New David E. Kelley Series "The Trial" Will Star Billy Bob Thornton

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade, Monster's Ball, Friday Night Lights) will star in David E. Kelley's new legal series The Trial for Amazon after Kevin Costner dropped out.  The series features a disaffected attorney, Billy McBride (Thornton), who is tossed out from the law firm he founded and finds a new purpose in life when a younger attorney brings him a wrongful death case.

Taking Ally Seriously

John Denvir, University of San Francisco School of Law, has published Romancing the Law: Ally McBeal and the Art of Subversive Comedy as a University of San Francisco Research Paper. Here is the abstract.

The television sitcom Ally McBeal drew large audiences and won many awards, but the series also had detractors who felt that it demeaned both women lawyers and the legal profession. People loved and hated the show, but no one has thought it a serious commentary on the American legal system.

I think it is time to take Ally McBeal seriously. I believe that its creator David E. Kelley has used the narrative devices of romantic comedy to make a subtle but powerful critique of the American legal system and to suggest a new future for law. It is an excellent example of what I call subversive comedy.

Download the paper from SSRN at the link. 

Harry's Law Cancelled

NBC has cancelled the David E. Kelley legal drama "Harry's Law," starring Kathy Bates as former corporate attorney turned street lawyer Harriet Korn. The series ran for two seasons.

"You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order!"

In a recent "Boston Legal" episode, Alan Shore (James Spader) excoriates the "Supreme Court" (played by lookalikes) for drifting away from "civil rights and liberties" to protectors of "pro-business". Read more in a Legal Times interview with producer/writer David E. Kelley here (registration may be required). The blogosphere has reacted: see Crooks and Liars; Blogcritics Magazine; On the Record.