Why William Shatner's Boston Legal Was Canceled

While he's primarily known for playing Captain James T. Kirk, some of William Shatner's best performances exist outside of the "Star Trek" franchise. Prior to joining the USS Enterprise, Shatner — along with his fellow "Star Trek" alum Leonard Nimoy — graced "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", i.e. one of the most influential spy TV series of all time. He's also one of several "Star Trek" actors to star in "The Twilight Zone," Rod Serling's game-changing sci-fi, fantasy, and horror anthology show that's influenced everything from "Black Mirror" to the cinema of Jordan Peele.

Outside of genre fare, though, Shatner has solidified himself as a formidable force in the world of TV legal dramas, winning Emmy Awards for David E. Kelley's "The Practice" and its shorter-lived spin-off, "Boston Legal." His character, Denny Crane, is a legendary, ultra-conservative lawyer who often refers to himself by his full name and claims that he's never lost a case. His political beliefs also put him at odds with his best friend, Alan Shore (James Spader), but their opposing ideologies don't get in the way of their shared love of cigars and Scotch.

Needless to say, "Boston Legal" is one of the quirkier legal dramas out there — it even inspired the "Parks and Recreation" cast to create a fake TV show set in the world of law. Unfortunately, though, the series' acclaim and lasting influence on some tastemakers wasn't enough to prevent ABC from pulling the plug on it after five seasons. With that in mind, let's find out why "Boston Legal" was canceled.

"Boston Legal" wasn't canceled on a whim without any sort of final resolution. Ultimately, David E. Kelley's legal drama was given a 13-episode fifth season to finish the story and bring closure to its cast, crew, and fans, which is more than some shows have been allowed. That said, Kelley has claimed ABC wasn't fully supportive of "Boston Legal" from the get-go, which might explain the network's reluctance to green light more seasons. As he told The Hollywood Reporter after the show's cancellation in 2008:

"Our demographics aren't so great, but our numbers have been pretty solid. It commanded a pretty decent ad rate. But this isn't a show that I think ABC was ever truly excited about. They don't own it, and I'm sure they prefer to invest in their own product and get a piece of the package."

Not only that, but Kelley also felt "Boston Legal" might have been too niche for some viewers' sensibilities. Unlike "Law and Order" and some of the more procedural legal dramas out there, it's difficult to dive into random episodes and come to grips with what's going on quickly, which might have prevented the series from expanding its audience. As Kelley put it:

"It was an acquired taste from the start. If you tuned in [for] a single episode and looked at it in a vacuum, you'd wonder what planet they were coming from and probably move on."

There's an argument to be made that "Boston Legal" deserved a longer tenure on the screen, but five seasons is also a solid run for any TV show. The good news, though, is that Kelley is still making great legal-themed series like "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "Presumed Innocent," even if some fans would prefer to see him revive "Boston Legal."