Question: Is your idea of a vacation walking around the National Stationery Show at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center? Don't deny it, I saw you there on Sunday. Now how 'bout some Boston Legal casting scoop for next season? Every year, they discard most of the "below the marquee" talent.
Answer: Stationery show? I don't know what you're talking about. I already told you, I had a family emergency. You probably just saw someone with bushy eyebrows and assumed it was me. Now, regarding Boston Legal, the only "locks" for next season are James Spader and, surprisingly, Christian Clemenson. There are no deals currently in place for William Shatner or Candice Bergen to return, but everyone expects that to change in the next few weeks. As for the rest of the cast — or the "below the marquee" talent, as you so aptly put it — they should proba
read more
American Idol by Michael Becker/Fox
Ratings highlights for Wednesday, May 21:• American Idol's Season 7 finale kicked off the night with 24.73 million total viewers and announced its winner at 10:01 pm to 36.34 mil — averaging 30.6 mil across the two-hour run. That represents a nearly four percent increase over last year's final results show. Got a question for me to ask either David next week during their on-video visits? Share it here.• Criminal Minds wrapped up its season with 13 million viewers, a 300K week-to-week gain.• CSI: NY closed its season and won the 10 o'clock hour with 11.7 mil. Law & Order's finale drew 8.45 mil, while Boston Legal said buh-bye (for now) to 6.36 mil.Related:• Did your DVR drop Idol's finale moments? Watch them here.
read more
Surviving the Filthy Rich by Joseph Viles/The CW
In one of those last-minute instances that occur in a network scheduling session, someone at the CW decided to change the title from one of its new series from How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls to Surviving the Filthy Rich.
read more
Lenny Clarke, Jason O'Mara, Rachelle Lefevre and Colm Meaney in Life on Mars by Kevin Foley/ABC
ABC has announced their new fall schedule and it looks promising. (That's right, no shows based on Geico commercials!) Let's break down the schedule starting with new shows. — Erin FoxNew ABC Series• Life on Mars (airing Thursdays at 10 pm/ET)David E. Kelley's version of the BBC series, it revolves around a modern-day police detective (Jason O'Mara) who, after a car crash, mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a cop.• Opportunity Knocks (Tuesdays at 8)This game show is going on the road, arriving the doorsteps of everyday Americans to test how well they know their family. The mobile team will stop by any small town in America in a semi that is flush with flat-screen TVs, new furniture and cash prizes that the family can win right there.New Midseason Series• The Goode FamilyMike Judge brings ABC this animated series about a family obsessed with doing the "right" thing, whether it's environmentally, politically or socially. Their ...
read more
Boston Legal by Scott Garfield/ABC
ABC has ordered another round of Boston Legal, sending the legal dramed back into session this fall for a fifth season.Doing so is believed to bring closer a series pickup for ABC's Jason O'Mara-fronted port of the BBC series Life on Mars, which to date has been shephered by Boston Legal boss David E. Kelley. — MWMMore Fall TV coverage:• CW Officially Picks Up 90210 • Fox's Death Lives On, Back to You Won't Be Back• Fox's New Amsterdam Immortal No More • CW Axes Aliens in America
read more
Question: As a Boston Legal fan from day one, I was utterly astonished by last week's "The Mighty Rogues" episode. I was astounded at the way the show flawlessly managed to weave from comedic (Nantucket attempting to build a nuclear bomb) to moving (Alan's speech about Denny and dealing with the very real possibility that he may one day have to make the decision about killing him) to the ending, which had me crying my eyes out at Shirley and her father. Although Boston Legal is always brilliant, I was blown away by the writing in this episode. And as a believer that the Alan/Denny relationship is one of the best on television, I really saw that shine through, especially during the balcony scene. The episode, I believe, should be the winner of the best one-hour drama Emmy this year. What are your thoughts on the episode and what do you think of its Emmy chances?
Answer: The Emmys love Boston Legal. I do not. As I noted in my recent Dispatch, which dealt primarily with this week's
...
read more
William Shatner and James Spader in Boston Legal by Richard Cartwright/ABC
However much some of us tend to wring our hands about it, there’s a reason ABC’s Boston Legal scores those Emmy nominations year after year that often make us wonder what the voters are smoking. Several of those Emmy-bait moments occurred a week ago, in an episode about a right-to-die case involving Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen) and her father suffering from Alzheimer dementia, with Alan Shore (James Spader) making his usual impassioned case for his client. What made this argument more affecting than usual was the fact that Alan used his soapbox to contemplate the day when he might eventually be called on to make just such a terrible decision regarding the fate of his best friend, that tragic buffoon Denny Crane (William Shatner.)The speech was an emotional blockbuster, and so was the tender climax as Shirley watched her father slip away. Scenes like this help convince Emmy voters that this show really is something, to paraphrase someone talking about Alan in tonight...
read more
James Tupper and Anne Heche in Men in Trees by Michael Courtney/ABC
Some head-scratching is in order upon looking at ABC's latest round of midseason shuffling. On one hand, I get why the network would try to give Women’s Murder Club some exposure on a night that isn’t Friday. But in announcing its return with three new episodes on Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET, starting April 29, you can’t help but wonder if the show is being given a favor after all. This scheduling puts it head-to-head against NBC’s powerful Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which you’d think targets much of the same audience. Not only that, but April 29 is the night SVU airs its 200th episode, featuring Robin Williams as a guest villain. (And it has been previously announced that Mariska Hargitay will be getting a steady boyfriend in Bill Pullman, adding even more juice to this already potent franchise.)Quick check of tea leaves. Yep. SVU is going to murder Club first night out.The return of Women’s Murder Club shifts Boston Legal to Wednesdays at 10 pm/E...
read more
Women's Murder Club by Gale Adler/ABC
ABC has set an April 29 return date for Women's Murder Club, which has three fresh episodes to burn off. WMC's Tuesday-at-10 time slot effectively bumps Boston Legal to Wednesdays at 10 as of April 30, which in turn trims Men in Trees from the network's schedule for several weeks. Trees is expected to resume its oft-resuming second season on Wednesday, May 28.What's your take? The same sad story for Trees, or did it not have any "momentum" to lose?Check out our Returning Favorites guide for previews, photos and videos of more than 40 shows!For more on ABC's scheduling decision, read the Roush Dispatch.
read more
Returns Tuesday April 8 at 10 pmET ABCNumber of new episodes 6Where we left off Denny and Alan limped through Coast Guard training while Carl transferred from the Manhattan officeWhats next In the first episode Alan teams with Jerry Espenson Christian Clemenson on the case of a murder incited by tabloid TV Later Shirley defends a vet arrested for killing seals for food Bombs away Sack will lose some dignity when he represents the island of Nantucket which tries to buy plutonium to build its own nuclear deviceWatch video clips | Photos | More Returning Favorites coverage
read more
