There used to be a time during the silver age of television that spin-offs were de rigueur. As a matter of fact, some of the most popular shows back in the 70's and 80's were spin-offs of other equally popular shows. "All in the Family" begat "The Jeffersons", and "Maude." "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" begat "Rhoda" and "Lou Grant." Even "Happy Days" (which in itself was a spin-off from a story on "Love, American Style") begat "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy." Nowadays however, it is extremely rare to see a spin-off of any series, let alone a successful one. Only a handful comes to mind, such as "Angel", which was spawned off of "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer", and "Boston Legal", which made the leap from "The Practice."

Speaking of "Boston Legal", this surprising little entry into the annals of nighttime television actually succeeded not only in gathering a huge audience, but did so by doing a complete 180 degree turn from the show that it came from. Where "The Practice" was more of a straightforward legal drama, "Boston Legal" often goes the way of the wacky comedy. Not to say it doesn’t have its moments of seriousness, but the overall feel of the show is one of born of a sense of humor. In many ways, it is much closer in tone to "Ally McBeal", which in way makes sense because the show's creator, David E. Kelley, is also responsible for that series and "The Practice." I guess you might say that "Boston Legal" represents a balanced mix of the two earlier efforts.

The other thing that the series succeeded in doing, and this is almost astonishing to say, is that in casting William Shatner as one of the main leads has enabled him to finally shed the image of Captain Kirk in most viewer's minds. And I'm not talking about wiping the actor's slate clean, but while you are watching Shatner in the role of Denny Crane, any thoughts of "Star Trek" disappear. His portrayal, insane as it is, is simply that far removed. I'd honestly have to say that as much as people have made fun of his acting talent over the years, this is easily one of the best characters he's ever created and is deserving of his Emmy win for the role.

But the show wouldn’t be what it is without the main lead, which comes in the form of James Spader as Alan Shore. His Emmy winning turn comes in the wake of a long career filled with smarmy underhanded characters. Through the years Spader has had a few memorable roles as 'the good guy' ('Stargate" comes to mind), but for the most part, he's filled his resume with parts that required him to be smug, self-centered, and every other world I can think of that means arrogant… In the role of Alan Shore, he takes this persona to new heights and his rapport with Shatner makes "Boston Legal" one of the better shows on TV.

Just this week, Fox is releasing a huge 7-disc set that includes the 24 episodes that made up the 3rd season. Admittedly, I did not watch the show when it originally aired, more out of my TV watching habits than anything. So I really did not know what to expect when I first sat down to review the DVD of the 1st season, with the exception of the few things I had heard. Watching those episodes for the first time only proved everything positive that had come down the rumor mill. The series was intensely funny, and the entire cast makes it a must watch. This commitment to wacky entertainment has continued well into the 3rd season.

The DVD set houses all 7 discs in four individual slim cases, each one featuring a member of the cast. These cases also include a list of episodes and a brief synopsis of each, which is always a welcome inclusion to any TV on DVD set. As far as extra features, you'll find two. The first featurette runs a little over 6 minutes and includes interviews with some of the actors who played judges this season (Gloria O’Grady, Shelley Berman, and Howard Hesseman). The second featurette runs a little over 12 minutes and features and offers interviews with actors David Dean Bottrell, Christian Clemenson, and Meredith Eaton-Gilden.

I found "Boston Legal" to be a surprisingly refreshing show, one that was much better than I had originally expected. Season 3 continued to cement that opinion for me. Now if they would only go ahead and release the 4th season while it's still airing (I'm beginning to think the networks should all go away and just make these shows on DVD!!)

Episodes:
Can't We All Get A Lung?
New Kids on the Block
Desperately Seeking Shirley
Fine Young Cannibal
Whose God is it Anyway?
The Verdict
Trick Or Treat
Lincoln
On the Ledge
The Nutcrackers
Angel of Death
Nuts
Dumping Bella
Selling Sickness
Fat Burner
The Good Lawyer
The Bride Wore Blood
Son of the Defender
Brotherly Love
Guise and Dolls
Tea and Sympathy
Guantanamo by the Bay
Duck and Cover
Trial of the Century

Starring: William Shatner, James Spader, Candice Bergen, Mark Valley, Rene Auberjonois, Craig Bierko, Constance Zimmer
Extras: "Out of Order?", Character Witness
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Surround
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 9/18/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Boston Legal: Season 3 a B.