Boston Legal: A Guilty Pleasure

Season 4 of the brilliant legal drama Boston Legal is now airing on UK LIVING (10pm Thursdays), and the latest series proves that it’s probably the hottest show on television!

Revolving around the idiosyncrasies of a group of tough attorneys in a top law firm, this quirky show may be similar in tone to the surreal high-jinks of the similarly themed 90s series Ally McBeal (which is not hard considering that they both share the same gifted writer) but is far more smoother, inventively hilarious and unpretentious than that show ever was.  

Sure it’s over confident, self-congratulatory and even hopelessly smug (isn’t that the point?), but it’s also smart, sassy and - now with the new addition of British beauty Saffron Burrows (playing tough attorney Lorraine Weller) - even sexy.

Old Captain Kirk William Shatner may be hitting 77 but he proves he’s still got plenty of warp speed as the insane, past-it law-firm partner (and generally horny old bugger) Denny Crane, who unashamedly spends most episodes either groping new female cast members, unapologetically letting off his fire arm or blaming his self-diagnosed ‘mad cow’ disease for his overall off-key behaviour and forgetfulness: “I don’t know why you want me to leave the room anyway, I’m not going to remember anything – mad cow remember?”

He’s a comedic gem and brings the show alive with his marvellous self-parody. And alongside partner in crime James Spader, (playing vane, slimy, womanising lawyer Alan Shore) they make an indispensably double act. Their end-of-episode male musings - perched on top of the firm’s balcony, sipping whisky and chugging on cigars whilst bantering on about women, middle-age problems and life’s ups and downs in general - are often hilariously indulgent.  

Now with the recent additions of Philip Seymour Hoffman look-alike Christian Clemenson, as the neurotic Jerry Espenson – who sounds strange noises at inappropriate moments and walks around like he’s constantly shit himself – and new law partner and arch rival Carl Sack (John Larroquette) not to mention the measured wit of former Murphy’s Law and seventies siren Candice Bergen (who joined us in season 2), we have an ensemble team of established talent that would have even made the late, great Robert Altman blush.  

The show is never afraid to shy from controversy either – in its four seasons it's taken taboo digs at female midgets, transvestites, multiple-personality disorder, woman’s lib, capital punishment, gun enforcement and the Bush registration. And unashamedly shows up lawyers to be thick-skinned, power-hungry chauvinistic cretins. But if you like your American law shows thick and fast, stylish and sophisticated (but sometimes unapologetically silly) look no further than Boston Legal.

[story by Oliver Pfeiffer]