Review of Ally McBeal: Season 5 Part 1 (Boxset)

Introduction

TV shows, or make that successful TV shows, have at least one defining factor that is present as an undercurrent throughout their entire run. For example, Friends has a group of people chatting about their lives over a cup of coffee; Frasier has a distraught Frasier Crane deciding on what course of action to take in some moral situation; and The Simpsons has current affairs satired and infamous people humiliated all in the name of family entertainment.

Ally McBeal however has a lawyer surrounded by fellow colleagues discovering the pros and cons of modern day living. Ally is a lovestruck thirty-something, living and working in Boston, who is a successful attorney by day and a pessimistic neurotic by night.

This DVD release contains the first half of the fifth season of the hit show - 11 episodes. Highlights of this season include Ling (Lucy Liu) becoming a hard-nosed judge; John Cage (Peter MacNicol) going AWOL after declaring his undying love for Ally; Ally herself falling for the new lawyer on the block (James Marsden); and his ex-girlfriend, another new lawyer to the firm, who comments on his aptitude at `uterus tickling`, et al!

Episode titles: Friends And Lovers, Judge Ling, Neutral Corners, Fear Of Flirting, I Want Love, Lost And Found, Nine One One, Playing With Matches, Blowin` In The Wind, One Hundred Tears, A Kick In The Head.

Video

1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. The visuals are deep and well defined, especially for a TV print, and this is a testament to other shows that it is possible to break away from fullscreen and instead opt for a more detailed, higher resolution picture, and for its transfer to be subsequently presented as well. To sum it up - trademark DVD.

The majority of the action in Ally McBeal is split between the lawyers` office, the court room, and `the bar downstairs` at which the staff relax and unwind after a seemingly hard day of haggling in court, complimented by them actually engaging in a bit of sing-song. However, in some episodes, a bit of diversity is required, so at times the action moves to other locations - whether internal or external, and it all shapes up together well.

The use of camerawork also varies: at times it is the standard, focus-on-the-action style, but at others, the frame is speeded up significantly to portray the emotions of the various characters. Fantasy shots are also employed, so that at times you never know what is fact and what is fiction. So yep, this is one mainstream American comedy show that contains surrealism as well as the humour.

Audio

Dolby Digital 2.0 (English). The audio comes through only the front channels - a shame really considering the abundance of music used in Ally McBeal, but apart from such interludes, the rest of the action comes in the form of dialogue: something that the stereo mix is able to replicate well in the limited yet crisp soundstage.

The scripts throughout the episodes on offer are amusing...equipped with witty one-liners (when Ally states she lives in a constant state of déja-vù, her therapist quips: "We have a clinical term for that. Pathetic." et al), and comic set-pieces, as well as the odd bit of poignant emotion, especially during a couple of episodes, and the revelation towards the end of this collection. Some good material here.

As mentioned before, there is a lot of music in the episodes, ranging from golden oldies ("Ain`t That A Kick In The Head" springs to mind), to original ones, written for the show. They are good overall and spread out the 45 minute episodes well.

Features

Absolutely nothing. A shame really, as insight into how the series was devised and produced would have been good, as well as commentaries on the episodes and perhaps some deleted material.

The menus are colourful yet completely static, offering a choice of four episodes on the first two discs, and only three episodes on the third disc. Once an episode has been selected, options regarding that episode are available (such as chapter selection). They are very easy to navigate.

Conclusion

I had never come across Ally McBeal before I loaded this DVD up, as the show didn`t appeal to me. But, after watching a couple of episodes, the premise grew on me, and soon I felt empathetic, and at times, sympathetic towards the various characters.

Due to the length of each episode and number of episodes in just half a season, they are able to develop and form naturally, and we watch a natural progression of their lives instead of something decidely uncharacteristic.

Calista Flockhart, as the titular character, leads the show well, and is supported by some great comic and dramatic talent, such as the withdrawn John Cage played skillfully by Peter MacNicol (of Bean: The Movie fame, et al) and Jane Krakowski as the girl who will never say no, and enjoys seducing every guy who walks into the office.

A group of lawyers and their lives isn`t the most entertaining subject matter on paper, but due to the dedication of the cast and crew to get it right - and the electricity of the scripts, a TV show that is unrivalled in certain stakes has been created. The fact that this season, the fifth, is the last, is a real shame.

But now comes the one negative of Ally McBeal, and possibly the factor that caused the powers-that-be to pull the plug - repetition. In some episodes, there are similar storylines, and similar scenarios...in ways the show is highly original, but occassionally it slips into clichéd terrority.

The DVD itself is good: strong visuals, good audio, but the special features let the side down. Their complete non-existence means that unless the price is very right, it may not be worth splashing out.

Overall the show is something that can be watched again and again, due to a high number of jokes and intriguing and interesting moments. As said above, if the RRP isn`t too high then I advise any fans of comedy/TV/sitcom to get this collection, and eventually every single volume, as it really does offer a breath of fresh neurotic air. Recommended.