The Practice, which premiered on ABC on March 4, 1997, was about a small law firm in Boston, Massachusetts. Leading it was Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott) with associate attorneys Lindsay Dole (Kelli Williams), Eleanor Fruitt (Camryn Manheim), Eugene Young (Steve Harris), Rebecca Washington (Lisa Gay Hamilton), and Jimmy Berluti (Michael Badalucco). Also in the cast was Marla Sokoloff (as receptionist Lucy Hatcher) and, after the first season, Lara Flynn Boyle (as assistant district attorney Helen Gamble), and Ron Livingston (as the firm’s adversary Alan Lowe).
Although many cases were not highly political in nature, according to Wikipedia.org, “A recurring strategy used by the practice—especially Eugene—is informally known as the ‘United States of America defense,’ an appeal to patriotism that emphasizes the rights of their client as the Constitutional priorities that must be upheld by the jury.”
In Season #08, The Practice began a retooling of the series—casting James Spader and William Shatner—which brought an end to the series, with its last episode May 16, 2004, and which ushered in its replacement, Boston Legal. (Spader won three Emmys combined for that last season of The Practice and with Boston Legal. Shatner combined for two from both series.)
I could not find many videos of The Practice uploaded to YouTube. (Some that are available require a pay-per-view charge.) The above are the opening credits from Season #06.
Ally McBeal, which premiered on Fox on September 8, 1997, cast then-unknown Calista Flockhart in the title role, a dreamer of an attorney from New York City who works for the firm Cage & Fish in Boston.
In describing Ally McBeal, Wikipedia.org writes, “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 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.”
The cast of Ally McBeal also included Gil Bellows as the ex-boyfriend Ally still loved; Courtney Thorne Smith as the wife of the man; Greg Germann as the ex-classmate and the co-owner of the firm at which Ally works; Peter MacNicol as the co-owner of the firm. Other cast members included Jane Krakowski, Portia de Rossi, Lucy Liu and, for one season, Robert Downey, Jr.
I also could not find many videos of Ally McBeal which were uploaded to YouTube—at least not ones worth sharing. The one above lasts less than 30 seconds.
The Practice, in addition to above notes, won two Emmys for outstanding drama series (1998, 1999). It was an Emmy magnet. It won nine guest-acting Emmys between eligible years 1998 to 2004, winning every year for guest actor and/or guest actress: John Larroquette (1998); Edward Hermann (1999); James Whitmore and Beah Richards (2000); Michael Emerson (2001); Charles S. Dutton (2002); Alfre Woodard (2003); William Shatner and Sharon Stone (2004). James Spader won lead actor in a drama series in 2004. Camryn Manheim won supporting actress in 1998. Michael Badalucco won supporting actor in 1999. Holland Taylor, who was a recurring player (as a judge with the hots for Jimmy) won supporting actress in 1999.
Ally McBeal, by comparison, was good at getting the nominations but had an anemic showing in the high-profile categories—winning only with supporting actor in a comedy series Peter MacNicol (2001) and guest actress for Tracey Ullman (1999). Ally McBeal does get credit as the first series to win for Fox the Emmy for outstanding comedy series.
The Practice and Ally McBeal both broke ground at the Emmys, in 1999, when they were the winners for outstanding drama series and outstanding comedy series—making David E. Kelley the first series creator to win those top Emmy categories in the same year. It has not been duplicated by anyone else.
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