Ally McBeal: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|American legal comedy-drama television series (1997–2002)}}

A whimsical American comedy/drama devised by [[David E. Kelley]], with [[Calista Flockhart]] in the title role as a young, attractive lawyer working in a major city law firm filled with a cast of similarly young, attractive lawyers who live and love highly melodramatically.

{{about|the TV show|the character|Ally McBeal (character)}}

{{redirect|John Cage (character)|similarly named topics|John Cage (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Ally McBeal S1 Opening.jpg

| genre = {{Plainlist|

* [[Comedy drama]]

* [[Cringe comedy]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Jeffrey |title=How 'Ally McBeal' Influenced the Modern Cringe Comedy |url=https://collider.com/ally-mcbeal-modern-cringe-comedy/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref>

* [[Legal drama]]

* [[Surreal humor|Surreal comedy]]

}}

| creator = [[David E. Kelley]]

| starring = {{Plainlist|

<!-- list is out of order and missing some cast members -->

* [[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]]

| open_theme = "[[Searchin' My Soul]]"

| composer = {{Plainlist|

* [[Danny Lux]]

* Vonda Shepard

}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 5

| num_episodes = 112

| list_episodes = List of Ally McBeal episodes

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

* David E. Kelley

* [[Bill D'Elia]]

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

* 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 = {{Plainlist|

* Thomas F. Denove

* [[Billy Dickson]]

* David A. Harp

* [[Tim Suhrstedt]]

}}

| camera = [[Single-camera]]

| runtime = 45–48 minutes

| company = {{Plainlist|

* David E. Kelley Productions

* [[20th Television|20th Century Fox Television]]

}}

| network = [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]

| first_aired = {{Start date|1997|9|8}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2002|5|20}}

| related = ''[[The Practice]]''

}}

'''''Ally McBeal''''' is<!-- DO NOT change the tense please! Read WP:MOSTV#Lead_paragraphs--> an American [[legal drama|legal]] [[Comedy drama|comedy-drama]] television series created by [[David E. Kelley]] that originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. It revolves around [[Calista Flockhart]] in the [[Ally McBeal (character)|title role]] as a lawyer working in the [[Boston]] [[Law firms in fiction|law firm]] Cage and Fish. Although the series is ostensibly a legal drama, its main focus is the romantic and personal lives of the main characters. The series was produced by David E. Kelley Productions and [[20th Television|20th Century Fox Television]], with Kelley serving as executive producer alongside [[Bill D'Elia]].

''Ally McBeal'' received critical acclaim in its early seasons, winning the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy]] in 1998 and 1999, and also winning the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series|Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series]] in 1999. Despite these achievements, it was canceled by Fox after five seasons. In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a limited series was in early development at 20th Television with Flockhart possibly returning.<ref name=":0" /> In August 2022, it was reported that [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] was in early development of a sequel series and had approached Flockhart to reprise her role and executive-produce. However, regardless of the report, neither project has eventuated yet.

==Overview==

Despite its legal settings, the show pays no attention to the actual practice of law, using any legal manoeuvers as plot devices to push the main thrust of the show, the romantic lives of the main characters, forward.

[[Ally McBeal (character)|Allison Marie "Ally" McBeal]] begins working at the [[Boston]] law firm Cage & Fish, co-owned by her law school classmate Richard Fish ([[Greg Germann]]). She left her previous firm due to sexual harassment. On her first day, Ally is dismayed to discover that she will be working alongside her ex-boyfriend Billy Thomas ([[Gil Bellows]])—whom she has never gotten over. Even worse, Billy is now married to fellow lawyer Georgia ([[Courtney Thorne-Smith]]), who later joins Cage & Fish. The triangle among the three forms the basis for the main plot for the show's first three seasons.

Although ''Ally McBeal'' is ostensibly a legal drama, the main focus of the series is the romantic and personal lives of the main characters, often using legal proceedings as [[plot device]]s 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.

Cage & Fish (which becomes Cage/Fish & McBeal; Cage, Fish, & Associates towards the end of the series), the law firm where most of the characters work, is depicted as a highly sexualized environment symbolized by its unisex restroom. Lawyers and secretaries in the firm routinely date, flirt with, or have a romantic history with one another and frequently run into former or potential romantic interests in the courtroom or on the street.

The series had many offbeat and frequently surreal [[running gag]]s and themes, such as Ally's tendency to immediately fall over whenever she met somebody she found attractive, Richard Fish's [[Wattle (anatomy)|wattle]] fetish and humorous mottos ("Fishisms" and "Bygones"), John's gymnastic dismounts out of the office's unisex bathroom stalls, or the dancing twins (played by Eric and Steve Cohen) at a frequented bar. The show uses vivid, dramatic fantasy sequences for Ally's and other characters' wishful thinking; of particular note is the early internet sensation, the [[dancing baby]].

The show's use of fantasy sequences to illustrate the character's inner thoughts was particularly notable, along with the character's regular visits to a particular bar where [[Vonda Shephard]] always seems to be performing (though occasionally handing over the microphone to the characters).

The series also featured regular visits to a local bar where singer [[Vonda Shepard]] regularly performed (though occasionally handing over the microphone to the characters). Star contemporary singers also performed in the bar at the end of the shows, including acts such as [[Mariah Carey]], [[Barry White]] and [[Anastacia]]. The series also took place in the same continuity as David E. Kelley's legal drama ''[[The Practice]]'' (which aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), as the two shows crossed over with one another on occasion, a rare occurrence for two shows that aired on different networks.

Ultimately, in the series finale "Bygones", Ally leaves Cage & Fish and relocates to New York City.

==Cast==

Ally McBeal was hugely successful, but received much criticism from TV critics and feminists who found the title character annoying and demeaning to women because of her lack of demonstrated legal knowledge and extreme emotional instability and unreliability. However, Ally's search for true love struck a chord with young female audiences.

[[File:Ally mcbeal season 4 cast.jpg|thumb|Cast of season 4 (''from left''): (''top'') Liu, Downey, Krakowski, Germann, MacNicol; ''(middle)'' Carson, de Rossi, Flockhart; ''(bottom)'' Shepard, LeGros]]

[[File:14 Beacon Street (Fish, Cage, & McBeal) (7183315650).jpg|thumb|14 [[Beacon Street]] in Boston, the exterior of which was used as the ___location for the law firm "Cage & Fish" (later "Cage, Fish, & McBeal"), which was located on the 7th floor of this building<ref name="Ally McBeal Offices Cage & Fish">{{cite web | url=https://foursquare.com/v/ally-mcbeal-offices-cage--fish/4e66b6186365d0e711e40c23 | title=Ally McBeal Offices (Cage & Fish) }}</ref>]]

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+List of main ''Ally McBeal'' characters, with actors, by season

!scope="col" rowspan="2" | Actor

!scope="col" rowspan="2" | Character

!scope="col" colspan="5" | Seasons

|-

!scope="col"|[[Ally McBeal (season 1)|1]]

!scope="col" style="width:4em;"|[[Ally McBeal (season 2)|2]]

!scope="col"|[[Ally McBeal (season 3)|3]]

!scope="col"|[[Ally McBeal (season 4)|4]]

!scope="col"|[[Ally McBeal (season 5)|5]]

|-

!scope="row"| [[Calista Flockhart]]

| [[Ally McBeal (character)|Ally McBeal]]

| colspan="5" {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Greg Germann]]

| Richard Fish

| colspan="5" {{cMain}}

|-

|-

!scope="row"| [[Lisa Nicole Carson]]

| Renée Raddick

| colspan="4" {{cMain}}

| {{CGuest}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Jane Krakowski]]

| Elaine Vassal

| colspan="5" {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Peter MacNicol]]

| John Cage

| colspan="4" {{cMain}}

| {{cRecurring}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Gil Bellows]]

| Billy Allen Thomas

| colspan="3" {{cMain}}

| colspan="2" {{CGuest}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Courtney Thorne-Smith]]

| Georgia Thomas

| colspan="3" {{cMain}}

| colspan="2" {{CGuest}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Portia de Rossi]]

| [[Nelle Porter]]

| {{N/a}}

| colspan="4" {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Lucy Liu]]

| [[Ling Woo]]

| {{N/a}}

| colspan="3" {{cMain}}

| {{cRecurring}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Vonda Shepard]]

| Herself

| {{cRecurring}}

| colspan="4" {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[James LeGros]]

| [[Mark Albert]]

| colspan="2" {{N/a}}

| {{cRecurring}}

| {{cMain}}

| {{N/a}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Robert Downey Jr.]]

| Larry Paul

| colspan="3" {{N/a}}

| {{cMain}}

| {{CGuest}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Regina Hall]]

| Coretta Lipp

| colspan="3" {{N/a}}

| {{cRecurring}}

| {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Julianne Nicholson]]

| Jenny Shaw

| colspan="4" {{N/a}}

| {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[James Marsden]]

| Glenn Foy

| colspan="4" {{N/a}}

| {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Josh Hopkins]]

| Raymond Millbury

| colspan="4" {{N/a}}

| {{cMain}}

|-

!scope="row"| [[Hayden Panettiere]]

| Maddie Harrington

| colspan="4" {{N/a}}

| {{cMain}}

|-

|}

===Recurring===

* [[Dyan Cannon]] as Jennifer "Whipper" Cone (Seasons 1–3)

* [[Phil Leeds]] as Judge Dennis "Happy" Boyle (Seasons 1–2)

* [[Jennifer Holliday]] as Lisa Knowles (Seasons 1–4)

* [[Harrison Page]] as Reverend Mark Newman (Seasons 1–4)

* [[Lee Wilkof]] as District Attorney Nixon (Seasons 1–2, 5)

* [[Jesse L. Martin]] as Dr. Greg Butters (Seasons 1–2)

* [[Tracey Ullman]] as Dr. Tracey Clarke (Seasons 1–3)

* [[Albert Hall (actor)|Albert Hall]] as Judge Seymore Walsh (Seasons 1–5)

* [[Gerry Becker]] as Attorney Myron Stone (Seasons 2–4)

* [[Amy Castle]] as Young Ally (Seasons 2–3)

* [[Gina Philips]] as Sandy Hingle (Season 3)

* [[Tim Dutton]] as Brian Selig (Seasons 3–4)

* [[Lisa Edelstein]] as Cindy McCauliff (Season 4)

* Christopher Neiman as Attorney Barry Mathers (Seasons 4–5)

* [[Jami Gertz]] as Kimmy Bishop (Seasons 4–5)

* [[John Michael Higgins]] as Steven Milter (Seasons 4–5)

* [[Anne Heche]] as Melanie West (Season 4)

* [[Taye Diggs]] as Jackson Duper (Season 4)

* [[Barry Humphries]] as Claire Otoms (Season 5)

* [[Jon Bon Jovi]] as Victor Morrison (Season 5)

* [[Christina Ricci]] as Liza Bump (Season 5)

* [[Bobby Cannavale]] as Wilson Jade (Season 5)

==Episodes==

{{Main|List of Ally McBeal episodes}}

{{:List of Ally McBeal episodes}}

In Australia, ''Ally McBeal'' was aired by the [[Seven Network]] from 1997 to 2002. In 2010, it was aired repeatedly by [[Network 10]].

In the UK, ''Ally McBeal'' was aired by [[Channel 4]], premiering on June 3, 1998, and concluding on October 30, 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Watch Ally McBeal {{!}} Stream free on Channel 4 |url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/ally-mcbeal |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=[[Channel 4]]}}</ref> It began airing for free on Channel 4's streaming service on August 30, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Karen |date=2024-08-22 |title=Channel 4 to stream entire boxset of iconic '90s TV series from next week |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/iconic-90s-tv-series-being-33518974 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=The Mirror |language=en}}</ref>

===Crossovers with ''The Practice''===

{{See also|The Practice#Crossovers}}

Seymore Walsh, a stern judge often exasperated by the eccentricities of the Cage & Fish lawyers and played by actor Albert Hall, was also a recurring character on ''The Practice''. In addition, Judge Jennifer (Whipper) Cone appears on ''The Practice'' episode "Line of Duty" (S02 E15), while Judge Roberta Kittelson, a recurring character on ''The Practice'', has a featured guest role in the ''Ally McBeal'' episode "Do you Wanna Dance?"

Most of the primary ''Practice'' cast members guest starred in the ''Ally McBeal'' episode "The Inmates" (S01 E20), in a storyline that concluded with the ''Practice'' episode "Axe Murderer" (S02 E26), featuring Calista Flockhart and Gil Bellows reprising their ''Ally'' characters. Unusually for a TV crossover, ''Ally McBeal'' and ''The Practice'' aired on different networks. Bobby Donnell, the main character of ''The Practice'' played by [[Dylan McDermott]], was featured heavily in both this crossover and another ''Ally McBeal'' episode, "These are the Days".

Regular ''Practice'' cast members [[Lara Flynn Boyle]] and [[Michael Badalucco]] each had an uncredited cameo as their characters in ''Ally McBeal'' (Boyle as a woman who trades insults with Ally in the episode "Making Spirits Bright" and Badalucco as one of Ally's dates in the episode "I Know him by Heart").

In Season 5, [[Lara Flynn Boyle]] had an uncredited guest appearance as a rebuttal witness opposite guest star [[Heather Locklear]]'s character in the episode, "Tom Dooley".

== Filming ___location ==

14 [[Beacon Street]] in Boston was the exterior which was used as the ___location for the law firm "Cage & Fish" (later "Cage, Fish, & McBeal"), which was located on the 7th floor of this building.<ref name="Ally McBeal Offices Cage & Fish"/>

==Reception==

Upon premiering in 1997, the show was an instant hit, averaging around 11 million viewers per episode. The show's second season saw an increase in ratings and soon became a top 20 show, averaging around 13 million viewers per episode. The show's ratings began to decline in the third season, but stabilized in the fourth season after [[Robert Downey Jr.]] joined the regular cast as Ally's boyfriend Larry Paul, and a fresher aesthetic was created by new art director Matthew DeCoste. However, Downey's character was written out after the end of the season due to Downey's troubles with drug addiction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2014/03/05/tv-legends-revealed-robert-downey-jr-was-written-out-of-own-tv-wedding/|title=TV Legends Revealed – Robert Downey Jr. Was Written Out of Own TV Wedding|last=Cronin|first=Brian|date=2014-03-05|website=Comic Book Resources|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180224014412/https://www.cbr.com/tv-legends-revealed-robert-downey-jr-was-written-out-of-own-tv-wedding/|archive-date=February 24, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=2018-02-24|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The first two seasons, as well as the fourth, remain the most critically acclaimed and saw the most awards success at the Emmys, SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. In 2007, ''Ally McBeal'' placed #48 on ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'s}} 2007 "New TV Classics" list.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv/|title=The New Classics: TV|date=June 18, 2007|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115162745/http://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv/|archive-date=2018-01-15|url-status=live|access-date=February 5, 2012}}</ref>

==Ratings==

{|class="wikitable"

|+US viewer ratings for ''Ally McBeal'', by season

|-

!scope="col" colspan="2"|Season

!scope="col"| Number of viewers

!scope="col"| Network

!scope="col"| Rank

|-

!scope="row"| 1 || 1997–98

| 11.4 million ||Fox ||#59<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1998/05/29/what-ranked-and-what-tanked/|title=The Final Countdown|date=May 29, 1998|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 6, 2009|archive-date=September 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924184101/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C283382%2C00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

|-

!scope="row"| 2 || 1998–99

| 13.8 million ||Fox ||#20<ref>{{cite web|title=Final ratings for the 1998–1999 TV season |url=http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/4616/ew0604.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020115727/http://geocities.com/Hollywood/4616/ew0604.html |archive-date=October 20, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

|-

!scope="row"| 3 || 1999–2000

|12.4 million ||Fox ||#35{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

|-

!scope="row"| 4 || 2000–01

|12.0 million ||Fox ||#40<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2001/06/01/bitter-end/|title=The Bitter End|date=June 1, 2001|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 6, 2009|archive-date=July 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718141929/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,256435,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

|-

!scope="row"| 5 || 2001–02

|9.4 million ||Fox ||#65<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm|title=How Did Your Favorite Show Rate?|date=May 28, 2002|publisher=usatoday.com}}</ref>

|}

==Cancellation==

Fox canceled ''Ally McBeal'' after five seasons. In addition to being the lowest-rated season of ''Ally McBeal'' and the grounds for the show's cancellation, the fifth season was also the only season of the show that failed to win any Emmy or Golden Globe awards.

==Feminist criticism==

''Ally McBeal'' received some criticism from TV critics and feminists who found the title character annoying and demeaning to women (specifically regarding professional women<ref>Hammers, Michelle L. "Cautionary Tales of Liberation and Female Professionalism: The Case Against ''Ally McBeal''" ''Western Journal of Communication'' '''69''' 2, April (2005): 168. "The ease with which ''McBeal''{{'s}} depictions of women are reincorporated into dominant masculinist discourses ... is particularly problematic for professional women. The increased danger that co-optation poses for professional women is due to the complex ways in which the discursive sedimentation that surrounds the female body, particularly as it has been traditionally sexualized and linked to emotionality, operates as a barrier to women's full and effective participation in professional spheres. Thus, ''McBeal'' operates as a cautionary tale about the dangers presented by the co-optation of postfeminist and third-wave feminist discourses as they relate to current professional discourses surrounding the female body."</ref>) because of her perceived flightiness, lack of demonstrated legal knowledge, short skirts,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988616,00.html|title=Is Feminism Dead? (Chat Transcript – Phyllis Chesler) |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 29, 1998}}</ref> and emotional instability. Perhaps the most notorious example of the debate sparked by the show was the June 29, 1998, cover story of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, which juxtaposed the character of Ally McBeal with three real-life pioneering feminists ([[Susan B. Anthony]], [[Betty Friedan]], [[Gloria Steinem]]) and asked "Is Feminism Dead?"<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19980629,00.html|title=Is Feminism Dead? |date=June 29, 1998 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-us|access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref> In the January 18, 1999 ''Ally McBeal'' episode, "Love Unlimited", Ally talks to her co-worker John Cage about a dream she had, saying "You know, I had a dream that they put my face on the cover of ''Time'' magazine as 'the face of feminism'."<ref name=McBeal>{{Cite episode |title=[[Ally McBeal (season 2)#ep35|Love Unlimited]] |series=Ally McBeal |publisher=David E. Kelley Productions and [[20th Century Fox Television]] |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company]] |season=2 |number=12 |date=1999-01-18 |first=David E. |last=Kelley |author-link=David E. Kelley}}</ref>

==Music==

Music was a prominent feature of ''Ally McBeal''. [[Vonda Shepard]], a relatively unknown musician at the time, performed regularly on the show and her song "[[Searchin' My Soul]]" was the show's theme song. Many of the songs Shepard performed were established hits with lyrics that paralleled the events of each episode, for example, "[[Both Sides, Now|Both Sides Now]]", "[[Hooked on a Feeling (song)|Hooked on a Feeling]]" and "[[Tell Him (Bert Berns song)|Tell Him]]". Besides recording background music for the show, Shepard frequently appeared at the ends of episodes as a musician performing at a local [[piano bar]] frequented by the main characters. On rare occasions, her character would have conventional dialogue. A portion of "Searchin' My Soul" was played at the beginning of each episode, but the song was never played in its entirety.

Several of the characters had a musical [[leitmotif]] that played when they appeared. John Cage's was "[[You're the First, the Last, My Everything]]", Ling Woo's was the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] theme from ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', and Ally McBeal herself picked "Tell Him", when told by a psychiatrist that she needed a theme song in a [[Ally McBeal (season 1)|Season 1]] episode.<ref>{{cite episode|title= Theme of Life |series=Ally McBeal |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |___location=Los Angeles |airdate=March 9, 1998 |season=1 |number=17 }}</ref>

Due to the popularity of the show and Shepard's music, a soundtrack titled ''[[Songs from Ally McBeal]]'' was released in 1998, as well as a successor soundtrack titled ''[[Heart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal]]'' in 1999. Two compilation albums from the show featuring Shepard were also released in 2000 and 2001. A Christmas album was also released under the title ''Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas''.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.amazon.com/The-Man-With-Bag/dp/B00138A8P0| title = ''Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas'' (2000) Sony Music| website = Amazon}}</ref> The album received positive reviews, and Shephard's version of [[Kay Starr]]'s Christmas song "[[(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag]]", received considerable airplay during the holiday season.<ref>Atkinson, Terry (December 3, 2000) "TV Shows Breed Christmas Albums" ''The Post-Tribune'' (Gary, Indiana) (Entertainment News Service), page D-5.[https://www.proquest.com/docview/343646798]{{dead link|date=July 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

Other artists featured on the show include [[Barry White]], [[Al Green]], [[Gladys Knight]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Macy Gray]], [[Gloria Gaynor]], [[Chayanne]], [[Barry Manilow]], [[Anastacia]], [[Elton John]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] and [[Mariah Carey]]. [[Josh Groban]] played the role of Malcolm Wyatt in the May 2001 season finale, performing "You're Still You". The series creator, David E. Kelley, was impressed with Groban's performance at The Family Celebration event and based on the audience reaction to Groban's singing, Kelley created a character for him in that finale. The background score for the show was composed by [[Danny Lux]].

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Musical releases from ''Ally McBeal''

|-

!scope="col"| Soundtrack name

!scope="col"| Number of tracks

!scope="col"| Release date

|-

!scope="row"| ''Songs from Ally McBeal''

| 14

| May 5, 1998

|-

!scope="row"| ''Heart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal''

| 14

| November 9, 1999

|-

!scope="row"| ''Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas''

| 14

| November 7, 2000

|-

!scope="row"| ''Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life''

| 14

| April 24, 2001

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Best of Ally McBeal''

| 12

| October 6, 2009

|}

==Home media==

Due to [[music licensing]] issues, none of the seasons of ''Ally McBeal'' were available on [[DVD-Video|DVD]] in the United States until 2009, though the show had been available in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic with all the show's music intact since 2005. In the UK, Ireland, and Spain all seasons are available in a complete box set.

[[20th Century Studios Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] released the complete first season on DVD in Region 1 on October 6, 2009. They also released a special complete series edition on the same day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ally-McBeal-Season-1-Complete-Series-Dates/12247|title=Amazon Posts Date for Season 1 & Complete Series|publisher=TVShowsonDVD|date=July 3, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707220213/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ally-McBeal-Season-1-Complete-Series-Dates/12247|archive-date=July 7, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Season 1 does not contain any special features, but the complete series set contains several bonus features, including featurettes, an all-new retrospective, the [[List of The Practice episodes#Season 2|episode]] of ''[[The Practice]]'' in which Calista Flockhart guest-starred, and a bonus disc entitled "The Best of Ally McBeal Soundtrack." In addition, both releases contain all of the original music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ally-McBeal-Press-Release/12444|title=Fox's Press Release for The Complete Series Confirms ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC!|publisher=TVShowsonDVD|date=August 7, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090811040941/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ally-McBeal-Press-Release/12444|archive-date=August 11, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Season 2 was released on April 6, 2010. Seasons 3, 4, and 5 were all released on October 5, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ally-McBeal-Seasons-3-4-5/14076|title=Ally McBeal DVD news: Release Date and More for Individual Sets of Seasons 3, 4 and 5|publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=July 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717095917/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ally-McBeal-Seasons-3-4-5/14076|archive-date=July 17, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Home media releases of ''Ally McBeal'', showing season numbers, with release dates

|-

!scope="col"| DVD name

!scope="col"| No. episodes

!scope="col"| Region 1

!scope="col"| Region 2

!scope="col"| Region 4

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Complete First Season''

| 23

| October 6, 2009

| February 21, 2005

| April 26, 2006

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Complete Second Season''

| 23

| April 6, 2010

| February 21, 2005

| April 26, 2006

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Complete Third Season''

| 21

| October 5, 2010

| February 21, 2005

| April 26, 2006

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Complete Fourth Season''

| 23

| October 5, 2010

| May 9, 2005

| April 26, 2006

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Complete Fifth and Final Season''

| 22

| October 5, 2010

| May 9, 2005

| April 26, 2006

|-

!scope="row"| ''The Complete Series''

| 112

| October 6, 2009

| October 30, 2006

| April 18, 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ezydvd.com.au/DVD/ally-mcbeal-season-1-5/dp/6110150|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121231001143/http://www.ezydvd.com.au/DVD/ally-mcbeal-season-1-5/dp/6110150|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 31, 2012|title=Ally McBeal: Season 1-5|publisher=[[EzyDVD]]|access-date=January 28, 2012}}</ref>

|}

==''Ally'' (1999)==

In 1999, at the height of the show's popularity, a half-hour version titled ''Ally'' began airing in parallel with the main program. This version, designed in a sitcom format, used re-edited scenes from the main program, along with previously unseen footage. The intention was to further develop the plots in the comedy drama in a sitcom style. It also focused only on Ally's personal life, cutting all the courtroom plots. The repackaged show was canceled partway through its initial run. While 13 episodes of ''Ally'' were produced, only ten aired.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/2000/1/3/19483713/half-hour-ally-is-a-failure-br-the-hourlong-ally-mcbeal-remains-however|website=Deseret News|title=Half-hour 'Ally' is a failure|first=Scott|last=Pierce|date=January 3, 2000|accessdate=September 19, 2021}}</ref>

==Possible revival==

In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a limited series was in early development by [[20th Television]] with Flockhart possibly returning.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/ally-mcbeal-revival-calista-flockhart-explored-20th-television-1234722856/|title='Ally McBeal' Revival With Calista Flockhart Explored By 20th Television|last1=Petski|first1=Denise|last2=Andreeva|first2=Nellie|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=March 26, 2021|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref>

In August 2022, it was reported that [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] was in early development of a sequel series with Karin Gist writing and executive producing.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Ally McBeal'' Sequel With New Lead In Works At ABC From Karin Gist; Calista Flockhart Eyed To Return|url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/ally-mcbeal-sequel-new-lead-abc-karin-gist-calista-flockhart-1235094659/|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=August 19, 2022}}</ref> The series would follow a young Black woman out of law school who joins the law firm. Flockhart has been approached to both reprise her role and executive-produce.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bucksbaum |first=Sydney |date=2024-01-15 |title='Ally McBeal' cast reunites at Emmys with throwback bathroom dance |url=https://ew.com/emmys-2023-ally-mcbeal-reunion-calista-flockhart-greg-germann-peter-macnicol-gil-bellows-8426073 |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>

Flockhart, Germann, MacNicol and Bellows reunited at the [[75th Primetime Emmy Awards|2024 75th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in a choreographed dance to [[Barry White]]'s "[[You're the First, the Last, My Everything]]" recreating the unisex bathroom from the series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2024-01-16 |title='Ally McBeal' Stars, Led By Calista Flockhart, Recreate Series' Bathroom Dance In Emmy Reunion |url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/ally-mcbeal-reunion-calista-flockhart-greg-germann-peter-macnicol-gil-bellows-bathroom-dance-emmys-1235791947/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==In popular culture==

In a third-season episode of the British comedy ''[[The Adam and Joe Show]]'', the show was parodied as "Ally McSqueal" using soft toys.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLjdlq21c5M The Adam and Joe Show]. YouTube. Retrieved on 2012-04-23. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617125211/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLjdlq21c5M&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL|date=June 17, 2016}}</ref>

A [[Futurama (season 1)|first season]] episode of the animated sitcom ''[[Futurama]]'', "[[When Aliens Attack]]", centers on an invasion of Earth by the Omicronians precipitated by a signal loss during the climax of an episode of ''Single Female Lawyer'', whose main character is Jenny McNeal.<ref name="Handlen">{{cite web |date=December 18, 2014 |last=Handlen |first=Zack |title=Futurama: "Mars University"/"When Aliens Attack" |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |quote=SFL is a decent parody of Ally McBeal, a show that was very popular at the time this episode aired, but which hardly anyone talks about anymore. |url=https://www.avclub.com/futurama-mars-university-when-aliens-attack-1798182249 |access-date=February 27, 2022 }}</ref>

In a [[The Good Place (season 4)|fourth season]] episode of the show ''[[The Good Place]]'', the Judge, played by [[Maya Rudolph]], hands [[Ted Danson]]'s character (Michael) a petition to reboot ''Ally McBeal'', stating "everything else is getting rebooted."

In the 2021 film ''[[The Mauritanian]]'', [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]] detainee [[Mohamedou Ould Salahi]] says to an American judge "Even in [[Mauritania]], we have watched ''[[Law & Order]]'' and ''Ally McBeal''."

In a [[Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (season 4)|fourth season]] episode of the show ''[[Crazy Ex-Girlfriend]]'', a lyric in the song "Don't Be a Lawyer", mentions the show "No one you work with looks like ''Ally McBeal''".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://genius.com/Crazy-ex-girlfriend-cast-dont-be-a-lawyer-lyrics | title=Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cast (Ft. Burl Moseley & Clark Moore) – Don't be a Lawyer }}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==

{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Ally McBeal}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category}}

{{wikiquote}}

* {{IMDb title|0118254}}

* {{epguides|AllyMcbeal|Ally McBeal}}

* {{IMDb title|0210403|Ally|(1999–2000)}}

* {{epguides|Ally|Ally (1999–2000)}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220134133/http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/1997/10/20ally.html Ally McBeal: Woman of the '90s or Retro Airhead]

{{AllyMcBeal|state=expanded}}

{{Navboxes

|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Ally McBeal|Awards for ''Ally McBeal'']]

|list =

{{EmmyAward ComedySeries}}

{{Golden Globe TV Comedy}}

{{Screen Actors Guild Awards Ensemble TV Comedy 1994–1999}}

{{TCA Award for Outstanding New Program}}

}}

{{David E. Kelley}}

{{subject bar|Television|United States|Comedy|1990s|d=y|display=''Ally McBeal''|auto=1}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ally Mcbeal}}

[[Category:Ally McBeal| ]]

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[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners]]

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