David E. Kelley

This article is about the American television and film producer. For the American philosopher and writer, see David Kelley.

For the Canadian archaeologist and epigrapher, see David H. Kelley.

David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television and movie producer. Born in Waterville, Maine, he attended Belmont Hill School, Princeton University and Boston University School of Law and initially worked as a lawyer in Boston. But in the 1980s he became involved with screenwriting. Initially, he wrote several episodes for the television series L.A. Law, which he later produced as well, and later co-created Doogie Howser, M.D. (with L.A. Law creator Steven Bochco), Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Snoops, Girls Club, Boston Public, The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H., and Boston Legal.

Kelley's shows are renowned for their whimsical, occasionally surreal comedic touches, as well as moments of seriousness.

Kelley married actress Michelle Pfeiffer in 1993. They had two children, a girl adopted by Pfeiffer before the marriage and a son.

Sometimes assumed to be a Catholic (because of his surname and the character Bobby Donnell on The Practice having a Catholic background and a personal estrangement from the Church over the issue of pedophile priests), Kelley is actually a Protestant.

David E. Kelley's shows tend to be revolving door ensemble casts with no single principal character. Even on Ally McBeal there were episodes in which the title character had fewer lines or was even omitted. Every season (sometimes even more often) some of the old regular characters get written out and are replaced by new regular characters. As Kelley focuses on the newer characters, he tends to neglect developing older characters who've stayed. For example, the last season of The Practice was almost completely dominated by Alan Shore, to the point that the older regulars Eugene Young and Jimmy Berlutti had nothing to do except plot to fire Shore from the firm. On the first season of Boston Legal, Shore and Denny Crane started to recede to the background as Shirley Schmidt was added.

Kelley often uses regular actors from older shows in newer shows, and vice versa. For example, Anthony Heald and Rene Auberjonois both played judges on The Practice, and both went on to be regular cast members in later shows (Heald on Boston Public as a vice-principal and Auberjonois on Boston Legal as a partner at a law firm).

Over his career in television, Kelley has been nominated for 23 Emmy Awards and has won nine of them. He's won six Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series (Two for L.A. Law, two for Picket Fences, and two for The Practice), two for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series (Both for L.A. Law), and one for Outstanding Comedy Series (for Ally McBeal). Among the actors and actresses who have won Emmys for playing roles in Kelley's series are Peter MacNicol, Tracey Ullman, Sharon Stone, William Shatner, James Spader, Alfre Woodard, Charles S. Dutton, Michael Emerson, James Whitmore, Beah Richards, Edward Herrmann, Michael Badalucco, Holland Taylor, John Larroquette, Camryn Manheim, Christine Lahti, Hector Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Kathy Baker, Ray Walston, Paul Winfield, Richard Kiley, Fyvush Finkel, Leigh Taylor-Young, Tom Skerritt, Richard Dysart, Jimmy Smits, and Larry Drake.

David E. Kelley's archetypes

Characters

Although Kelley occasionally comes up with very original characters, many of his characters can be derived from a few archetypes.

• The Crooked Lawyer with a Heart of Gold Slick-talking, disregards legal and moral ethics when it suits him. But when it really counts, such as in situations involving children, he can be counted on to do the right thing. Prime examples are Richard Fish in Ally McBeal and Alan Shore in Boston Legal, and, with markedly less success, the teacher Harry Senate in Boston Public.
• The Brilliant But Senile Old Lawyer Often referred to as a "legend", there is some question as to whether he should even be practicing law anymore. At trials he often forgets details of the case, but he has "crutches" to help him cover up his forgetfulness. Examples include Raymond Oz in The Practice and Denny Crane in Boston Legal, as well as Douglas Wombaugh in Picket Fences.
• The Copyright Infringing Defendant Delusional defendant who thinks he's an icon of copyrighted American folklore, such as a famous comic book superhero or movie character. For example, on The Practice, Lindsay Dole defended a man who thought he was Hannibal Lecter, and kept calling her "Clarice". In another episode, a mental patient thought he was Superman and tried to fly off a hospital ledge.

Plots

• The Guilty Client Tricks the Lawyer The client tricks the lawyer into believing he didn't really do it. He might get an immunity deal, or he might insist on his guilt in a way that makes the lawyer believe that he's innocent but wants others to believe he's guilty. Joey Heric literally got away with murder with variations on this ploy on The Practice.

Themes

• The Eternal Moral Conflict of Criminal Defense Attorneys Criminal defense attorneys often fret that they help "put murderers and rapists back on the street." They constantly have to remind themselves that what they do is for the overall common good, by "checking the State's power to incarcerate at will." This was the prominent theme of The Practice, but it crops up in all of Kelley's shows.
• Moral Ethics and Legal Ethics are Different Situations often come about where the legally ethical thing to do is morally wrong, and vice versa. For example, in one episode of The Practice, Jimmy Berlutti learned that a young boy was in serious need of preventive surgery because of an aneurysm in his brain, but the insurance company invoked privilege to request that the information not be disclosed. Berlutti risked disbarment to inform the boy's parents that he needed surgery.
• Liberal Agenda Kelley's protagonist lawyers often brilliantly advocate positions that are consistent with their Massachusetts' setting. Episodes of Boston Legal and The Practice have repeatedly tackled issues such as: the death penalty, salmon in captivity, the beef industry, the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act, gun control, poverty and homelessness, John Ashcroft, abortion, and the morning after pill. However, arguments have also been raised relating to domestic abuses by the government that are palatable with old fashioned conservative and libertarian views.

Lines of dialogue

Kelley has been accused by some of recycling dialogue. A few examples:

• "Look at me!" Often said by one character to a character who looks away during a conversation. Most often said in the more yelling-heavy episodes of Boston Public.
• "I feel more alone with you than by myself." Said by two different women to Harry Senate on Boston Public, and at least once to Bobby Donnell on The Practice.
• "Go subscribe to National Geographic. Make a list of the places you'll never get to visit." Said by Shirley Schmidt on Boston Legal and similar to Douglas Wambaugh's line on Picket Fences.

Media

DVDA, a parody band featuring Trey Parker and Matt Stone, performed a live song dedicated to David Kelley, titled "David Kelley, TV Warrior".

External links

• David E. Kelley at IMDb