Ally McBeal Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Ally McBeal is an American comedy series, which aired on FOX television network from 1997—2002.

About

Ally McBeal, played by award-winning Broadway actress Calista Flockhart ("The Birdcage," "Three Sisters"), is remarkably comfortable in the courtroom, but uneasy about various elements of her life outside...many of which will come to life in fantasy sequences, flashbacks and voiceovers.

Ally's single -- after breaking up with her long-time boyfriend, Billy Alan Thomas (Gil Bellows, "Love and A .45," "Law & Order"). Ally and Billy have been on-again, off- again since they were 7-years-old. They played "doctor" as children, became lovers as adults, and jousted over Law Review during school, especially when Ally made it and Billy didn't.

Now, circumstances have forced Ally to join a prestigious Boston firm headed by her law school nemesis, Richard Fish (Greg Germann, "Ned and Stacey"). He's a smarmy, litigious Brahmin who knows a killer lawyer when he sees one. On her first day at the office, Ally meets her new colleague: Billy...the same one! He's now married to the beautiful and engaging Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith, "Melrose Place"), whom Ally wants to dislike -- but can't -- and the two become friends. Ally and Billy now find - themselves thrown into an awkward situation, but neither wants to go away. In fact, their very real, life-long attraction for each other might just start up again.

And in unique and amusing elements, when Ally has a reaction to someone or something, the viewer will see/hear what she's really thinking in fantasy sequences. Her interior life literally comes alive -- and Ally's anything but shy; some of her innermost thoughts and opinions are doozies!

Trivia

  • Lara Flynn Boyle was one of the contenders for Ally. Calista Flockhart was one of the last people to read for the role[1]
  • Anna Gunn portrayed Georgia Thomas in the original pilot[1]

Media

A Young Lawyer and Her Fantasies (NEW YORK TIMES • SEPTEMBER 1997)
Ally McBeal (VARIETY • SEPTEMBER 1997)
ALLY TURNS A COLORBLIND EYE TO INTERRACIAL AFFAIR (SUN SENTINEL • FEBRUARY 1999)
"Ally" Makes GLAAD Mad (E! • NOVEMBER 1999)
'Ally McBeal' at 20: Calista Flockhart, David E. Kelley and More on Dancing Babies, Feminism and Robert Downey Jr. (THR • SEPTEMBER 2017)
‘Ally McBeal’ Revival With Calista Flockhart Explored By 20th Television (DEADLINE • MARCH 2021)

Videos

Notes and references

Advertisement