David E. Kelley
Kelley and Michelle Pfeiffer at the 47th Emmy Awards in 1994
Born	April 4, 1956 (1956-04-04) (age 52) Waterville, Maine
Occupation	Writer, producer, lawyer
Spouse(s)	Michelle Pfeiffer (1993-present)

David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is a multi-Emmy award winning American writer, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, and Boston Legal. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms The primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( IPA: /mɪˈʃɛl ˈfаɪfɜr/ born April 29 1958 is an American Actress. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U Picket Fences is a 60-minute television drama centering around the residents of the fictional community of Rome Wisconsin. Chicago Hope is an American Emmy Award -winning CBS Medical drama series created by David E The Practice is a American Legal drama created by David E Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 Boston Public is an American Television series created by David E Boston Legal is an American Legal drama - Comedy created by David E He has also written several film scripts. Kelley's shows are renowned for their whimsical, occasionally surreal comedic touches, as well as moments of seriousness.

Early life

Born in Waterville, Maine, raised in Belmont, Massachusetts and attended the Belmont Hill School. Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a Suburb of Boston. Belmont Hill School is an all-boys school located on a 23-acre campus in Belmont, a suburb of Boston Massachusetts. Kelley was the son of a hockey coach^[1] and played the game himself. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. He was captain of the team at Princeton University, from which he graduated in 1979 with a degree in politics. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ^[2]

Demonstrating early on a creative and quirky bent, in his junior year at Princeton, Kelley submitted a paper for a political science class about John F. Kennedy's plot to kill Fidel Castro as a poem. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until ^[3] For his senior thesis, he turned the Bill of Rights into a play. A dissertation (also called thesis or disquisition) is a document that presents the author's Research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature In the United States the Bill of Rights is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known "I made each amendment into a character," he said. "The First Amendment is a loudmouth guy who won't shut up. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress The Second Amendment guy, all he wanted to talk about was his gun collection. The Second Amendment (Amendment II to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the pre-existing Then the 10th Amendment, the one where they say leave the rest for the states to decide, he was a guy with no self-esteem. The Tenth Amendment ( Amendment X) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, "^[2] Also while at Princeton, he was a member of the Princeton Triangle Club. The Princeton Triangle Club is a theater troupe at Princeton University. ^[4]

He graduated with a law degree from Boston University where he wrote comedy sketches for the annual follies. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. He began working for a Boston law firm, mostly dealing with real estate and minor criminal cases. In 1983, while considering it only a hobby, Kelley began writing a screenplay, a legal thriller, which was optioned in 1986 and later became the Judd Nelson feature film From the Hip in 1987. The thriller is a broad Genre of Literature, Film, Gaming and Television. Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28 1959 is an American Actor. From the Hip, is a 1987 comedy film directed by Bob Clark from a screenplay by Bob Clark and David E ^[2][5]

Television work

L. A. Law (1986–1994)

In 1986, Steven Bochco was searching for writers with a law background for his new NBC legal series, L.A. Law. Steven Ronald Bochco (born December 16, 1943) is an American Television producer and writer The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's LA Law is an American television Legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1994. His agent sent him Kelley's movie script for From the Hip. Enthusiastic, Bochco made him a writer and story editor for the show. Story editor is a job title in television series production A story editor is a member of the production team of scripted television series usually dramas and comedies During this first year, Kelley kept his law office in Boston as a hedge. However, his involvement in the show only expanded. In the second year, he became executive story editor and co-producer. Finally, in 1989, Bochco stepped away from the series making Kelley the executive producer. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production ^[5] While executive producer, Kelley received two Emmys for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series and the show received the award for Outstanding Drama Series for both years. The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American Primetime Television This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951 ^[6] For the first five seasons he was involved with the show, he wrote or co-wrote two out of three episodes. Kelley left after the fifth season in 1991 and ratings began to fall. As Newsday's TV critic wrote, "The difference between good and bad L. Newsday is a daily Tabloid -size Pulitzer Prize winning Newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City A. Law . . . was David Kelley. "^[7] Midway through the sixth season, both Bochco and Kelley were brought in as creative consultants after the show received bad press about its decline in quality. Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to Screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie Screenplay. ^[8]

Picket Fences (1992–1996)

By 1992, after co-creating Doogie Howser, M.D. with his mentor Bochco, Kelley formed his own production company, David E Kelley Productions, making a three-series deal with CBS. Doogie Howser MD is a Television Comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a brilliant teenage doctor who was also faced with the CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. ^[9] Its first creation, Picket Fences, airing in 1992 and influenced by Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure,^[10] focused on the police department in the quirky town of Rome, Wisconsin. Picket Fences is a 60-minute television drama centering around the residents of the fictional community of Rome Wisconsin. Twin Peaks is a Television Serial drama that follows the investigation of the brutal murder of popular respected Teenager and homecoming queen Northern Exposure is a Dramedy series. It was created by Brand - Falsey Productions which was recognized with a rare pair of consecutive Kelley took on the role of writing most of the episodes for the first three years. ^[11] The show was critically acclaimed but never found a sizable audience. ^[12] Picket Fences went on for four years, receiving a total of 14 Emmy awards including back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series for its first and second seasons. The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American Primetime Television This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951 ^[6]

In 1995, the fourth and final season, Kelley stopped writing episodes. "We had almost 10 writers try to come in and take over for this one man," said Holly Marie Combs who played a character on the show. Holly Marie Combs Donoho (born December 3 1973) is an American Actress. "The quality was not nearly what it was. "^[13]

Chicago Hope (1994–2000)

Under pressure from CBS to develop a second series even though Kelley didn't feel ready to produce the two shows simultaneously,^[14] Kelley's medical drama, Chicago Hope, starring Mandy Patinkin and Adam Arkin, premiered in 1994. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Chicago Hope is an American Emmy Award -winning CBS Medical drama series created by David E Mandy Patinkin ( (born November 30, 1952) is an American actor of stage and screen and a Tenor vocalist Adam Arkin (born August 19, 1956) by playwright Donald Margulies. ^[15] Airing at the same time as the season's other new medical drama, NBC's ER, the ultimate ratings leader,^[16] Chicago Hope plotted "upscale medicine in a high-tech world run by high-priced doctors. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's ER is an Emmy Award -winning American Medical drama series created by Novelist Michael Crichton and airing on "^[17] During its six-year run, it won seven Emmys,^[6] generally high critical praise but only middling ratings. The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American Primetime Television ^[18]

Originally intending to write only the first several episodes in order to return full time to Picket Fences, Kelley eventually wrote most of the material for both shows -- a total of roughly 40 scripts. Expressing a desire to focus more on his production company and upcoming projects, Kelley ceased day-to-day involvement with both series in 1995, allowing others to write and produce. ^[19] Towards the end of the fifth season in 1999, facing cancellation, Kelley fired all cast members added since he had left the show, brought back Mandy Patinkin and began writing episodes again. Mandy Patinkin ( (born November 30, 1952) is an American actor of stage and screen and a Tenor vocalist ^[20]

The Practice (1997–2004)

In 1995, Kelley entered into a five year deal with 20th Century Fox Television to produce shows for both the ABC and FOX television networks, each agreeing to take two series. Twentieth Century Fox Television Inc (on-logo as 20th Century Fox Television) is the television production division of the 20th Century Fox movie studio a subsidiary The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. If one network passed on a project, the other got first refusal. Right of first refusal (ROFR or RFR is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something according to specified terms before Kelley retained full creative control. Artistic control or Creative Control is a term commonly used in media production such as Movies, Television, and Music production. ^[21] Ally McBeal on FOX and The Practice on ABC were the first two projects to come from this deal. Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 The Practice is a American Legal drama created by David E Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston ^[22]

Premiering as a midseason replacement for the 1996-1997 season, The Practice was Kelley's chance to write another courtroom drama but one focusing on the less glamorous realities of a small law firm. In North American (American/Canadian television a midseason replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional Television season, usually ^[12] Receiving critical applause (along with two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series) but low ratings in its starting seasons, it eventually became a popular top 10 program. The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American Primetime Television This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951 ^[23] The New York Times described the show as "the profoundly realistic, unending battle between soul-searching and ambition". ^[24]

During the first two years of the series, Kelley was the sole full-time writer. He felt that, at first, the show creator can best flesh out the characters in a "voice-specific show. Writer's voice is a literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an Author. " Later, the writing staff would grow to 10, most with law degrees. ^[25] By the fifth season, he worked on the final script and was generally not on the set during filming. ^[26]

In 2003, due to sagging ratings, ABC cut Kelley's budget in half for the eighth and final season. He responded by firing most of the cast and hiring James Spader for the role of Alan Shore,^[27] who the New York Times described as "a lecherous, twisted antitrust lawyer with a breezy disregard for ethics. James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is a three time Emmy Award -winning During his early education he attended The Pike School (where Alan Shore is a Fictional character on the Television series Boston Legal, played by James Spader. "^[28] The final episodes of The Practice were focused on introducing the new characters from his next show, Boston Legal. Boston Legal is an American Legal drama - Comedy created by David E

Ally McBeal (1997–2002)

When Ally McBeal, Kelley's first genuine and influential hit, premiered in 1997 on FOX, Kelley was also shepherding his other two shows, Chicago Hope and The Practice, although he was not actively participating in Chicago Hope at the time. Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 Chicago Hope is an American Emmy Award -winning CBS Medical drama series created by David E The Practice is a American Legal drama created by David E Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston ^[20] The title character, Ally, is a young, attractive, impulsive, Harvard-educated lawyer, described by a New York Times journalist as "stylish, sexy, smart, opinionated and an emotional wreck. "^[29] In contrast to The Practice and its idealistic lawyers, the law firm in Ally McBeal was founded to make money. ^[30]

The New York Times felt that the show uniquely emphasized "character and caricature. "^[24] The show lasted five seasons, seven Emmys (one for Outstanding Comedy Series for its second season), mostly positive reviews and a barrage of criticism for its portrayal of women, with many journalists saying that the character Ally was a giant step backwards. The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American Primetime Television This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951 ^[31]

Parallel to The Practice, Kelley penned all the scripts for the first season, then brought in other writers in subsequent years. ^[25]

Boston Public (2000–2004)

In 2000, 20th Century Fox Television extended its arrangement with Kelley. Twentieth Century Fox Television Inc (on-logo as 20th Century Fox Television) is the television production division of the 20th Century Fox movie studio a subsidiary ^[32] The deal, which ran for six years, reportedly made Kelley the highest paid producer in TV history -- up to $40 million a year -- in return for a first-look at his projects. A first look deal is an arrangement usually in the Film industry, where either a company or in some cases an individual enters into a commercial agreement ^[33]

Premiering on FOX in 2000, Boston Public, which follows the lives of teachers and administrators at a Boston high school, joined The Practice and Ally McBeal for the season meaning Kelley was responsible for writing or overseeing 67 episodes. Boston Public is an American Television series created by David E The Practice is a American Legal drama created by David E Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 ^[23]

The program initially considered a modest hit but received less than glowing reviews. The previous season, Kelley stumbled with both the short lived Snoops, his first attempt at delegating most of the responsibilities to others and with Ally, the experiment with 30 minute shortened episodes of Ally McBeal. Snoops was a 1999 Comedy-drama Television series created by David E Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 The TV critic from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram opined that these failures and the weaknesses he saw in Boston Public were a sign that Kelley had lost the Midas touch. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major US daily Newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area In Greek mythology, Midas or King Midas (in Greek Μίδας is popularly remembered for his ability to turn everything he touched into Gold ^[34] The show lasted four seasons, garnering one minor Emmy.

Boston Legal (2004–present)

In addition to Snoops, Kelley continued to have a string of unsuccessful series: girls club in 2002, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire in 2003, the reality show The Law Firm in 2005. Snoops was a 1999 Comedy-drama Television series created by David E Girls Club was a short-lived 2002 American Television series created by David E The Brotherhood of Poland NH was a short lived drama series created by David E Reality television is a genre of Television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations documents actual events and usually features ordinary The Law Firm was an hour-long Reality television series that premiered on NBC on July 28, 2005. All the while, he continued overseeing Boston Public and The Practice.

Boston Legal on ABC, premiering in 2004, gave continuity and success to the Kelley franchise. Boston Legal is an American Legal drama - Comedy created by David E The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. It is a spin-off of his long-running legal drama The Practice. It follows attorney Alan Shore (a character introduced during the last season of The Practice, played by James Spader) to his new law firm, Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Alan Shore is a Fictional character on the Television series Boston Legal, played by James Spader. James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is a three time Emmy Award -winning During his early education he attended The Pike School (where Crane Poole & Schmidt is a fictional law firm based in Boston Massachusetts, which is the setting of the ABC TV show Boston Legal It also stars veteran television actors Candice Bergen and William Shatner. Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe - and Emmy Award -winning American William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning Critically popular with less than spectacular ratings (ranked 27th for the first season,^[35] 46th for the second^[36]), the show has received four Emmys.

In 2007, Boston Legal began to see a rise of viewership as a result of it following ABC's extremely popular Dancing with the Stars series, mostly ranking either first or second most watched program of the evening in its ten o'clock time period, beating out CBS and NBC's shows. Dancing with the Stars is a Reality show airing on American Broadcasting Company in the United States. The show's third season finale dominated other network's shows. ^[37]

Recent projects

His most recent new series, The Wedding Bells, began airing at the beginning of 2007 and canceled after only seven episodes. The Wedding Bells is a short-lived American Television Comedy-drama that debuted on FOX on March 7, 2007 ^[38] Kelley is working on an Americanized version of the BBC show Life on Mars for the 2007-2008 season on ABC, an adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's Hollywood Station, and a single-camera comedy about a jury for FOX. Life on Mars is an American television series aired by ABC and co-produced by 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios, about a New York The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh Jr (born January 22, 1937, in East Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is an American writer known for his fictional and non-fictional The single-camera setup (aka single-camera mode of production is a method of shooting films and television programs ^[39]

Methods

Writing

Kelley, using a heavy metal Bic ballpoint and yellow legal pad, writes his first drafts longhand. Société Bic is a company based in Clichy, France, founded in 1945 best known for making Disposable products including Cigarette lighters A ballpoint pen ( Hungarian: golyóstoll also Eponymously known in British English and Australian English as a biro and ˈbaɪroʊ He easily churns out scripts in two to four days, initially working without collaboration, finding it faster and easier than trying to explain what he wants to others. ^[3]

Kelley was criticized for not delegating. A Picket Fences writer described his time on the show as "the most boring period of my life -- you'd write a scene . . . [and Kelley would] rewrite it completely. Or he just cut you out completely -- you learned nothing. Having a writing staff was a needless expense for the network. "^[40] Later, he became more comfortable bringing in writers for ideas and taking over the writing responsibilities. ^[25] Kelley described this as a natural evolution:

Story elements

Kelley structures his episodes with multiple storylines. Mythos (Aristotle In literature the plot comprises all the events in a story particularly rendered towards the achievement of some particular Artistic or Emotional An episode may include a self-contained sub-plot plus other story arcs that either began in a previous episode or will continue subsequently -- some will continue the entire season. A subplot, sometimes referred to as a "B story" or a "C story" and so on is a secondary plot strand that is auxiliary to the main plot A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as Television, Comic books Comic strips The viewer, thereby, is rarely sure whether what appears as a simple incident will blossom into a major plot point. In Television and Film, a plot point is a significant Event within a plot that digs into the action and spins it around in another direction ^[41]

Kelley seeds his plots with political, social and religious "hot-button" issues. Mythos (Aristotle In literature the plot comprises all the events in a story particularly rendered towards the achievement of some particular Artistic or Emotional One method is by introducing provocative legal cases. Episodes have covered the gamut of contemporary issues from the culpability of tobacco companies and gun makers to assisted-suicide crusaders. ^[42] Another way is by undergirding the character's social interrelationships with serious explorations of (say) feminism, homosexuality or divorce. ^[43] Instead of lessons, Kelley strives to "raise moral and ethical questions without easy answers. "^[44] He avoids a didactic narrative by not losing sight of the audience's desire to be entertained. Didacticism is an artistic philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities in Literature and other types of Art. ^[45] He states,

Instead of taking clear stands on issues such as, say, sexual harassment, Kelley creates scenarios meant to challenge audience preconceptions. For instance, an episode of Ally McBeal dealt with a female employee suing for sexual harassment because she noticed that other, "prettier" women were being promoted. There was no clearly explicit point-of-view. Perspective in theory of Cognition is the choice of a context or a Reference (or the result of this choice from which to Sense, Categorize ^[3]

Using humor and the surreal, mixing tragedy and farce, Kelley described his strategy this way,

In Ally McBeal, Kelley utilized two techniques: the voice-over, providing an interior monologue for the titular character and Walter Mitty-like fantasy sequences (ala Dream On, as critics have noted) that gave humorous, often ironic portrayal of these thoughts. The term voice-over refers to a production technique where a non-diagetic voice is broadcast live or pre-recorded in Radio, Television, Film, Internal monologue, also known as inner voice, internal speech, or stream of consciousness is Thinking in Words It also refers Walter Mitty is a Fictional character in James Thurber 's short story " The Secret Life of Walter Mitty " first published in The New Yorker Dream On is a cult American adult Situation comedy about Martin Tupper a dreamer whose life is full of colorful characters ^[47][48][49]

Crossover episodes

Kelley frequently crossed the cast of different shows. One crossover program event (which uniquely crossed networks also) involved characters from Kelley's Ally McBeal on the Fox network appearing on his ABC show, The Practice, and, in turn, The Practice characters appeared on Ally McBeal. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. This was done in spite of the two shows' different tones (one a comedy, the other a drama). ^[50] This crossover was partially credited for raising the ratings for The Practice which it sustained. ^[23]

Subsequently, Kelley repeated this stunt with Boston Public and Ally McBeal. Many other crossovers occurred including shows not created by Kelley. ^[50]

Casting

David E. Kelley's shows tend to be revolving door ensemble casts with no single principal character. Even on Ally McBeal there were episodes in which the title character had few lines or was even omitted. Kelley has a tendency to focus on newer characters he creates, sometimes at the expense of older characters. (New character Alan Shore, for example, completely dominated the final season of The Practice. Alan Shore is a Fictional character on the Television series Boston Legal, played by James Spader. The Practice is a American Legal drama created by David E Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston ) In the most extreme cases, older characters of Kelley's series sometimes disappear without explanation or further mention; this tendency has been cited as one potentially contributing cause to dips in the ratings for Ally McBeal, Boston Public, and The Practice. Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 Boston Public is an American Television series created by David E The Practice is a American Legal drama created by David E Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston

Kelley often uses regular actors from older shows in newer shows, and vice versa. For example, Anthony Heald and Rene Auberjonois both played judges on The Practice, and both went on to be regular cast members in later shows (Heald on Boston Public as a vice-principal and Auberjonois on Boston Legal as a partner at a law firm). Anthony Heald (born August 25, 1944) is an American Actor known for portraying Hannibal Lecter 's smarmy jail nemesis Dr René Murat Auberjonois (born June 1 1940) is a American actor known for portraying Father

Critiques

Legal profession

The Practice was considered more accurate in its portrayal of the law than L. A. Law or Ally McBeal. The importance of legal strategy sometimes at the expense of the truth rang true. One attorney said, "[I]t's really about the tactics and the mistakes that opposing counsel makes. " Judges were represented as complex, less-than-perfect human beings, sometimes with emotional problems. Plots demonstrated how a defendant's personality would impact the adjudication of a case. ^[51] Stuart Levine of Variety said, "[The Practice] isn't afraid to paint the firm's clients as the dregs of society. Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman "^[12] Kelley said,

Other aspects of the legal profession in Kelley's shows have been criticized as unrealistic. Attorneys complained that:

• Ex parte meetings (where lawyers meet in a judge's chambers without opposing counsel present) do not happen,
• Judges would not allow attorneys to badger or attack witnesses,
• His shows overplayed prosecutorial and law enforcement misconduct, and
• Many of the cases would never have made it to trial. Ex parte is a Latin legal term meaning "from (by or for one party" (ɛks ˈpɑrteɪ or /ɛks ˈpɑrti/ in English A judge's chambers - often just called his or her chambers - is the office of a Judge. ^[51]

Women

When the program Ally McBeal first ran, many women lauded its portrayal of the lead character. Sharon Waxman, writing for the Washington Post, commented that Kelley had a keen insight into the human nature of both men and women. Sharon Waxman is an American journalist who has been a corresondent for The Washington Post and The New York Times, among others Quoting Dyan Cannon in the article, "This man understands the way a woman thinks, . Dyan Cannon (born Samille Diane Friesen on January 4 1937) is an American Film and Television actress, . . the complex ways we've found to hide our fears. "^[3] A New York Times writer used the character as an example of a strong television woman's role,^[52] another saw herself, at times, in the character's portrayal of self-absorption and reflection, her crafted neuroses, her vulnerabilities. ^[49]

Later, however, much press coverage was spent on the controversial nature of women in Ally McBeal. Time featured a cover story about the decline of feminism with a picture of Ally (among a pantheon of feminist heroes) on the cover. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and ^[53] In the article, Ginia Bellafante used the McBeal character as a modern exemplar proving that "[M]uch of feminism has devolved into the silly. Ginia Bellafante (born March 31 1965 is an American writer and critic primarily for the New York Times. "^[54] In response, the author Erica Jong felt that the Time journalist diminished her argument by using only pop-cultural references and ignoring the majority of real world women who have made significant progress. Erica Jong (née Mann born March 26, 1942, in New York City, New York) is an American Author and Teacher. ^[55]

Writing in Salon.com, Joyce Millman disputed that Ally McBeal should even be described as a "women's show" -- that its representations of women were, in fact, a male fantasy. Saloncom, part of Salon Media Group ( often just called Salon, is an online She felt that Kelley's treated his female characters "sadistically" in general, beginning all the way back to L. A. Law, saving only The Practice for positive remarks. ^[42]

What can't be denied is that Kelley's Ally McBeal was hugely successful in attracting the 18-to-34-year-old women audience demographic. Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government Marketing or opinion research or the Demographic profiles The New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd, quoted two young, professional women saying they liked shows with female characters like themselves, single, even obsessed. Maureen Dowd (born January 14, 1952) is a Washington DC -based Columnist for The New York Times. Quoting the executive producer of Law & Order, Dick Wolf, "I think there is a wish-fulfillment factor when you put an attractive woman in a situation where she is doing real, adult stuff. Law & Order is an American Police procedural and Legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf. Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) usually billed as simply Dick Wolf, is one of American television's most respected drama series "^[56]

Public education

Samuel G. Freedman, a professor of journalism at Columbia University, writing in the New York Times, praises Kelley's series Boston Public as an attempt to both reflect and change public opinion about public education, particularly the urban, overcrowded, underfinanced variety. Samuel G Freedman is a journalist and currently a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. He liked the realism of the setting, the mixed ethnicity of the faculty and (ofttimes antipathetic) student body and the bureaucratic struggles. He lambasted Kelley, though, for pandering to stereotypes of teachers and students and for failing to show successful teaching strategies. ^[57]

Medicine

In the New York Times, Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, felt that medical dramas such as Kelley's Chicago Hope do a good job of addressing bioethical issues such as who should receive a liver transplant or when should a patient be allowed to die. Arthur L Caplan PhD, is Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Bioethics is the philosophical study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in Biology and Medicine. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. A medical drama is a Television Drama in which events center upon a Hospital, an ambulance staff or any medical environment Bioethics is the philosophical study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in Biology and Medicine. However, there is a lack of discussion concerning the primary money issue: "How do people pay for this?"^[58] The show has been criticized for presenting a one-sided view of managed care, portraying HMOs as dramatically evil glossing over the complexities. The term " managed care " is used to describe a variety of techniques intended to reduce the cost of providing health benefits and improve the quality of care ("managed care "HMO" redirects here For other uses see HMO (disambiguation. Doctors are too often shown as selfless patient advocates ready to battle whatever the financial cost. ^[59]

Catholicism

Kelley has incorporated religious subject matter from the beginning, including issues involving Protestantism, Judaism and Catholicism. ^[60] With the widespread media coverage of child sexual abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late 90s, Kelley began to introduce this controversy into his scripts. Allegations of sexual abuse of children have been made against a variety of religious groups including but not exclusively Roman Catholic priests monks and nuns For instance, the character Bobby Donnell on The Practice, a Catholic, became personally estranged from the Church over the issue of sexually abusive priests. While the conservative Catholic League didn't have an issue with this episode,^[61] they frequently complained of anti-Catholic bias in Kelley's shows because of his references to this subject. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, widely known as The Catholic League, is an anti-defamation non-profit group in the United States with ^[62][63][64]

Feature films

Besides his first film, From the Hip which received poor reviews,^[65] Kelley wrote and produced three other films. 1996's To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, a romance, co-starring his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, received tepid critical and box office reception. To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday is an American Play by Michael Brady, published by Broadway Play Publishing Incorporated, in 1984 Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( IPA: /mɪˈʃɛl ˈfаɪfɜr/ born April 29 1958 is an American Actress. ^[66] In 1999, came two films: Lake Placid, a unique combination of suspense, horror and comedy, and Mystery, Alaska, about a fictional small-town ice hockey team that plays a game against the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. Lake Placid is a 1999 comedy Horror film. It was directed by Steve Miner and was released in the United States Mystery Alaska is a 1999 Comedy directed by Jay Roach about a fictional small-town Ice hockey team that plays a game against the Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America Neither movie did well with either the critics or the audience.

His next film, Chasing Montana, starring Pfeiffer, and written by Kelley, is a father-daughter drama to be released by Focus Features in 2008. Focus Features (formerly USA Films, Universal Focus and Good Machine) is the art house films division of NBC Universal 's Universal ^[67]

Kelley will oversee the scripting of a new feature film based on the origins of the World Hockey Association (a league Kelley's father was involved with^[1]) and hockey player Gordie Howe. The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC (born March 31 1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan) is a former professional Ice hockey player from Canada ^[68]

Personal life

Kelley married actress Michelle Pfeiffer in 1993. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( IPA: /mɪˈʃɛl ˈfаɪfɜr/ born April 29 1958 is an American Actress. They have two children, an adopted daughter and a biological son. Kelley is known for leaving work in time to be home in the evenings and weekends. ^[69][3] Sometimes assumed to be a Catholic because his programs address Catholic issues, Kelley was raised a Protestant. ^[70]

Filmography

Television work

Awards

Emmy awards and nominations

Notes

1. Information from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences online database^[6]
2. Several shared writing nominations not included. Gregory King Hoblit (born November 27, 1944 in Abilene, Texas) is an American Hollywood Film director and TV producer Rick Wallace is an American director and producer. He has worked on Smallville, L LA Law is an American television Legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1994. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ( ATAS) is the Los Angeles - organization which awards the Primetime Emmys.
3. In 1999, he was the first producer ever to take home Emmys for both Best Comedy Series (Ally McBeal) and Best Drama (The Practice). ^[76]

Emmy winning actors and actresses in Kelley's series

Among the actors and actresses who have won Emmys for playing roles in Kelley's series are Peter MacNicol, Tracey Ullman, Sharon Stone, William Shatner, James Spader, Alfre Woodard, Charles S. Dutton, Michael Emerson, James Whitmore, Beah Richards, Edward Herrmann, Michael Badalucco, Holland Taylor, John Larroquette, Camryn Manheim, Christine Lahti, Hector Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Kathy Baker, Ray Walston, Paul Winfield, Richard Kiley, Fyvush Finkel, Leigh Taylor-Young, Tom Skerritt, Richard Dysart, Jimmy Smits, and Larry Drake. Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954 in Dallas Texas) is an Emmy Award winning American actor Tracey Ullman (born December 30, 1959) is a British -born naturalized U Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American Golden Globe - and Emmy -winning Actress, producer, and former William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is a three time Emmy Award -winning During his early education he attended The Pike School (where Alfre Ette Woodard (born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30 1951) is an Tony and Golden Globe Award - nominated Emmy Award -winning American actor Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American Actor of the stage and screen. James Allen Whitmore Jr (born October 1, 1921) is an American two-time Academy Award -nominated Emmy - and Golden Globe Beah Richards ( July 12, 1920 – September 14, 2000) was an American actress with a long career on stage screen and television Edward Kirk Herrmann (born July 21, 1943) is an American Television and Film actor Michael Badalucco (born December 20, 1954) is an American actor most famous for his role as Lawyer Jimmy Berluti on the ABC Holland Taylor (born January 14 1943) is an American actress, known for her Film, Television and Theatre John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American film and television Actor. Camryn Manheim (born March 8, 1961) is an American Emmy Award - and Golden Globe Award -winning Actress known primarily Christine Lahti (born April 4, 1950) is an American Emmy Award - and two-time Golden Globe Award -winning actress and Academy Héctor Elizondo (born December 22, 1936) is a Golden Globe -nominated and Emmy Award -winning American actor Mandy Patinkin ( (born November 30, 1952) is an American actor of stage and screen and a Tenor vocalist Katherine Whitton "Kathy" Baker (born June 8, 1950) is an Emmy - and Golden Globe Award -winning American Character actress Ray Walston ( December 2 1914 – January 1 2001) was an American stage, Television and Feature film Paul Edward Winfield ( May 22, 1939 &ndash March 7, 2004) was an Emmy Award -winning and Academy Award -nominated Richard Paul Kiley ( March 31, 1922 &ndash March 5, 1999) was an American stage, Television, and Film Philip “Fyvush” Finkel (born October 9, 1922 in Brooklyn New York) is an American actor best known as a star of Yiddish theater Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945 in Washington DC, as simply Leigh Taylor) is an Emmy Award-winning American Thomas Roy "Tom" Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actor who has appeared in over 40 films Richard A Dysart (born March 30, 1929) is an American Actor, perhaps best known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC Jimmy Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American Golden Globe - and Emmy -winning Actor. Larry Drake (born February 21, 1950) is an Emmy Award -winning American actor

Peabody awards

The following information is from the Peabody awards database. The George Foster Peabody Awards, better known as simply the Peabody Awards, are annual international awards for excellence in Radio and Television broadcasting ^[77]

Footnotes and references

Bibliography

• Caldwell, John: "Convergence Television: Aggregating Form and Repurposing Content in the Culture of Conglomeration". Television after TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition. Ed. Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson. Duke University Press, 2004 ISBN 978-0822333937
• Caves, Richard E. : Switching Channels: Organization and Change in TV Broadcasting. Harvard University Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0674018785
• Ellis, John: Seeing Things: Television in the Age of Uncertainty. I. B. Tauris, 2000 ISBN 978-1860641251
• Levine, Josh: David E. Kelley: The Man Behind Ally McBeal. ECW Press, 1999 ISBN 978-1550223729
• Orlik, Peter B. : Electronic Media Criticism: : Applied Perspectives. LEA, Inc. , 2000 ISBN 978-0805836417
• Tucker, Ken: Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy: 100 Things to Love And Hate About TV. St. Martin's Press, 2005 ISBN 978-0312330576

External links

• Official site of David E. Kelley Productions
• David E. Kelley at the Internet Movie Database