While Suits is beloved, fans would also love Ally McBeal, a legal drama that might be even more fantastic. The series stars Calista Flockhart as the eponymous main character, who is far from your average lawyer, and also focuses on Ally’s sometimes strange but always fascinating coworkers at Boston-based law firm, Cage & Fish.
There’s no denying that the fun dynamic between Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and Harvey Spector (Gabriel Macht) is the draw of Suits. Thanks to the memorable characters and their enthusiasm for their careers, we were hopeful about the spinoff Suits LA, which sadly only lasted one season.
But although Suits may be considered one of the best legal dramas, there are many reasons why Ally McBeal deserves even more praise.
Ally McBeal Premiered In 1997 And Remains An Underrated Legal Drama
Ally McBeal premiered on Fox in 1997 and introduced us to Calista Flockhart’s quirky main character, who loves the law and wants to help people but thinks the journey should be fun and enjoyable, too.
That already sets her apart from other lawyers on TV, but Ally’s big imagination makes her unlike any other legal drama character (and perhaps any other TV character in general, too). Whether daydreaming about her love life or seeing the infamous “Dancing Baby,” Ally has a joyful approach to life that stands out.
Sadly, when there are so many other legal dramas like the long-running Law & Order, this one has been overlooked, but it’s definitely underrated. Although the show has a case-of-the-week format like others in the same genre, the smart and confident characters on Ally McBeal draw you in.
Besides the whimsical Ally, there’s her coworker Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith) and roommate Renée Raddick (Lisa Nicole Carson), who are great to watch since they’re so smart and ambitious.
Why Ally McBeal Is Better Than Suits
Ultimately, Ally McBeal is a better legal drama than Suits because it has so many elements of the USA Network series that fans know and love, but executes them better. Both shows have quirky and funny storylines and characters, and both take place at an unconventional law firm.
Ally McBeal and Suits also share the theme of starting over, but the former executes it better. The Suits pilot begins with Mike getting hired at Pearson Hardman, just like Ally starts at Cage and Fish in the first episode of the ’90s series.
But, since she gets fired after reporting a coworker who harassed her, Ally’s backstory is arguably more gripping and meaningful than Mike’s.
Sure, some of Ally McBeal‘s episodes aren’t the most nuanced or complex portrayals of sexism and feminism, thanks to the time period they aired during. Still, the show paints an authentic picture of what it was like for a young woman in the ’90s to pursue her law career dreams. Ally is an important character since she fights for what she believes in.
While much of the show revolves around her dating life, Ally is always confident and sure of herself, which is refreshing to see.
And although the cocky Richard Fish (Greg Germann) and the strange, nervous John Cage (Peter MacNicol) are the law firm partners, Ally is more perceptive than they are and more enjoyable to watch.
There’s no doubt Suits is fantastic, but there are plenty of other funny legal dramas, like The Good Wife. However, only one show features a main character who has visions of a dancing baby or Barry Manilow. These daydreams may seem silly, but they’re ultimately relatable since they allow Ally to have space and time to think about fixing her problems.
Why An Ally McBeal Revival Never Happened
Given the excitement around revivals of 1990s series, including Fuller House and Girl Meets World, along with the continued popularity of legal dramas, we would have expected to see an Ally McBeal revival by now. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened yet, and there’s no reboot officially in the works.
In 2022, Deadline reported on an Ally McBeal revival “in early development at ABC.“ Instead of starring Calista Flockhart in the main role, the series was going to be about Renée Raddick’s daughter, who has just finished law school and is either working at Cage and Fish or a law firm like it.
This would be a great idea for a reboot and would focus on a smart new character, but could have some great cameos from cast members, too. The publication shared that Flockhart was asked to be an executive producer and also appear as Ally McBeal, but there was no decision about that at the time.
Since there hasn’t been any news since then, it’s possible that this project is no longer in the works. And while we don’t know the exact reason why the show hasn’t been rebooted, Flockhart said she was “always game“ in January 2024 to star in a new version of the ’90s series.
Where You Can Watch Ally McBeal’s 5 Seasons
You can stream all five seasons of Ally McBeal on Hulu, and it’ll be a fun binge-watch. Since the series was a network drama, each season has around 22 or 23 episodes, which allows for a nice mix of light-hearted storylines and more serious episodes.
The series finale is particularly satisfying since it’s so emotional and brings Calista Flockhart’s character full circle. It’s sweet watching Ally help her daughter, Maddie (Hayden Panettiere), and think about the people who have had a huge impact on her life and career. Sure, it’s not talked about as much as the Suits series finale, but it’s still powerful.
After watching Ally McBeal for the first time or rewatching, it’s easy to be swept up in this young lawyer’s story and wish it got as much love and attention as Suits.
- Release Date
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1997 – 2002-00-00
- Network
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FOX
- Showrunner
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David E. Kelley
- Directors
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David E. Kelley
- Writers
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David E. Kelley
