Ally McBeal, which aired on Fox from 1997-2002, starred Flockhart as Ally. She’s a lawyer working in the Boston law firm Cage along with her ex-lover and his wife. The series follows Ally’s trials and tribulations through life as she looks for love and fulfillment. The main focus of the dramedy, however, was the romantic and personal lives of the main characters – often using legal proceedings as plot devices.
The series Ally McBeal won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1999, one of seven Emmys and a slew of other major awards for its run. The show was known for its strong ensemble cast.
The cast comprises Flockhart and features Courtney Thorne-Smith, Greg Germann, Carson, Jane Krakowski, Peter MacNicol, Gil Bellows, Lucy Liu, Portia de Rossi as well as musician Vonda Shepard who rose to fame on the show. Additionally, the series gave Robert Downey Jr. one of his first big roles following his 1990s legal troubles en route to his blockbuster career comeback in Iron Man.
As per latest updates, Ally McBeal might be headed back to television soon. On Friday, it was announced that a potential sequel series is currently in early development at ABC!
Written and executive produced by Grey’s Anatomy and Revenge alum Karin Gist, the latest edition would hypothetically follow a young Black woman. She’s believed to be the daughter of Renée Raddick (Lisa Nicole Carson), who joins the law firm from the original series straight out of law school.
Reports indicate that original series star Calista Flockhart has been approached to reprise her role, as well as executive produce the series. But she probably won’t commit to the series until a script is written. A potential continuation of Ally McBeal has been buzzed about for several years – with reports in March of 2021 indicating that Flockhart would be eyed to return.
Calista Flockhart may return as her signature character, but the sequel series is set to focus on a new lead
When David E. Kelley was asked by The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 about a potential “Ally McBeal” reboot, he told the publication that he’d be open to the idea — but not by him. “If it were going to be done, it really should be done by a woman,” he said. “If it’s going to be new, it should be new and different.”
Now, it looks as though that might just happen. According to Deadline, an “Ally McBeal” sequel series is in the works with word that Karin Gist, showrunner of “Mixed-ish” and “Our Kind of People,” is writing the pilot and will serve as executive producer. Furthermore, it seems that there is talk of Calista Flockhart reprising her iconic role and serving as executive producer on the series. However, it sounds like nothing has been set in that regard just yet.
Unlike the original, the sequel will focus on a young Black woman who joins the iconic Cage & Fish law firm. The woman will also reportedly be the daughter of Ally McBeal’s roommate, Renée Raddick (Lisa Nicole Carson). It sounds like a fresh direction that would both tie into the original show nicely, while still allowing this potential sequel series to shine on its own.