CS Weekly Archive > DVD > 09/21/07

Jury Duty at its Best

by jason davis

Boston Legal: The Complete Third Season

Corinne Brinkerhoff, Lawrence Broch, Susan Dickes, Sanford Golden, David E. Kelley, Andrew Kreisberg, Janet Leahy, Michael Reisz, Brooke Roberts, Phoef Sutton, Craig Turk, and Karen Wyscarver
Created by David E. Kelley

Quirky lawyers and bizarre cases continue to hold court in the Emmy-nominated third season of David E. Kelley's Practice spin-off Boston Legal. The writer-producer's penchant for absurdism shares space with biting social commentary as the lawyers of Crane, Poole & Schmidt—led by the irrepressible and likely insane Denny Crane (William Shatner)—confront the idiosyncrasies of the American legal system with the same anarchic disregard for political correctness that imbued Picket Fences and Ally McBeal with an inescapable sense of fun. Along the way, Crane's relationship with similarly eccentric lawyer Alan Shore (Emmy winner James Spader) deepens while forming the heart of the series. Fifty-year-old clips from a Studio One production titled "The Defender" provide archival footage of a young Shatner that was written into the script of "Son of the Defender" to create an episode that revisits Crane's first case though the material is not integrally woven into the narrative. A brief featurette highlights the quirky ensemble of recurring characters populating the series.

Boston Legal: The Complete Third Season
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Not rated; 1,030 min.
$59.98

Buy it now

Jason Davis has been the DVD Manager for CS Weekly , has been a contributing editor for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, and has written for Cinescape.com, MSN.com, and created the TV series Studio 13, which ran on Lorne Michaels' Burly TV network. He lives in the small space left over by his ever-expanding library of books, movies, and music.

Boston Legal: The Complete Third Season courtesy 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

From the Trenches
Working screenwriters discuss in their own words a particular aspect of screenwriting, from the mechanics of writing to the personal and professional impact that writing has had on their lives. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Big Picture

Features that cover all aspects of screenwriting, from our "Seven Best" lists to analysis of old favorites and new classics. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Weekend Read
Film, book, web site and technology reviews from a writer’s perspective. How can these items help a writer on his or her journey, or make that journey more enjoyable? > VIEW ARCHIVE

DVD Review of the Day
DVD reviews from a writer’s point of view. What aspects of this script and features of this DVD illuminate the writing, development, and storytelling process? > VIEW ARCHIVE