BOSTON LEGAL: NO BRAINS LEFT BEHIND (TV)
Summary
One in this darkly comic series focusing on a firm of brilliant but emotionally-challenged attorneys in Boston. In this episode, Alan gets the idea to sue the National Guard for failing to protect a pizzeria from destruction from a flood, though Denny, naturally, worries that the case is "unpatriotic." Shirley's granddaughter Marlena arrives in a panic, admitting that she may be expelled from school for defiantly shredding a standardized test, and Katie and Whitney continue questioning Lorraine about her claims of being under a fatwa from her Pakistani ex-husband. Judge Brown is, as ever, outraged by Alan's suit, arguing that the National Guard is too busy with the war to attend to "domestic responsibilities," and Marlena, accompanied by Shirley and a combative Whitney, tells her principal that her year abroad in England opened her eyes to the "pathetic" nature of American public school education.
Back at the office, Shirley is distressed when Carl admits that, despite his love for her, he intends to return to New York, having grown exasperated with the endless shenanigans at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Alan assumes the role of "town crier" and rants about the needlessly expensive war and the many domestic problems that could be solved with the same money, prompting Judge Brown to dismiss his suit against the National Guard and jail both Denny and Alan for contempt. Marlena heads to Judge Fisher's courtroom and takes the stand to explain the many failings of the American public school system, including how standardized test results are "fudged" to suggest better results. Lorraine visits Alan in jail and admits that Katie has seen through her lie about the fatwa, and Denny is delighted to learn that Lorraine was actually a high-profile madam back in England. Alan advises her to simply come clean with Shirley, and as Shirley tries to convince Carl to remain in Boston, Lorraine barges in and informs them both of Denny and Alan's contempt charges and of her own lascivious past, seemingly confirming Carl's point about the firm's routine madness.
A National Geographic editor confirms Marlena's claims about American students' dismal understanding of world geography, and Alan, deciding that he does indeed "complain" too much, decides to enlist in the National Guard – but he and Denny are both rejected on the grounds of age, much to their outrage. Principal Daniels tries to defend the Massachusetts school system but ends up ranting about the impossible challenges of his job and the extreme restrictions created by the "No Child Left Behind" plan, and Judge Brown uncharacteristically agrees with Alan about the unfair military recruitment rules, though is unable to intervene legally. Shirley argues that Marlena had the patriotic right to protest an injustice and should not be harshly punished with expulsion, and Denny and Alan march off to join the Coast Guard Auxiliary, which has no age limit. Shirley finally tells Carl that the firm's "lunacy" is actually often a positive thing, as their lawyers are willing to challenge norms and explore new ideas, and Carl agrees to stay in Boston and continue their relationship. Judge Fisher agrees with Shirley and rules that Marlena may only be suspended, not expelled, and Alan and Denny, confident of their not-yet official acceptance to the Coast Guard, ponder their respective capacity for leadership, with Denny eagerly to blow things up and Alan resolved to "consider the less fortunate," like Lorraine. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 11, 2007 Tuesday 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:92818
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama; Lawyers
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2004-2008
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Charlie Wilson’s War" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - Apple Mac computers
- TV - Commercials - Apple iPhones
- TV - Commercials - Best Buy stores
- TV - Commercials - Braun Pulsonic electric razors
- TV - Commercials - Canine Companions for Independence
- TV - Commercials - Chrysler automobiles
- TV - Commercials - CitiCard credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Cymbalta depression medication
- TV - Commercials - Ester-C vitamin supplement
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - HairMystery.com website
- TV - Commercials - Kia automobiles
- TV - Commercials - LG home appliances
- TV - Commercials - Make-A-Wish foundation
- TV - Commercials - Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - T-Mobile cellular phone services
- TV - Commercials - Target stores
- TV - Commercials - The Home Depot stores
- TV - Commercials - Verizon Wireless cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Victoria's Secret stores
- TV - Commercials - energystar.gov organization
- TV - PSA - ABC A Better Community volunteering
- TV - Promos - "ABC World News Tonight"
- TV - Promos - "Boston Legal" upcoming episode
- TV - Promos - "Dancing With the Stars"
- TV - Promos - "Duel"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Pushing Daisies"
- TV - Promos - "Surviving Christmas"
CREDITS
- Bill D'Elia … Executive Producer
- David E. Kelley … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Mike Listo … Co-Executive Producer
- Lawrence Broch … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Steve Robin … Supervising Producer
- Janet Knutsen McCann … Producer
- Craig Turk … Producer
- Anne M. Uemura … Co-Producer
- Phoef Sutton … Consulting Producer
- Robert Breech … Consulting Producer
- Susan Dickes … Consulting Producer, Writer
- Stephen Cragg … Director
- Danny Lux … Music by
- James Spader … Cast, Alan Shore
- John Larroquette … Cast, Carl Sack
- Christian Clemenson … Cast, Jerry Espenson
- Gary Anthony Williams … Cast, Clarence / Clarice Bell
- Tara Summers … Cast, Katie Lloyd
- Saffron Burrows … Cast, Lorraine Weller
- Taraji P. Henson … Cast, Whitney Rome
- Candice Bergen … Cast, Shirley Schmidt
- William Shatner … Cast, Denny Crane
- Henry Gibson … Cast, Judge Clark Brown
- Mark L. Taylor … Cast, Attorney Adam Jovanka
- Allison Miller … Cast, Marlena Hoffman
- Steve Hytner … Cast, Principal Daniels
- Joe Guzaldo … Cast, Bert McAdams
- Colby French … Cast, Officer Taylor Jessel
- Patricia Bethune … Cast, National Geographic Editor
- Jenifer Lewis … Cast, Judge Isabel Fisher
- Glen Walker … Cast, Anchorman