Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox . Set in Boston , the series centers on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school in the Boston Public Schools district. It features a large ensemble cast and focuses on the work and private lives of the various teachers, students, and administrators at the school. It aired from October 2000 to January 2004. Its slogan was "Every day is a fight. For respect. For dignity. For sanity."
43-518: Boston Public initially preceded Ally McBeal on Monday nights. However, Fox moved it to the Friday night death slot for its fourth season. Viewership declined as a result and it was canceled after the 13th episode aired on January 30, 2004. Production halted after the 15th episode was completed. The final two episodes aired on March 1 and 2, 2005, later in syndication on TV One . Neither episode wrapped up any character stories. The title of each episode
86-418: A Feeling " and " 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
129-426: 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
172-451: A dream that they put my face on the cover of Time magazine as 'the face of feminism'." 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 ", " Hooked on
215-433: A lyric in the song "Don't Be a Lawyer", mentions the show "No one you work with looks like Ally McBeal ". Greg Germann Gregory Andrew Germann ( / ˈ ɡ ɜːr m ə n / GUR -mən ; born February 26, 1958) is an American actor who is known for playing Richard Fish on the television series Ally McBeal , which earned him a Screen Actors Guild award. He also is known for his roles as Eric "Rico" Morrow on
258-400: A poster for wanted actors for a film in 1985. He moved to Hollywood to find film success, and got his first role in the teen comedy film, The Whoopee Boys in 1986. The supporting role in that film helped Greg's career, so he could star in bigger and mainstream films. His next film was 1990's Child's Play 2 , in which he played the character Mattson, in the well-received sequel to one of
301-525: A rebuttal witness opposite guest star Heather Locklear 's character in the episode, "Tom Dooley". 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. 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
344-433: A romantic history with one another and frequently run into former or potential romantic interests in the courtroom or on the street outside. The series had many offbeat and frequently surreal running gags and themes, such as Ally's tendency to immediately fall over whenever she met somebody she found attractive, Richard Fish's wattle fetish and humorous mottos ("Fishisms" & "Bygones"), John's gymnastic dismounts out of
387-529: 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
430-607: A supporting role as Rico on the sitcom Ned & Stacey , which lasted from 1995 to 1997. In 1997, after Ned & Stacey , Germann was offered the role as Richard Fish on the legal-comedy series Ally McBeal which he played for five seasons, from 1997 to 2002. During this time, he received three nominations for the Screen Actors Guild awards, winning one. Germann directed a few Ally McBeal episodes, including "Fear of Flirting" (season 5, episode 4). He appeared on ABC's In Case of Emergency as Sherman Yablonsky until it
473-469: 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 the actor's troubles with drug addiction. The first two seasons, as well as
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#1732854742213516-498: 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. Flockhart, Germann, MacNicol and Bellows reunited at the 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. In a third-season episode of
559-456: Is an American legal comedy drama television series created by David E. Kelley and produced by David E. Kelley Productions and 20th Century Fox Television . Kelley and Bill D'Elia were the series' executive producers. The series revolves around Calista Flockhart in the title role as a lawyer working in the Boston law firm Cage and Fish. Although ostensibly a legal drama, the main focus of
602-459: 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
645-601: The sitcom Ned & Stacey , Tom Koracick in Grey's Anatomy and as Hades in Season Five of Once Upon a Time . He started in several Broadway plays while in New York, including a role in 1982 alongside Matthew Broderick in the play Fancy This , which Germann also co-wrote. He received praise for roles in the 1982 musical Chicago , and the 1983 musical The Wizard of Oz . He continued to have roles in plays before seeing
688-524: The Bag ", received considerable airplay during the holiday season. 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 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,
731-509: The British comedy The Adam and Joe Show , the show was parodied as "Ally McSqueal" using soft toys. A 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. In a fourth season episode of
774-683: 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 Fox released the complete first season on DVD in Region 1 on October 6, 2009. They also released a special complete series edition on
817-543: 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 , and Ally McBeal herself picked "Tell Him", when told by a psychiatrist that she needed a theme song in a Season 1 episode. Due to the popularity of the show and Shepard's music, a soundtrack titled Songs from Ally McBeal
860-509: The debate sparked by the show was the June 29, 1998, cover story of 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?" 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
903-601: The episode "Canary", he briefly took over the agency while the director at the time ( Leon Vance ) was on temporary leave following a family tragedy. Germann has appeared infrequently in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit playing ADA Derek Strauss. In 2016, Germann appeared in the ABC fantasy series drama Once Upon a Time portraying Hades , the God of the Underworld, for ten episodes. He
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#1732854742213946-576: The family comedies Family Plan and Down and Derby . In 2006, he guest-starred in the series, Desperate Housewives In 2009, he starred in the Nickelodeon made-for-television musical film Spectacular! . He portrayed the role of Mr. Virgil Romano. In 2010, he played Jerry Erickson in the holiday film The Santa Incident . Germann has appeared in NCIS since the season 10 episode " Shiva ", playing NCIS Assistant Director Jerome Craig . Later, in
989-503: The fourth season which had 15 episodes due to cancellation. In The Practice episode, "The Day After" (season 5, episode 14), Kevin Riley asks Ellenor Frutt to represent him in a school board meeting when he's fired from Winslow High School, which takes place in the Boston Public episode "Chapter Thirteen" (season 1, episode 13). After Boston Public was canceled, Chi McBride reprised
1032-505: 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. 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
1075-429: 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
1118-448: 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 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
1161-491: The most popular horror films of all time. Child's Play 2 , and the 1991 romantic comedy Once Around , helped the actor gain mainstream success. In 1990, Germann originated the role of John Hinckley Jr. in Stephen Sondheim 's Assassins . After Child's Play 2 and Once Around were released, he gained fame as a character named Petey in the 1994 critical and commercial success Clear and Present Danger , and landed
1204-424: The office's unisex bathroom stalls, or the dancing twins (played by Eric & 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 series also featured regular visits to a local bar where singer Vonda Shepard regularly performed (though occasionally handing over
1247-489: 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 ,
1290-518: The role of Steven Harper on an episode of The Practice spin-off series Boston Legal in the episode "Let Sales Ring" (season 1, episode 16). Boston Public received a total of 31 nominations from various award ceremonies, and won 8 of them. Emmy Awards NAACP Image Awards Peabody Awards Young Artist Awards Emmy Awards NAACP Image Awards Television Critics Association Awards Young Artist Awards Teen Choice Awards Ally McBeal Ally McBeal
1333-488: The same day. Season 1 does not contain any special features, but the complete series set contains several bonus features, including featurettes, an all-new retrospective, the 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. Season 2 was released on April 6, 2010. Seasons 3, 4, and 5 were all released on October 5, 2010. In 1999, at
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1376-488: The series finale "Bygones", Ally leaves Cage & Fish and relocates to New York City. 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. It began airing for free on Channel 4's streaming service on August 30, 2024. Seymore Walsh,
1419-569: The series is the romantic and personal lives of the main characters. The show originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. The series 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 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1999. The series was canceled by Fox after five seasons. Potential revivals of
1462-523: The show The Good Place , the Judge hands Ted Danson 's character 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 a US judge "Even in Mauritania , we have watched Law & Order and Ally McBeal ." In a fourth season episode of the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ,
1505-463: The show have been reported twice. In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a limited series was in early development by 20th Television with Flockhart possibly returning. In August 2022, it was reported that 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. Allison Marie "Ally" McBeal begins working at
1548-411: 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 is 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
1591-577: Was a numbered chapter, similar to that in a high school textbook , and each character appeared in a given story arc , with the professional and personal lives often intersecting. Boston Public was the winner of the 2002 Peabody Award ("Chapter Thirty-Seven") from the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Boston Public ran for four seasons, consisting of 81 episodes. Each season contained 22 episodes, except
1634-421: Was also the only season of the show that failed to win any Emmy or Golden Globe awards. Ally McBeal received some criticism from TV critics and feminists who found the title character annoying and demeaning to women (specifically regarding professional women ) because of her perceived flightiness, lack of demonstrated legal knowledge, short skirts, and emotional instability. Perhaps the most notorious example of
1677-464: Was canceled after one season, and was also in the pilot episode of Eureka . He did not reprise the role, and his character's disappearance was explained in the official comic book as having been reassigned to Alaska. After Ally McBeal ended Germann starred in several films, including Down to Earth , Sweet November , and Joe Somebody , all being released in 2001. He guest-appeared twice on The Bernie Mac Show . He got lead roles in 2005 in
1720-465: Was canceled partway through its initial run. While 13 episodes of Ally were produced, only ten aired. In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a limited series was in early development by 20th Television with Flockhart possibly returning. In August 2022, it was reported that ABC was in early development of a sequel series with Karin Gist writing and executive producing. The series would follow
1763-524: 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
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1806-528: 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 . Due to music licensing issues, none of the seasons of Ally McBeal were available on DVD in the United States until 2009, though the show had been available in Italy, Belgium,
1849-434: 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 . The album received positive reviews, and Shephard's version of Kay Starr 's Christmas song " (Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with
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