The Practice (1997–2004)

This weekly television series is similar to other lawyer shows, but with a twist. Here, we follow the exploits and cases of defense attorneys of a Boston law firm. Bobby Donnell stars as ... See full summary »

Creator:

David E. Kelley

Stars:

Steve Harris, Dylan McDermott, Kelli Williams

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 38 wins & 79 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Steve Harris	...	Eugene Young (167 episodes, 1997-2004)
Camryn Manheim	...	Ellenor Frutt (167 episodes, 1997-2004)
Michael Badalucco	...	Jimmy Berluti (166 episodes, 1997-2004)
Dylan McDermott	...	Bobby Donnell (147 episodes, 1997-2004)
LisaGay Hamilton	...	Rebecca Washington (145 episodes, 1997-2003)
Kelli Williams	...	Lindsay Dole (145 episodes, 1997-2003)
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Helen Gamble (132 episodes, 1997-2003)
Marla Sokoloff	...	Lucy Hatcher (113 episodes, 1998-2004)

Storyline

This weekly television series is similar to other lawyer shows, but with a twist. Here, we follow the exploits and cases of defense attorneys of a Boston law firm. Bobby Donnell stars as the senior defense attorney and founder of the firm.

---

Plot Keywords:

law | law firm | criminal defense | ethics | fenway park | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los practicantes

Filming Locations:

City Hall Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

David E. Kelley Productions, Daydreamers Entertainment Inc., Decode Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (168 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the sixth season's finale, David E. Kelley filmed two different endings. One in which Lindsay Dole was found not guilty, and one in which she was found guilty. Even the cast didn't know which ending it would be until it was aired.

---

Quotes

Judge Roberta Kittleson: Was anyone else present for your conversation?
Ellenor Frutt: No.
Judge Roberta Kittleson: Well, then, shame on you. Never interview a witness alone. This is what you get.
Ellenor Frutt: Thank you, Your Honor. I was so hoping for a lesson.

---

Crazy Credits

Starting with the 2003 season, the order in which Steve Harris, Michael Badalucco and Camryn Manheim appear in the opening credits changes from week to week.

---

Connections

Spoofed in Saturday Night Live: Dylan McDermott/Foo Fighters (1999)

User Reviews

Very interesting

Along with "X-Files" and "E.R.", this is one of the very few TV series that has consistently been able to keep my attention for more than a couple of episodes. The combination of good acting, nice storylines and intriguing court cases makes this series very interesting to watch.

Basically, "The Practice" is a drama about an unlikely group of lawyers that run a small law firm. Most remarkable is that these lawyers aren't all played by the usual super-handsome actors, but by people that might actually pass for lawyers in real life. This group of lawyers undergoes the usual array of romances, personal setbacks, and quarrels like in any drama serie. Nothing special, but certainly entertaining, and more importantly, almost always believable (as opposed to soap opera's where the most implausible things happen to the most implausible people all the time)

The real meat of the series, however, are the court cases, of which there are usually two to three in one episode. These are almost always creative, believable (nothing like the nonsensical cases in "Ally McBeal") and intriguing and often really make me think: "what would I do if I were the lawyer, judge, or juror?". Any series or movie that makes me actually think about ethical dilemma's (or anything else, for that matter) scores bonus points in my book. OK, so maybe the small law firm wins a little too many cases, and maybe they take the "moral high ground" a bit too often, but this doesn't really detract from the enjoyment.

"The Practice" combines enjoyable drama elements with some well thought-out and intriguing court cases into a formula that doesn't get old fast. Splendid !