It’s hard to believe its been over 25 years since Ally McBeal graced our screens for the first time. Known for its quirky characters and amusing legal cases, Ally and the team at Cage and Fish gained iconic status in the late 90’s, and early 2000’s, running for 5 successful seasons.
Created by David E Kelley, and starring Calista Flockhart in the titular role, the show won many awards and there’s even a sequel series in the works. This is a testament to the longevity of the show and the legacy it left on our television screens.
The Practice
Modern television is all about universe building, with multiple shows linked to each other, and featuring crossover episodes. Think Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, or The Walking Dead and it’s many spin offs.
But this kind of thing was happening way back in the 90’s, just not as frequently as it is today. The Practice was a legal drama based around lawyer Bobby Donnell, played by Dylan McDermott. The show was created by David E Kelley and it existed in the same universe as Ally McBeal. The cast of The Practice appeared in episodes of Ally McBeal, and vice versa. It ran for 8 seasons and was entertaining throughout.
Boston Legal
James Spader won 3 consecutive Emmy’s for Outstanding Lead in a Drama series for his role as Alan Shore in David E Kelley’s hit legal comedy drama, Boston Legal. However, he first played this character in 22 episodes of The Practice. It was a set up for him to take centre stage in Boston Legal, which ran for 5 seasons.
Despite their being no direct links to Ally McBeal, they do technically exist in the same universe, and they share the same comedic sensibilities which make it a must watch for fans of Ally and co.
Suits
Suits is most famous these days for one of its stars, Meghan Markle. She was part of a brilliant ensemble cast, that also featured Gabriel Macht and Patrick J Adams. It ran for 9 seasons and was a thoroughly entertaining binge worthy show.
The show is set in a law firm so fans of Ally McBeal will feel right at home with it, especially as it features similar quirky courtroom drama. But it also heavily focusses on the personal lives of the lawyers at the firm, which was also a big part of Ally McBeal.
Goliath
A show by David E Kelley features again on this list with this criminally under-rated law drama starring Hollywood legend, Billy Bob Thornton. It ran for 4 seasons and it was a darker turn for the Ally McBeal creator.
Dexter showrunner, Clyde Phillips joined the team in season two and the show continued down the dark path set out in the first year. The ensemble cast is full of recognisable faces from movies and television, and each season improves on the one before it. Fans of the dramatic courtroom battles in Ally McBeal would get a lot out of this show. It’s a must watch.
Damages
Glenn Close was always primarily a movie star so when she moved into television with this excellent law drama, you knew that the small screen was outclassing the big screen in terms of its storytelling and production values.
She plays ruthless lawyer, Patty Hewes and each season takes on a different case, featuring a different major guest star each time. Ted Danson got to flex his dramatic acting chops with a memorable performance as billionaire, Arthur Frobisher in the debut season. He was so popular that he returned for guest spots in later seasons. It finally ran out of steam after 5 seasons, but it was a gripping watch at its peak.
Harry’s Law
Kathy Bates heads up the cast in this short lived comedy drama series by, you guessed it…David E Kelley. The man never seems to stop working and American television is richer for his presence behind the scenes.
Harry’s Law is about Harriet Korn, who has recently been fired from her job as a patent lawyer. This inspires her to form a law firm in a rundown shoe store. The show deserved the chance to flourish but was cancelled after two seasons.
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives ran for 8 seasons, and despite the quality dwindling towards the end, its still a fun show to watch throughout. It perfectly mixed the soap opera style storylines with a darker overarching mystery in each season, which appealed to a wide audience.
Events took place on the wealthy suburb of Wisteria Lane and featured a strong female cast led by The Adventures of Superman alum, Teri Hatcher. With the current trend of reboots, it’s a surprise that this show hasn’t received the update treatment, having been off the air for over 10 years now.
New Girl
Comedies don’t come much better than New Girl, and fans of Ally McBeal are bound to enjoy this story of a female teacher who moves in with 3 guys, and has to navigate the different issues in the unbalanced household.
It ran for 7 seasons and was widely praised for the use of improvisation in every episode, despite being a scripted show. The show is easily bingeable with episodes ranging between 20-25 minutes.
The Good Wife
The Good Wife ran for 7 seasons and was followed by an equally successful spin off series called The Good Fight. Not since David E Kelley’s success with his law drama’s, had their been such a strong universe created in this popular sub genre.
The story follows Alicia Florrick, a junior associate at a successful law firm, trying to get away from the scandals created by her husband. It ran on CBS, and stood out as one of the best shows they had at the time because of the serialized nature of the narrative. This was a rarity on the network and still is to this day.
Big Little Lies
It makes sense to end on a David E Kelley production, and Big Little Lies is arguably the best of the bunch. Based on the novel written by Liane Moriarty, and featuring an all star cast including Nicole Kidman, Reece Witherspoon and Laura Dern, the drama was must watch appointment television for two successful seasons.
The 1st season of the show won 8 Primetime Emmy’s, including Outstanding Limited Series, and best acting gongs for Kidman and Dern. The final season cast Meryl Streep in a key role which elevated the show to an even higher level, ensuring it maintained solid ratings and good viewing figures.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished watching Ally McBeal.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!