Created by David E. Kelly
2004 - 2008
Spin-off of the popular legal drama The Practice, Boston Legal follows the often cartoonish exploits of the law firm Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Sometimes cripplingly "comedic", the show is held together by two lead performances and the wonderful chemistry they share on screen.
From the beginning, you can tell this is a show that's trying really hard. Implementing plenty of quick cuts, fast-motion, slow-motion, but relatively few creative camera angles or other less conventional visual tricks, this editing style keeps the pace of the show quick and to-the-point. This may be a fairly standard show in many regards, but this fast-paced style and persistent comedic tone set it apart from most other legal dramas. In fact, I find it hard to even call it a drama, as it has serious moments but a majority of the show is pretty light.
Trying to find that total balance in its writing must have been difficult, and the results are indeed very uneven. Some episodes are straight cornball slapstick comedy, while others take on dark subjects with a very dour tone. This can sometimes be handled well, while other times it feels very forced. Overall, the writing has a lot of ups and downs, even more than most episodic shows of its era. This is very similar to the way the series handles its revolving door cast as well. Characters are added and dropped on a whim, with little to no planning, resolution, or fanfare. Basically, don't bother getting attached to the supporting cast.
Which leads me into the main cast. Candice Bergen is mostly pretty solid, but the obvious highlights of the show are Alan Shore and Denny Crane, played by James Spader and William Shatner, respectively. Not only are they individually compelling, but they make for one of the most entertaining pairs on television. Their political views couldn't be more different, but their complete devotion to each other and ability to put these differences aside for their friendship is not only a breath of fresh air in this current political climate, but also provides for a believable backdrop to a relationship full of ups and downs.
As I mentioned in a recent post covering James Spader, his performance here in particular is phenomenal. But since I did just write about him, I'll turn my focus on to Denny Crane, the right-wing gun enthusiast with a raging case of mad cow (or, at least, that's what he calls it). Shatner isn't a great actor, but he has a big personality that perfectly suits this character. He's loud, abrasive, cartoonish, and a total buffoon, but you can't help but to love him. He also likes to say his own name. A lot. I never really understood why.
Full of 4th wall breaking and general ridiculousness, Boston Legal was a lot of fun at its best, and pretty painful at its worst. I've tried not to go into plot details here, but a particularly cheesy chase sequence involving guest star Parker Posey alone had me questioning whether or not the rest of the show was even worth watching beyond that point. But I moved on, and the show wound up just fine. That's my overall impression, though -- it was just fine.
From the beginning, you can tell this is a show that's trying really hard. Implementing plenty of quick cuts, fast-motion, slow-motion, but relatively few creative camera angles or other less conventional visual tricks, this editing style keeps the pace of the show quick and to-the-point. This may be a fairly standard show in many regards, but this fast-paced style and persistent comedic tone set it apart from most other legal dramas. In fact, I find it hard to even call it a drama, as it has serious moments but a majority of the show is pretty light.
Trying to find that total balance in its writing must have been difficult, and the results are indeed very uneven. Some episodes are straight cornball slapstick comedy, while others take on dark subjects with a very dour tone. This can sometimes be handled well, while other times it feels very forced. Overall, the writing has a lot of ups and downs, even more than most episodic shows of its era. This is very similar to the way the series handles its revolving door cast as well. Characters are added and dropped on a whim, with little to no planning, resolution, or fanfare. Basically, don't bother getting attached to the supporting cast.
Which leads me into the main cast. Candice Bergen is mostly pretty solid, but the obvious highlights of the show are Alan Shore and Denny Crane, played by James Spader and William Shatner, respectively. Not only are they individually compelling, but they make for one of the most entertaining pairs on television. Their political views couldn't be more different, but their complete devotion to each other and ability to put these differences aside for their friendship is not only a breath of fresh air in this current political climate, but also provides for a believable backdrop to a relationship full of ups and downs.
As I mentioned in a recent post covering James Spader, his performance here in particular is phenomenal. But since I did just write about him, I'll turn my focus on to Denny Crane, the right-wing gun enthusiast with a raging case of mad cow (or, at least, that's what he calls it). Shatner isn't a great actor, but he has a big personality that perfectly suits this character. He's loud, abrasive, cartoonish, and a total buffoon, but you can't help but to love him. He also likes to say his own name. A lot. I never really understood why.
Full of 4th wall breaking and general ridiculousness, Boston Legal was a lot of fun at its best, and pretty painful at its worst. I've tried not to go into plot details here, but a particularly cheesy chase sequence involving guest star Parker Posey alone had me questioning whether or not the rest of the show was even worth watching beyond that point. But I moved on, and the show wound up just fine. That's my overall impression, though -- it was just fine.
My grade: C
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