Trivia / Ally McBeal

• Banned in China: Any episode that has LGBT content/themes were not allowed to air in Singapore due to the PAP-led government's conservative views on them at the time they aired.
• Cancellation: Fox canceled the show after five seasons. In addition to being the lowest-rated season and the grounds for the show's cancelation, the fifth season was also the only season of the show that failed to win any Emmy or Golden Globe Awards.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Lara Flynn Boyle auditioned for Ally. She would later appear in guest star as Helen Gamble in Making Spirits Bright.
• The Cast Showoff: Both Jane Krakowski and Lisa Nicole Carson are trained vocalists. Jane Krakowski revealed that her character was initially was not supposed to sing, but David E. Kelley heard her on the radio and her character sang many songs throughout the series.
• Creator Breakdown: Robert Downey Jr. once said he can't watch his performance as Larry because of how tumultuous his addictions were at the time. He was in such a dark place, he quotes: "Didn't give a fuck about acting anymore."
• The Danza: Tracey Ullman as Dr. Tracey West. And Vonda Shepard, the show's music director, as Vonda, the piano player in the karaoke bar where the cast regularly hang out.
• I Am Not Spock: Ally McBeal almost completely defined how the public viewed Calista Flockhart.
• Keep Circulating the Tapes: It took several years for the show to make it to DVD in the USA due to music licensing issues. During that time, fans either had to make do with a "Best Of..." compilation of a handful of episodes or find a way to import the Region 2 DVDs from the UK.
• Recast as a Regular: Peter MacNicol does not appear in the pilot, though he's in the second episode as a guest star. He joined the regular cast as a major guest star later in the first season through the fourth season. In the fifth season, he reverted to a recurring guest star.
• Role-Ending Misdemeanor:
  • Robert Downey Jr.'s substance abuse problems at the time resulted in his getting fired from the show.
  • Courtney Thorne-Smith left after Season 3 because she felt she was pressured to stay slim. Portia de Rossi also felt pressured to remain slim, but only revealed this after the series.
• Star-Making Role: This series turned Lucy Liu into a household name.
• What Could Have Been:
  • David E. Kelley originally envisioned Bridget Fonda in the role of Ally McBeal.
  • Stephen Colbert auditioned for the role of Richard Fish.
  • Anna Gunn was picked for Georgia Thomas in the Pilot. For unspecified reasons, the role instead went to Courtney Thorne-Smith.

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