Question of the Week
What Would Be the Ultimate Lawyer TV Spin-off?
Posted Feb 25, 2009 12:11 PM CST
By Sarah Randag
We were inspired this week by a post by Boston University law professor Jay Wexler at Prawfsblawg, in which he talked about TV spin-offs, and a subsequent comment by Kelly Lynn Anders, who suggested a William Shatner spin-off of Boston Legal:
“It would be entertaining to have a new show starring William Shatner as Denny Crane, perhaps entitled, Crane or Simply Denny, as a 30-minute sitcom. With Shatner's TV history and Crane's questionable soundness of mind, Kelley could have Denny do a comedic flashback to Star Trek and possibly invite members of the cast of Frasier (also named "Crane") as guest stars.”
So now it's your turn. What would be the ultimate lawyer TV spin-off? We'd love to hear your inspired takes on your favorite legal dramas, but there's no need to limit yourself to those shows. After all, lawyer-characters have landed in genres of all sorts. Take Miranda Hobbes from Sex and the City, Barry Zuckerkorn from Arrested Development or Nick George from Dirty Sexy Money, for instance. And in the series finale of The Wire, Cedric Daniels left his police commissioner post and started practicing law.
Read last week's answers to this question: What's Your Favorite Law and Why?
Our favorite answer:
Posted by Kafka Esquire: "People who duel cannot hold public office in West Virginia:
"WV Code §6-5-7. Disqualification by duelling.
"'Any citizen of this state who shall, either in or out of the state, fight a duel with deadly weapons, or send or accept a challenge so to do, or who shall act as a second, or knowingly aid or assist in such duel, shall ever thereafter be incapable of holding any office of honor, trust or profit in this state.'
"I have not yet found a ban in WV for shooting at bubbling crude …"
- How B of A’s GC Got Fired: Leave Now, and Leave Your BlackBerry Behind
- Schools Ranked by 'Super Lawyers' Produced
- Law Firm Price Wars Break Out as Some Try ‘Loss Leader’ Bids for Work
- Five Questions for Law Firms Abandoning Lockstep Compensation
- Judge Jails 2 Attorneys for Contempt in 4 Days
- Court Deputy Ordered to Apologize or Face Jail After Taking Lawyer's Paperwork
- Skadden Jumps on the Bonus Bandwagon
- ABA Executive Director Resigns
- Nasty Attitude to Co-Worker, Naughty Word in Web Comment Cost 2 Their Jobs
- NU Law Dean Adjusts 'Super Lawyers' Rankings to Reflect Law School Size
Should Supreme Court Justices Be Able to Review News Accounts Before Publication?
Comments
Blake
Feb 25, 2009 1:13 PM CST
Great TV spin off idea…... “The Secret Life of Supreme Court Justices”......
or
“The Secret Life of Justice Scalia” This would be like the tv show HOUSE but Scalia is the justice version of HOUSE….
B. McLeod
Feb 25, 2009 7:37 PM CST
“Burger for the People,” a kind of retro-Law & Order treatment of Hamilton Burger, showing DA Burger carefully setting up his cases against innocent clients of Perry Mason, and teaching a young under-study his courtroom tactics and whiny objections (“Your Honor, this is highly irregular,” etc.). This could be followed by a secondary spinoff, “Ham Burger Helper,” in which the younger prosecutor would get to first chair some cases to help manage the heavy docket loads.
Deyseeme T. Rollin
Feb 26, 2009 12:19 PM CST
@1, Blake: That is simply amazing. The only way I can improve it would be to substitute Thomas and call it, of course, Thomas, J.D.
Near the end of every episode, Justice Thomas will see or hear something unrelated to the case, get a far-away look in his eyes, and whisper “What if the [insert relevant portion of the Constitution] didn’t apply to the states?”
LP, Esq
Feb 26, 2009 1:27 PM CST
Ultimate Fighting: The Last Appeal Before Oral Arguments.
Dean A. Barclay
Feb 27, 2009 6:57 AM CST
“FAIRLY YOUNG ,” starring Steve Harris of “The Practice” as Eugene Young, now a newly appointed Boston criminal court judge, because Harris was the best actor on that show, and because his character was the most ethical—and ethically torn.
Carmen Ware
Feb 27, 2009 7:33 AM CST
“The Practice of Law and Order”: would pit the cast of The Practice against the DA office of Law and Order. The poice investigation would still be mounted by the policemen and women of Law and Order. This is the ultimate in legal drama!!!!!!!!
Stephen Feldman
Feb 27, 2009 7:55 AM CST
“Blood and Hutz”
This show would feature ace Simpsons lawyer Lionel Hutz defending criminal defendants. The show is inspired by Lionel Hutz’s memorable defense of Homer Simpson’s trial for breach of contract with Satan when Homer ate a “Forbidden Donut.” Sadly, the show would need to find a new voice for Mr. Hutz, who was played by the late (and great) Phil Hartmann.
Chris
Feb 27, 2009 7:58 AM CST
How about a show where the Manhattan D.A. from Law and Order runs for the Republican Presidential nomination. Oh, wait, that actually happened in real life.
David
Feb 27, 2009 9:15 AM CST
I figured a comedy about law school would be thrown in the mix. I mean how more humorous can you get then a bunch of drunk law students, going crazy and having fun. It’s like high school all over again. I guess this will show my age, but it would be Saved By the Bell for grown ups.
AndytheLawyer
Feb 27, 2009 9:36 AM CST
“Madam Ally”—in which Ally McBeal, terminally disgruntled by her fifth law firm layoff as the economy continues to collapse, shifts gears and enters the world’s oldest and most recession-proof profession.
Bill
Feb 27, 2009 10:02 AM CST
Anything with Marisa Tomei in a reprise of her role as Mona Lisa Vito…
Gene Clifford
Feb 27, 2009 10:05 AM CST
How about “Boston Leisure”—a combination of “Boston Legal” and “Seinfeld”? Seinfeld was a sitcom about people doing nothing and “Boston Leisure” would be a sitcom about lawyers doing nothing—a la the current situation in the law.
SM
Feb 27, 2009 10:17 AM CST
“Doctors, Lawyers and Indian Chiefs,” a spinoff of “Boston Legal” and “Scrubs” with Perry Cox, M.D. v. Jerry Espenson, Esq. on a regular basis.
bs
Feb 27, 2009 10:41 AM CST
A comedy about Ted Buckland, the middle-aged, bald, in-house counsel for the hospital on “Scrubs” who still lives with his mom, is persistently depressed and suicidal, has never won a case, and sings in an acapella group. Maybe he could go into private practice…
RL
Feb 27, 2009 11:15 AM CST
My Sunday nights feel empty since the Sopranos went off the air. I would love HBO and David Chase to come up with a “Mob Lawyer” series. They already have the character in Tony Soprano’s lawyer (Neil Fink). I think you throw in that character with some added Bruce Cutler-esque flamboyance, the stresses of balancing a high-profile law practice with a family life and clients one more crazy than the next, then you have yourself television gold.
Diana
Feb 27, 2009 11:47 AM CST
I would like to see a combo spin off of American Idol and 24 for an actual case. In the American Idol part defendant and plaintiff try to convince a team of judges that their case is interesting. The public votes. In the 24 part the viewer sees the actual 24 hours of working on that case, (including all the boring and tedious activities).
TaxGuy
Feb 27, 2009 11:50 AM CST
There has never been a funnier lawyer on television than Jackie Childs from Seinfeld. His rhyming, ambulance chasing depiction of all that is wrong with the law is spot on for s sitcom plus you could bring Kramer back as a recurring client falling a** backwards into strong suits that he settles without consulting with Jackie for peanuts.
Michael A-Cicero ix
Feb 27, 2009 1:56 PM CST
“Fred Fielding’s Murder Board”
This season’s hottest new reality TV merges our “all OJ all the time” appetite for the sordid side of the law with West Wing..Each episode will have viewers in a front-row seat at the prep table as high Adminsitration officials from the halcyon days gone-by prep Presidents, Chiefs-of-Staff, Asistant’s to, Cabinet Secretaries and nominees for their appearances before Congressional confirmation hearings, oversight sessions, Press conferences after disasterous trips abroad and the occassional Grand Jury appearance. What are they going to ask you ? What did you REALLY do ? How are you going to spin that to protect the boss ? Do you know the defintiion of “perjury” ? How about Executive Privilege ? Is “is” still a “verb” ? Weeknights, on CNN between “Grace digs up another body” and Keith Olbermann. Take that, Bill O’ the Clown !
michael-Cicero ix
Feb 27, 2009 2:00 PM CST
And as to the Shatner spin off, would it open with a long shot (from space ?) of the limo arriving at the court-house, with the overdub:
“Torts….., the Final Frontier….these are the Cases of the Lawyer Crane….” ??
Kalifornia Arnold
Feb 28, 2009 10:53 AM CST
In honor of that most creative attorney from “Boston Legal”, Alan Shorr, I propose a spin-off called:
“The Law—Shorring Up It’s Foundations” (hey, it would be a Shorr-fire hit)
Daniel Reitman
Mar 6, 2009 11:21 AM CST
For purely ridiculous comic effect, the “Supreme Folk” idea written into A Mighty Wind: The Supreme Court as a not-very-good group of musicians.
Add a Comment
We welcome your comments, but please adhere to our comment policy.
Commenting has expired on this post.