Ally McBeal
Plot
Ally McBeal, despite low expectations from the network, proved to be a highly successful endeavor from writer/producer David E. Kelley. The notoriously tiny Calista Flockhart's neurotic portrayal of Ally fueled the show for five seasons, though it could not have lasted nearly as long without the insights of its eccentric supporting cast. Unique for its forays into the surreal, Ally McBeal as a show is as conflicted as its starring character. Half feministic endeavor, half a frustratingly traditional portrayal of lovelorn women, Ally McBeal danced precariously between law dramas of a more serious nature and Bridget Jones-esque "chick-shows." The series centered around the life of Ally McBeal, the quintessential "little girl lost," who, after graduating with a law degree from Harvard University, found herself in a law firm populated by an extraordinarily unconventional staff, including but not limited to Billy Thomas (Gil Bellows), her high school sweetheart. The show's premise allowed for quite a bit of creative freedom, and most episodes switched seamlessly from the thought-provoking (modern gender issues and sexual boundaries) to the absurd (remote control toilet flushers and pet frogs). Ally's quest for love and emotional fulfillment made for the heart of the series, along with the dark undertone of her often-questionable sanity. ~ Tracie Cooper, RoviCast
- Calista Flockhart - Ally McBeal
- Courtney Thorne-Smith - Georgia Thomas
- Greg Germann - Richard Fish
- Lisa Nicole Carson - Renee Radick
- Jane Krakowski - Elaine Vassal
- Portia de Rossi - Nelle Porter
- Gil Bellows - Billy Alan Thomas
Credit
Judith Weiner - Casting, Jeffrey Kramer - Executive Producer, David E. Kelley - Executive Producer, Danny Lux - Composer (Music Score), David E. Kelley - Producer, David E. Kelley - Show Creator, David E. Kelley - ScreenwriterEpisodes
Ally McBeal: Season 01 (1997)The first season of Ally McBeal centers around Ally's (Calista Flockhart) introduction to a law firm as full of eccentric characters as it is legal files. Not only must Ally adjust to her former high-school sweetheart's choice to marry another, but she also has to learn how to cope with having both him and his wife as co-workers. This season was a highly successful test of Ally McBeal's unique format, which emphasized musical numbers and special effect-laden flights of fancy. Despite initial low expectations from the network, Ally McBeal became a sleeper hit, owing much of its success to its originality, incorporation of truly unique characters, and its expert combination of modern issues of political-correctness with age-old matters of the heart. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Cro-Magnon
- One Hundred Tears Away
- The Promise
- Drawing the Lines
- The Dirty Joke
- Boy to the World
- The Attitude
- The Playing Field
- Theme of Life
- Pilot
- Silver Bells
- Compromising Positions
- The Kiss
- The Affair
- The Blame Game
- Body Language
- Once in a Lifetime
- Forbidden Fruits
- Happy Birthday, Baby
- The Inmates
- Being There
- Alone Again
- These Are the Days
The second season of Ally McBeal is most notable for its addition of actresses Portia de Rossi and Lucy Liu to the regular cast. Nelle (de Rossi) and Ling (Liu) became staple characters of the show, as well as the respective love interests for John Cage (Peter MacNicol) and Richard Fish (Greg Germann). Ally's (Calista Flockhart) relationship with Billy (Gil Bellows) became even more complicated than it already was, culminating in a brief affair and, consequently, providing for an icy relationship with co-worker Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith). ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- The Real World
- Making Spirits Bright
- They Eat Horses, Don't They
- Fools Night Out
- It's My Party
- Story of Love
- World's Without Love
- Happy Trails
- Just Looking
- You Never Can Tell
- In Dreams
- Love Unlimited
- Angels and Blimps
- Pyramids on the Nile
- Sideshow
- Sex, Lies and Politics
- Civil War
- Those Lips, That Hand
- Let's Dance
- Only the Lonely
- The Green Monster
- Love's Illusions
- I Know Him By Heart
As Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) fumbles toward 30, her life becomes more tumultuous than one would have believed possible. What started out as an eccentric fantasy life in the first season has begun to swing sharply toward deeper, darker psychological troubles. Ironically, as Ally considers taking antidepressants to suppress her frequent trips into her imagination, Billy (Gil Bellows) begins to have his own hallucinations. Though the office thinks that Billy's chauvinistic behavior, newly bleached hair, and entourage of female assistants are merely his reaction to his recent divorce from Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith), they turn out to be the results of a fatal brain tumor. Billy's death leaves the firm reeling, and provides a wealth of opening and closing doors for its occupants. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Car Wash
- Buried Pleasures
- Seeing Green
- Heat Wave
- Troubled Water
- Changes
- Saving Santa
- Blue Christmas
- Just Friends
- Over the Rainbow
- In Search of Pygmies
- Pursuit of Lonliness
- The Oddball Parade
- Prime Suspect
- I Will Survive
- Turning Thirty
- Do You Wanna Dance?
- Hope and Glory
- The Musical, Almost
- Out in the Cold
Ally McBeal: Season 04 (2000)
This season of Ally McBeal brought many changes to the show, in both cast and formula. Perhaps the most significant absence is that of Billy Thomas (Gil Bellows), whose character passed away from cancer, and his wife, Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith). Though both actors left the show to pursue other opportunities, they did return for occasional guest appearances. Also worth noting is the presence of a long-term, committed relationship for Ally (Calista Flockhart). Robert Downey Jr. played rival attorney Larry Paul, a quirky lawyer whom everyone -- including producer David E. Kelley -- believed was Ally's perfect match. Unfortunately, Downey Jr. was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and Kelley was forced to re-write the two-part season finale which was originally intended to include a wedding between Ally and Larry. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Sex, Lies, and Second Thoughts
- Girls' Night Out
- Two's a Crowd
- Without a Net
- The Last Virgin
- 'Tis the Season
- Love on Holiday
- The Man With the Bag
- The Ex-Files
- Mr. Bo
- Hats Off to Larry
- Reach Out and Touch
- Boys Town
- Falling Up
- The Getaway
- The Pursuit of Unhappiness
- The Obstacle Course
- In Search of Barry White
- Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade
- Queen Bee
- Home Again
- The Wedding
- Reasons to Believe
After having received mediocre ratings for some time, this was the last season of Ally McBeal. Featuring actor and singer Jon Bon Jovi as Victor, Ally's newest boyfriend, this season gave Ally something she had always longed for -- a family. When Maddie Harrington (Hayden Panettiere) came to Ally's doorstep and informed Ally that she was a mother, the famously neurotic lawyer finally found something to focus on besides her own life. Though Ally had never gotten over Larry (Robert Downey Jr.), she was able to find some semblance of emotional gratification with her daughter. In the end, Ally decided to move to New York for Maddie's sake and leave the past five years of her life in Boston. Though some of the shows staple characters departed -- Ling (Lucy Liu) and John (Peter MacNicol) were the only regular cast members for part of the season -- everyone grew and, in general, became more mature versions of their former selves. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Freinds and Lovers
- Judge Ling
- Neutral Corners
- Fear of Flirting
- I Want Love
- Lost and Found
- Nine One One
- One Hundred Tears
- A Kick in the Head
- The New Day
- Woman
- Homecoming
- Heart and Soul
- Love Is All Around, Part 1
- Love Is All Around, Part 2
- Tom Dooly
- Another One Bites the Dust
- What I'll Never Do for Love Again
- All of Me
- Bygones
- Playing With Matches
- Blowin' in the Wind
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
