Boston Legal

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 3, 2004
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 28
  3. Negative: 2 out of 28
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User Reviews

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  1. AdrianBB
    Jul 24, 2015
    1
    This either delights or annoys. For me it annoyed. To be honest, I am not a lover of courtroom drama; however, as this was billed a dark comedy and starred James Spader, I thought I'd give it a go. First the positive: both Spader and William Shatner are brilliant - they play their roles beautifully. Both have screen presence and fill their scenes with their charisma. Unfortunately, theThis either delights or annoys. For me it annoyed. To be honest, I am not a lover of courtroom drama; however, as this was billed a dark comedy and starred James Spader, I thought I'd give it a go. First the positive: both Spader and William Shatner are brilliant - they play their roles beautifully. Both have screen presence and fill their scenes with their charisma. Unfortunately, the characters they play so well are just too annoying. Spader plays a smarmy wisecracking know-it-all, gleefully gurning at all before him. Shatner playing a buffoon who we are constantly reminded never lost a court case - also a smarmy wisecracking know-it-all. Plot-wise let me again start with the positive: the ethical conundrums that unfold in the court cases and clients they take on, are inventive and cleverly thought-out. Unfortunately, it falls into the unbelievable far too often. The mistake the plot writers make is insisting the aforementioned pair never lose. So it becomes a tired cycle where the opponents change each week, but the result is the same - more smarmy self-satisfied back-slapping for the perennial victors Alan Shore (Spader) & Denny Crane (Shatner). What are they victorious in ? Whatever - court cases, office politics, personal disagreements, relationship issues. The result of this insistence on Omni-victory means the plot writers have to produce increasingly ridiculous twists to perpetuate it. Easily half of the cases Shore (Spader) is involved in, would never go in his favour; many of the stunts he pulls would never actually happen. Wholly against the will of the Judges he brings into the courtroom loud-mouthed political activists of dubious character, camera crews and even on occasion: Judges' own mothers! The result: the Judges crumble before the all-conquering one ! Hoorah ! --
    Sorry, no, no, no - that is rubbish television: annoying, grinning, wise-cracking, ever-triumphant characters, repeatedly annoying, grinning, wise-cracking, ever-triumphant rolling over and over again. I just couldn't take anymore of it !    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best TV Season of 2004
10
#10 Most Discussed TV Season of 2004
8
#8 Most Shared TV Season of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. Dallas Morning News
    Reviewed by: Manuel Mendoza
    Jul 23, 2013
    42
    Its first cases ... play out cheaply as setups for one-liners, only a few of which land squarely. [3 Oct 2004]
  2. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Jul 23, 2013
    30
    The most unfortunate victims of Kelley's sad attempt at recapturing the funky fun of his past and mixing in what gravitas he can scrounge up are two otherwise fine characters, Spader's impishly amoral Alan Shore and Shatner's extroverted nut case Denny Crane. [2 Oct 2004]
  3. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Tom Shales
    Jul 23, 2013
    70
    It may be a case of going too far but in such a crazy-daisy way that it can't help but be entertaining. [2 Oct 2004]
See all critic reviews »