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The Practice focused on the law firm of Robert Donnell and Associates (later becoming Donnell, Young, Dole, & Frutt, and ultimately Young, Frutt, & Berluti). Plots typically featured the firm's involvement in various high-profile criminal and civil cases that often mirror current events. Conflict between legal ethics and personal morality was a recurring theme. There are a number of crossovers with other David E. Kelley shows, including Boston Public, Ally McBeal, and the Paul Attanasio produced, short-lived medical drama Gideon's Crossing. The Practice is one of David E. Kelley's more serious-themed shows, lacking much of the comedy found in Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. In its first season, the show starred Dylan McDermott, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Steve Harris, Camryn Manheim, and Kelli Williams. By episode three of season one, Michael Badalucco joined the cast as Jimmy Berluti. Later, at the beginning of season 2, Lara Flynn Boyle joined the cast as district attorney Helen Gamble, a role she played for six seasons. By the end of the seventh season, faced with sagging ratings, ABC conditioned the show's renewal on a drastic budget reduction. As a result, six cast members were fired: Dylan McDermott, Kelli Williams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Chyler Leigh, Marla Sokoloff, and Lisa Gay Hamilton. The addition of James Spader and Rhona Mitra to the cast for the eighth season somewhat revived the ratings; Spader went on to win an Emmy for his appearance. However, on March 11, 2004, ABC announced that The Practice would not return for a ninth season; rather, Kelley would create a new spin-off series Boston Legal, starring Spader, Mitra, Lake Bell and William Shatner. |