understand it?"
Denny: "Not a single word. I thought she was possessed."
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Entertaining On Every Level
This show is simply genius.
Funny, dramatic, sexy and not afraid to hit some meaty issues.
The real success of the series, the acting. The leads are crazy good and their delivery of their characters are perfection.
What else can I say but...
Denny Crane.
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Very possibly the best TV show to date
Just started watching this show for the third time now and it still amazes me. This once in a life time -hopefully not- magic formula of thin delicious crust of original hummer topped with a dash of harmless silliness at times, wrapping a thick stuffing of all kind of serious and contemporary issue that relate to all of us on so many levels. Religion, politics, drugs, homosexuality, crime, mirage, family and the list goes on. I honestly can't think of any subject that is generally considered worth examining that is not present in this show in a wonderful formula of an unbiased and simplified manner. Where it gets truly genius is, at the platform of a court, where all sides present their best demonstration to support their views and leave it to us to form our own judgment. This show respects us, and it does that brilliantly while tackling subjects that matters to our own life.
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The Best TV series ever....and Hollywood cancelled it!
Simply the best TV series there has been.
James Spader and William S were first class, and I do hope they find something very similar.
Why do these sorts of shows get cancelled and others are still on TV that simply should not be there.
Any chance of a further spin-off, as James and William were great? I know if was already a spin-off.
At the moment of the show to watch - Big Bang Theory, Dexter, V, Justified (but only for Walton) and I am struggling to find any others.
Buy the entire series on DVD, Boston Legal is worth it.
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Delicious clever and funny show.
The most funny law related show. Period. I'm a lawyer who sometimes believes that our activity is boring because it's all about trials, disputes, reading a lot of codes, etc.
This sitcom completely delivers the most funny situations when it comes to spoofing the legal activity and how to deal with it on a personal point of view.
Danny Crane's character should be considered as the most badass and comical relief in the show. Shatner's performance came from Heaven.
The dialogs are witty, funny, clever, and never get repetitive. The personal situations are also extremely funny and look a lot like real life of a lawyer.
Please watch this pure genius show.
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Nice show
Denny Crane is so lovable. But what intrigued me most were the excellent arguments on points of law that were put forrh throughout, and especially by James Spader's character. James Spader is a delight to watch. There is a magic about how he delivers his dialogues and makes his point. I have watched it again and again just because of Spader. Excellent.
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Liberal Tripe, but Great Characters
Every story is told thru a far left point of view, but Boston Legal entertaining and full of great characters. The lone conservative (as seen thru a liberal lens) is Shatner's character, Denny Crane. But unlike most shows, he's not portrayed as evil or unlikable, just brain-damaged (mad cow) and gun-toting, resulting in many entertaining circumstances. Also quite likable, the sleazy win-at-all-cost attorney, Alan Shore, played to perfection by James Spader. While I spend half the time rolling my eyes at the uber left-wing POV, the relationship between Shore and Crane (Spader and Shatner) is so entertaining I'm willing to sit thru the liberal tripe for the interactions between the two main characters. If you like law shows and comedy/dramas, give this show a look. If your politics are left-leaning you'll be thrilled with the show's POV. If you lean more politically right, tune in for the antics of Spader and Crane.
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Best. Show. Ever.
If the perfect show exists, Boston Legal is it.
It is so ridiculously over the top in terms of the cases these lawyers handle, that you can't help but laugh at the very ideas they pull from their hats.
And on top of that, the acting is brilliant. I don't think I've ever seen a character quite as compelling as Jerry Espenson, or as utterly insane but at the same time brilliant as Denny Crane. Add to that the horribly arrogant but even more brilliant attorney Alan Shore, and you have the perfect cast to laugh your behind off, but that's only a fraction of the amazing characters in this show.
Now, one might say that this show is utterly unrealistic in that the lawyers succeed in winning even the most insane cases. But to that I will say: Television doesn't have to be realistic, it has to be fun. And that's exactly what Boston Legal is: fun. And honestly, in a perfect world these cases could very well be real, so in a sense it's a motivation for all of us to improve the world.
The only thing that I rest to say is: if you haven't seen this show, please do. I guarantee you you will not regret a single second.
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The Alan and Denny Show
Rising from the ashes of the Practise, always a somewhat leaden and humourless show, the characters that Spader and Shatner created were clearly meant for better things. Boston Legal initially struggled to be about anything but the two of them as the rest of the firm struggled to hold our interest by comparison. Gradually the increasingly redundant eye candy was dispatched, Rene Auberjoniois given increasing prominence to function as an effective foil to Alan and Denny while the arrival of Candice Bergman gave the show it's first strong female lead. The battle between the cavalier antics of our heroes and the more conventional ways of the rest of the firm has provided strong drama. In Alan Shore, James Spader has created one of the most complex and engaging characters of the small screen, his impudence, intelligence and twisted sense of mortality make him unpredictable and engaging. Denny Crane meanwhile shows not only Shatner's willingness to send himself up but also his superb comic timing. For the first time you can see him on screen and not think about you know who. All in all, an excellent series that will hopefully run a good few seasons. Of course, if Spader walks, it's all over.
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Why this show was ready to be canceled...
Warning: Spoilers
I was a huge fan of this show when it started. All the way through the first two seasons the show was funny yet balanced. The character relationships were fun and compelling.
Unfortunately, character relationships began to take a back seat in the third season and instead the focus became more and more about political diatribes from week to week. The cases and their long monologues laced with poorly written and thinly veiled political attacks began to fill the episodes.
As a registered democrat I must say I was insulted week to week to see badly contrived reasons for giving Alan or Shirley an anti-Bush speech to cap off each episode. Everything became an excuse to go after Republicans. And of course Kelley and company willfully ignore the past failings of our own democrat leaders when it suits them. The closed-minded nature of the writing rarely presented an opposing viewpoint other than Denny, who was of course given the simplest or most bigoted possible reason for his views and then written off as being a buffoon. Brad was only slightly better, but even he was portrayed as a military-minded meat head. There was not a single reasonable conservative on the show. As a Democrat it made me feel dirty, I can't imagine how insulting it was to Conservatives or Libertarians.
The culmination of this appears in the 5th season episode "Mad Cows" in which the episode first turns Jerry's partnership review into a really badly disguised commentary on the need for diversity in the election (i.e. vote for Obama because he's black). Then it goes on to suggest that if you don't agree with a Democrat you are unsuitable to be friends with one (as demonstrated in Denny and Alan's fight). Only after Denny changes his mind and votes for Obama does Alan really re embrace him. The episode ends as we watch a slew of lawyers who we know are democrats go to the polls. It's nothing short of hack writing and it is degrading to the viewer.
The previous episodes have similar characteristics. Whether its showing some kid bravely stand up to vote for Obama and have his voice heard, or Alan suing the government because they did something he didn't like. It's all so self-righteous it becomes painful. I could no longer watch this show anymore. If you are going to show me a clearly biased viewpoint at least do me the courtesy of hiding it in good storytelling rather than insult my intelligence and make me feel cheap.
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Nothing like *my* real life.
One commentator has claimed that Boston Legal is "just like real life". What piffle. This show is nothing more nor less than the ultimate men's fantasy. And I'm a man - I should know! Boston Legal is set in a world where you not only make sexually suggestive remarks whenever you open your mouth, you actually get away with it. In this world, none of your female co-workers score less than 9.5, and you've slept with all of them in any case! One twist is that this sexual predator supreme is split into two characters - Alan Shore and Denny Crane. Crane has his strange quirks, like saying his own name constantly as a mantra, but essentially they are the same man at different stages of life. In the early episodes it even sounded a little like Spader was unconsciously doing an impersonation of Shatner.
William Shatner's participation in this show could easily be dismissed as self parody. But in fact Denny Crane is the best character he has played in decades. Denny Crane is almost the ultimate example of the "has-been" - always remembering past triumphs whether legal or sexual - and Shatner always imbues these lines with a fully realised sense of his own varied experiences. James Spader successfully adapts his standard sexually dysfunctional persona to the character of Alan Shore, although one can't help feeling that the man all the women find so irresistible is really the slimmer and more vulnerable Spader from his younger days. That's what sells it - that it's Spader we're seeing casting his spell, rather than that the Alan Shore we see is that attractive either physically or mentally.
As usual with David Kelley, the combination of extremely pulchritudinous people making incredibly smart conversation makes for unmissable television. But lets not hear any more about this being like "real life".
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Let's hope for a long and enjoyable journey...
Programs like Boston Legal are competing for some very coveted viewers. Dangerous Housewives may be more the taste for those looking for "the edgey dramedy" on prime time and Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me have also found a loyal following with some pretty important demographics.* The kind of viewers that can keep a show like Boston Legal alive for a few seasons.
I'm a huge fan of the show...and was one of those people who only began to watch The Practice when Spader appeared. The moral ambiguity of the show's primary characters and the splash of David Kelly made for a wonderful show. That it found the viewers it did is a tribute to the inspired casting and originality of it's story lines. I think Shatner is a wonderful comeback story and the inclusion of Mark Valley may prove to be a superb choice...introducing a fellow who is much more than a pretty face. His character will go nose to nose with Alan Shore and not in the fluttery Major Burns manner. This is a guy who's gonna a win a few...and that in itself bodes well for the show. I look forward to reading everyone's comments on this terrific show.
*This year the Sopranos will return with first run episodes again and it's the farewell season. The show will runs opposite Boston Legal as will Nip/Tuck.
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More than just another lawyer show
Warning: Spoilers
Boston Legal is a somewhat uneasy mix of comedy and drama. On the surface, it's just another lawyer show. Attorneys get away with misconduct that is not only unethical but criminal. The defense and the prosecution present their cases at the same time. Prosecutors get to give their closing arguments last. And, like Grey's Anatomy, far too much time is spent on who's sleeping with whom, as the hot young female lawyers drool over the hot young male lawyers, and vice versa.
Still, this is an enjoyable show, for two reasons. William Shatner gives the finest performance of his career as Denny Crane, a partner in the firm who was once a giant in the profession, but is now aging, having difficulty remembering, unsure of himself, almost desperate to hang onto his crumbling reputation. He is easily the most compelling character on the show, and is fascinating to watch.
Very close behind him is James Spader, who plays a preposterously narcissistic and pompous young lawyer. Sometimes he's criminally negligent, sometimes he's the high-minded attorney. He struts about like a puffed-up rooster, mouthing off to his boss, to judges, and almost everyone else, in a way that would have him jailed and disbarred in real life. Spader plays this character with a deft, canny absurdity that makes Alan Shore likable in spite of his arrogance.
Rene Auberjonois is also excellent as the long-suffering senior partner, who for some reason tolerates both Denny Crane's decaying ability to perform his job, and Alan Shore's brash defiance of his instructions (not to mention the law).
Sometimes this show leans too heavily on the absurd to be fully likable (and it's almost never believable) but so far, I'm enjoying it nonetheless.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402711/reviews
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