Ally McBeal | |
---|---|
Genre | Surreal dramedy |
Created by | David E. Kelley |
Starring |
Calista Flockhart Courtney Thorne-Smith Greg Germann Lisa Nicole Carson Jane Krakowski Vonda Shepard Portia de Rossi Lucy Liu Peter MacNicol Gil Bellows |
Theme music composer | Vonda Shepard |
Opening theme | "Searchin' My Soul" |
Composer(s) |
Danny Lux Vonda Shepard |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 112 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | David E. Kelley Bill D'Elia |
Producer(s) | Kayla Alpert (2000–01) Kim Hamberg (1998–2002) Mike Listo (1997–2000) Jack Philbrick (2000–02) Steve Robin (1997–2002) Pamela J. Wisne (1997–2002) |
Cinematography | Thomas F. Denove Billy Dickson David A. Harp Tim Suhrstedt |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 45–48 minutes |
Production company(s) |
20th Century Fox Television David E. Kelley Productions |
Distributor | 20th Television |
Release | |
Original network | Fox |
Picture format |
4:3 (seasons 1-2) 16:9 (season 3-5) |
Audio format | Dolby Surround |
Original release | September 8, 1997 | – May 20, 2002
Chronology | |
Related shows | The Practice |
Website | www |
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama television series, originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997 to May 20, 2002. Created by David E. Kelley, the series stars Calista Flockhart in the title role as a young lawyer working in the fictional Boston law firm Cage and Fish, with other young lawyers whose lives and loves were eccentric, humorous and dramatic. The series received critical acclaim in its early seasons, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 1997 and 1998, and also winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1999.
The series, set in the fictional Boston law firm Cage and Fish, begins with main character Allison Marie "Ally" McBeal joining the firm (co-owned by her law school classmate Richard Fish, played by Greg Germann) after leaving her previous job due to sexual harassment. On her first day Ally is horrified to find that she will be working alongside her ex-boyfriend Billy Thomas (Gil Bellows)—whom she has never gotten over. To make things worse, Billy is now married to fellow lawyer Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith), who also later joins Cage and Fish. The triangle among the three forms the basis for the main plot for the show's first three seasons.
Although ostensibly a legal drama, the main focus of the series was the romantic and personal lives of the main characters, often using legal proceedings as plot devices to contrast or reinforce a character's drama. For example, bitter divorce litigation of a client might provide a backdrop for Ally's decision to break up with a boyfriend. Legal arguments were also frequently used to explore multiple sides of various social issues.