Product Description

Led by an Emmy Award-winning cast (James Spader, Denny Crane and Candice Bergen), "Boston Legal" tells the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Fast-paced and darkly comedic, the series confronts social and moral issues, while its characters continually stretch the boundaries of the law.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #360 in DVD
• Brand: Boston
• Released on: 2006-05-23
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: English, French
• Number of discs: 5
• Dimensions: .75 pounds
• Running time: 739 minutes

Amazon.com
The classic combination of James Spader and William Shatner is just one of many reasons to savor the inaugural 17-episode season of Boston Legal. Making its highly rated ABC debut on October 3, 2004, this darkly comedic spinoff from The Practice looked like a formulaic reworking of creator David E. Kelley's previously successful series Ally McBeal, with similar plots and quirky characters enmeshed in personal and professional affairs of the heart at the prestigious Boston law firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. It quickly became apparent that Kelley, co-executive producer Bill D'Elia, and the show's magnificent ensemble cast were onto something equally fresh, funny, and infectiously entertaining.

Red Carpet Video: The Boston Legal cast gives Amazon.com some behind-the-scenes scoop and recommends their favorite DVDs and music. High |Low

Both Shatner and Spader won Emmys for their original roles on The Practice, and the priceless pairing of the erratic, egomaniacal senior partner Denny Crane (Shatner, doing the best work of his career) and ethically challenged attorney Alan Shore (Spader, likewise) signaled the arrival of one of the finest comedic duos in TV history. Waging a two-man war on political correctness, the boisterous has-been Denny loves the sound of his own name (the mere mention of "Denny Crane" qualifies as ego-stroking foreplay), unabashedly subjects female associates to his lascivious advances, and (in creator Kelley's words) "trades on the currency of his reputation" as an undefeated trial attorney. As the show's fascinating heart and soul, Alan Shore is a walking contradiction, and Spader plays him perfectly as a charismatic, self-loathing lothario who'll bend the law to suit his higher purposes. Deeply cynical yet fiercely committed to his own complex and compassionate moral code, he's brazenly open about his sexual appetites as he savors the affections of smart, sexy associates Sally Heep (Lake Bell), and Tara Wilson (Rhona Mitra), whose relationship with Shore grows strained as the season progresses.

While senior partner Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonois), senior associate and ex-Marine Brad Chase (Mark Valley), and junior associate Lori Colson (Monica Potter) struggle to maintain the firm's lofty reputation, the appearance of founding partner Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen) elevates Boston Legal to an even higher plane of serio-comic perfection. A former flame of Denny Crane's, Schmidt arrives in episode 11 (appropriately titled "Schmidt Happens") as common-sense negotiator with a rapier wit and a clanking pair of big brass cojones, fully capable of holding her own against the Crane/Shore juggernaut. And while "An Eye for an Eye" (episode 5) is a sublime example of Boston Legal's deft combination of lunacy and courtroom complexity, it's the deeper implications of episodes like "Tortured Souls" (15) and season finale "Death Be Not Proud" (tackling a dubious death sentence in Texas) that cast these rich and wonderful characters into sharper relief, baring their souls and the courage of their convictions.

With surprising departures (Lake Bell, in episode 13), new arrivals (Kerry Washington, as new associate Chelina Hall, in episode 15) and stellar guest stars including Larry Miller (as the eccentrically unstable founding partner Edwin Poole), Philip Baker Hall, Frances Fisher, Carl Reiner, Freddie Prinze Jr., Shelley Long, and late-season regular Betty White, Boston Legal gained a large and loyal following with exceptional writing, timely social relevance, and that rare quality of chemistry that guarantees long-term appeal. Nowhere is this more apparent than the now-famous Spader/Shatner "balcony scenes" that quickly became an episode-closing tradition, with staunch Republican Denny Crane and passionate Democrat Alan Shore reflecting upon their careers, current issues, and their own devoted friendship over brandy and cigars. With these two actors together, virtually every episode ends on a high note of pensive introspection, and Boston Legal becomes even greater than the sum of its parts. DVD extras are minimal (two featurettes with cast and producers, plus deleted scenes from episode 1) but enjoyably worthwhile. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Legal Reality
I've been a Judge for the past 12 years. Often when selecting a jury the attorneys will ask the jurors "who watches Boston Legal?" Attorneys laugh and say "well this is not TV this is reality." I want to jump off the bench and yell "so is much of Boston Legal", but I can't. Boston Legal is a real hoot. For any attoney who has worked in a large law firm you can see many of the same people you work with in the Boston Legal characters. Denny Crane is the man and I can assure you that many of his likes exist in the legal system. They are a royal pain to Judges. You either love them or dislike them. Great story lines and wonderful casting keeps this Judge smiling.

2nd season has a Peabody Award!!
A Peabody award for 2nd season and rightly so!! I'm 65 and beside West Wing and Commander In Chief (both going off the air, I guess) this show is always a don't miss and if it's a repeat, watch it again. I often fall asleep before I can finish it due to the many commercial interruptions so I gave up and tape all the shows now and watch again with the fast forward button for those annoying commercials. GREAT SHOW!!! The entire cast is superb but Spader and Shatner are the stars just because of their chemistry and the GREAT WRITING!! Can't wait for the second season to come out on DVD as well! I don't buy TV shows, except for the British "Keeping Up Appearances" but this is a definite purchase!!! Can't wait to get it and watch the entire first season without interruption!!

Without question, network television's greatest show.
This show gets better and better and better each week (each minute). And that's a frightening thought, since it started out so good in the first place. In each episode, they find a way to touch you intellectually and emotionally - culminating in the brilliant balcony epilogues with Denny and Alan. I'd love to see a feature on the dvd sets where you can play all of those balcony epilogues in a row. This show is a creative milestone and deserves to be rewarded as such. (and thank God somebody finally figured out how to write for Shatner. Denny Crane is his crowning achievement, the best work he's ever done -- and yet he makes it look so easy.) Buy the dvds, catch up, and then get in on this show now, before someone stupid cancels it.