‘Ally McBeal’ Sequel Coming With Calista Flockhart Returning, Not Starring

Calista Flockhart attends the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 10th Annual Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on November 18, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/FilmMagic)

It only took 20 years, but it appears there will be an Ally McBeal sequel. Only this one won’t star Calista Flockhart in the lead role.

Videos by Rare

The original Ally McBeal was created by David Kelly and ran from 1997-2002 on Fox. It sold itself as a “legal drama,” though there was much more to it than that. It could also be funny and, at times, downright strange.

McBeal starred in the title role as a lawyer working at the firm Cage & Fish in Boston. Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva broke the news of the spinoff.

Ally Mcbeal Cast

“Written and executive produced by Karin Gist (Mike), I hear the new show will follow a young Black woman who joins the law firm from the original series (or its current incarnation) straight out of law school,” Andreeva reported. “The young woman is believed to be the daughter of Ally McBeal’s (Flockhart) D.A. roommate Renée Raddick, who was played by Lisa Nicole Carson on the mothership series.”

Of course, the original Ally McBeal will be a hard act to follow. It won multiple awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in both 1998 and ’99. The show also has an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1999.

This time, though, it seems slated for ABC.

And Flockhart’s involvement in the new version seems to remain very much up in the air, not to be determined until after she gets a good feel for the script.

“Executives at 20th TV had been looking to bring back Ally McBeal in some shape or form for years; the efforts were stepped up after the 2019 Disney acquisition of Fox assets, including 20th TV, fueled by how well the series’ DNA fits into ABC’s core brand of female-driven character dramas with levity,” Andreeva wrote. “I hear Gist’s take was very well received across the board, leading to the pitch’s sale to ABC for development.”

What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

John Corbett to Reprise ‘Sex and the City’ Role for HBO Sequel ‘And Just Like That’

NASA Revealed What a Black Hole Sounds Like, and It’s Terrifying