Ally McBeal
The hit Fox Television series Ally McBeal premiered in September of 1997. "Ally [McBeal] was called a modern version of the 1970s television heroine Mary Tyler Moore." (Speace 57.) Until 1997, the Mary Tyler Moore show was the only show that had focused on the single woman. Mary Tyler Moore was the consummate single woman of the 1970s with the perfect life. Viewers never saw her contemplating whom she would marry, when she would have kids, or if the bags under her eyes were noticeable. Those issues were not discussed openly in the '70s. However, by the 1990s, it had become more common for women to marry later in life; single women were becoming more of a majority than a minority. In addition, the divorce rate had more than doubled, adding to the population of single women. The premier of Ally McBeal had single (and "re-single") women across the nation tuning into Fox weekly. The show, featuring the title character, Ally McBeal, revolves around the trials and tribulations of a female lawyer working at a Boston law firm (Cage & Fish). "The show explores the strengths and vulnerabilities of women, especially single women facing problems with relationships and the workplace, says Dyan Cannon, who plays a
Season 3 sees the sudden death of Billy thanks to a brain [tumor], and it isn't long before Richard has replaced Billy with a new lawyer Mark. The relationship between Ally and Mark becomes tense to say the least, which is only understandable due to Ally's lost deep-friendship with Billy." (Introduction to Ally... par. 1-8.) "Ally McBeal is the creation of David E. Kelley, who also produces Picket Fences and The Practice, and used to produce Chicago Hope. Kelley used to be a lawyer, but decided to turn to TV and after some successful productions, Fox gave him the chance to produce Ally McBeal" (Introduction to Ally...,par. 1). "The show also gained notice for its frequent use of computer-enhanced effects, such as exaggerated facial expressions and the [well known] dancing baby that haunted Ally as a symbol of her desire for motherhood" (Speace 57). Knowledgeable writer, Geri Speace, says, "Fans enjoyed the updated take on working women as real human beings struggling with insecurities;...". Ally McBeal has proved that American attitudes have changed drastically since the days of Mary Tyler Moore. Television no longer keeps secrets. Some might say that America is showing a slackening of morals; some might say that society has become less "shockable" than it used to be. From there onwards, Ally has always tried to forget Billy and find another love. Dating one guy after another, there has always been something wrong with them, and so she feel
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Approximate Word count = 988
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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