Ally McBeal

1997–2002 · Comedy, Drama · 5 seasons · ★ 6.5

Ended

+13

Synopsis of Ally McBeal

Ally McBeal, a 27-year-old lawyer played by Calista Flockhart, has just lost her job after reporting sexual harassment by one of the partners at her firm. Out of work and with her career on hold, she lands a spot at Cage & Fish, a Boston firm co-owned by Richard Fish, an old classmate from law school. There she has to get along with her new colleagues, but the biggest challenge comes on her first day: her ex-boyfriend Billy Thomas, whom she has never gotten over, also works at the firm and is married. Created by David E. Kelley and aired on Fox, the series follows their lives in a legal setting, although the court cases mainly serve as a reflection of the protagonists' romantic and personal conflicts.

«A series that dares to reveal what's most exciting about a woman's body... her mind.»

5seasons

112episodes

43 minper episode

6.5audience scoreTMDB · 390 votes

6.9IMDb rating39,492 votes

Seasons of Ally McBeal

Season 11997 · 23 ep. · ★ 7.2

Season 21998 · 23 ep. · ★ 7.1

Season 31999 · 21 ep. · ★ 6.7

Season 42000 · 23 ep. · ★ 6.8

Season 52001 · 22 ep. · ★ 6.7

Cast by Ally McBeal

Calista FlockhartAlly McBeal112 episodes

Greg GermannRichard Fish112 episodes

Jane KrakowskiElaine Vassal112 episodes

Peter MacNicolJohn Cage112 episodes

Vonda ShepardVonda Shepard112 episodes

Lisa Nicole CarsonRenée Raddick91 episodes

Portia De RossiNelle Porter89 episodes

Lucy LiuLing Woo73 episodes

Courtney Thorne-SmithGeorgia Thomas69 episodes

Gil BellowsBilly Thomas69 episodes

Albert HallSeymore Walsh51 episodes

Renée Elise GoldsberryBack-up Singer44 episodes

Vatrena KingIkette #242 episodes

Sy SmithBack-up Singer41 episodes

James Le GrosMark Albert28 episodes

Regina HallCorretta Lipp25 episodes

Robert Downey Jr.Larry Paul23 episodes

Josh HopkinsRaymond Millbury22 episodes

Dyan CannonJennifer 'Whipper' Cone17 episodes

James MarsdenGlenn Foy13 episodes

John Michael HigginsSteven Milter13 episodes

Barry HumphriesClaire Otoms12 episodes

Jesse L. MartinGreg Butters12 episodes

Julianne NicholsonJenny Shaw10 episodes

Hayden PanettiereMaddie Harrington10 episodes

Taye DiggsJackson Duper10 episodes

Jon Bon JoviVictor Morrison10 episodes

Gina PhilipsSandy Hingle10 episodes

Christopher NeimanBob8 episodes

Gerry BeckerMyron Stone8 episodes

Steve CohenDancing Twin #28 episodes

Eric CohenDancing Twin8 episodes

Anne HecheMelanie West7 episodes

Christina RicciLiza Bump7 episodes

Lee WilkofNixon7 episodes

Amy CastleYoung Ally7 episodes

Melanie TaylorGo-Go Dancer #27 episodes

Jennifer HollidayLisa Knowles6 episodes

Harrison PageMark Newman6 episodes

Cynthia CalhounBackup Singer6 episodes

Technical Details

Created by: David E. Kelley
Address: Mel Damski, Bill D'Elia, Jonathan Pontell, Billy Dickson, Michael Schultz
Production companies: David E. Kelley Productions, 20th Century Fox Television
Network or Platform: FOX
Country: United States
Original Language: English
Premiere: September 8, 1997
Last Episode: May 20, 2002 (5x22)
Status: Ended
Type: Fiction
Awards: Won 7 Emmy Awards; 44 wins and 116 nominations in total.
Links: IMDb · TMDB

Awards for Ally McBeal

🏆 Peabody Awards (1998)
🏆 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series (2001)
🏆 TCA Award for Outstanding New Program (1998)
🏆 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (1998)
🏆 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (1997)
🏆 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (2001)
🏆 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (1999)
🏆 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (1999)
🏆 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1999)
🏆 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2001)

Plus, 14 nominations recorded.

Source: Wikidata

Trivia about Ally McBeal

Since its premiere in 1997, the series was an instant hit, averaging about 11 million viewers per episode. In its second season, it climbed to about 13 million.

David E. Kelley created a character for Josh Groban after audiences responded to her performance in the May 2001 season finale.

The exterior used for the Cage & Fish law firm was filmed at 14 Beacon Street in Boston, where the firm occupied the seventh floor.

The fifth season had the lowest ratings and was the only one that didn't win an Emmy or a Golden Globe, a key factor in Fox's decision to cancel the series.

Entertainment Weekly ranked the series at No. 48 on its "New TV Classics" list from 2007.

"Ally McBeal" was the first one-hour series to compete at the Emmys in the Best Comedy category, a decision that sparked debate because of its mix of drama and humor.

Robert Downey Jr. left the series after his personal problems and drug-related arrests affected his place in the cast.

The production included a spin-off titled "Ally," which aired during the third season. It reused and recut scenes from the original series and was canceled after ten episodes.

Sources: Wikipedia (English)