David E. Kelley On Boston Legal Finale: “ABC Didn’t Want Us Back”

By Tom Rose
Fancast.com

The ambulance chasers at Boston Legal have argued their last case, but it didn’t have to be that way according to Executive Producer David E. Kelley. He tells the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that a lack of interest by ABC management - not a lack of viewers - signaled the show’s mid-season demise.

“ABC didn’t want us back,” he said. “It’s as simple as that. They didn’t even want us back for this year at all. We had to fight to get back on with 13. It’s not a product they care to market.”

Boston Legal came to an end this past Monday night after a five year run that saw decent ratings in target demos, but lackluster promotion by the network never allowed the series to breakthrough to the top 20. According to Kelley, chasing the almighty dollar was at the root of the problem. “If anyone has ever seen the show at ABC, they’ve yet to bring it to my attention.”

ABC execs have instead concentrated their efforts on shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives since they produce them. BL was produced by 20th Century Fox Television, which seriously cut into ABC’s profit share.

“That’s the stuff they’re looking to champion,” says Kelley. “Even though our numbers are solid, not huge, I think the conventional wisdom at ABC, and I don’t know this, but I’m guessing, they continue to believe they can develop their own product and get that [rating] number and then also share in the profits.”

Oh well, that’s the money game. Fans of the show can take consolation from the knowledge they got more than expected and Kelley & Co. were able to wrap up the loose ends before the ax dropped for good. A surprise wedding is always a great way to go out.

And Kelley gets to stay in the game. His series Private Practice is chugging along at ABC, with no signs yet of slowing down. Of course, with Pushing Daisies as a lead in…. well, let’s hope for the best.

Boston Legal is just a cold case file now. But the series lives on with FREE Full Length Episodes right here on Fancast.