David E. Kelley

David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including Doogie Howser, M.D., Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Goliath, Big Little Lies, and Big Sky. Kelley is one of very few screenwriters to have created shows that have aired on all four top commercial American television networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) as well as cable giant HBO.

Early life

David Edward Kelley was born on April 4, 1956, in Waterville, Maine, raised in Belmont, Massachusetts, and attended the Belmont Hill School. His father is Jack Kelley, a member of the United States Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Kelley was a stick boy for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association in their inaugural season of 1972–1973 when his father coached the team. Kelley was captain of the Princeton Tigers men's ice hockey team at Princeton University, where he graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in political science.

Early on, he demonstrated a creative and quirky bent. In his junior year at Princeton, Kelley submitted a paper for a political science class about John F. Kennedy's plot to kill Fidel Castro, written as a poem.

Kelley received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Boston University School of Law, where he wrote for the Legal Follies, a sketch comedy group composed of Boston University law students which still holds annual performances. He began working for a Boston law firm, mostly dealing with real estate and minor criminal cases.

In 1983, while considering it only a hobby, Kelley began writing a screenplay, a legal thriller, which was optioned in 1986 and later became the Judd Nelson feature film From the Hip in 1987.

Television work

L.A. Law (1986–1994)

In 1986, Steven Bochco was searching for writers with a law background for his new NBC legal series, L.A. Law. His agent sent him Kelley's movie script for From the Hip. Enthusiastic, Bochco made him a writer and story editor for the show. During this first year, Kelley kept his law office in Boston as a hedge. However, his involvement in the show only expanded. In the second year, he became executive story editor and co-producer. Finally, in 1989, Bochco stepped away from the series, making Kelley the executive producer. Midway through the sixth season, both Bochco and Kelley were brought in as creative consultants after the show received bad press about its decline in quality.

Picket Fences (1992–1996)

In 1992, after co-creating Doogie Howser, M.D. with his mentor Steven Bochco, Kelley formed his own production company, David E. Kelley Productions, making a three-series deal with CBS. Its first creation, Picket Fences, airing in 1992 and influenced by Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure, focused on the police department in the quirky fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin. Kelley wrote most of the episodes for the first three years. The show was critically acclaimed but never found a sizable audience. Picket Fences went on for four years, receiving a total of 14 Emmy awards including consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series for its first and second seasons.

In 1995, the fourth and final season, Kelley wrote only two episodes. "We had almost 10 writers try to come in and take over for this one man", said Picket Fences actress Holly Marie Combs. "The quality was not nearly what it was."

Chicago Hope (1994–2000)

Under pressure from CBS to develop a second series even though he didn't feel ready to produce two shows simultaneously, Kelley launched the medical drama Chicago Hope, starring Mandy Patinkin and Adam Arkin, which premiered in 1994. Airing at the same time as the season's other new medical drama, NBC's ER, the ultimate ratings leader, Chicago Hope plotted "upscale medicine in a high-tech world run by high-priced doctors". During its six-year run, it won seven Emmys

Originally intending to write only the first several episodes in order to return full-time to Picket Fences, Kelley eventually wrote most of the material for both shows, a total of roughly 40 scripts. Expressing a desire to focus more on his production company and upcoming projects, Kelley ceased day-to-day involvement with both series in 1995, allowing others to write and produce.

The Practice (1997–2004)

In 1995, Kelley entered into a five-year deal with 20th Century Fox Television to produce shows for both the ABC and FOX television networks, each agreeing to take two series. If one network passed on a project, the other got first refusal. Kelley retained full creative control. Ally McBeal on FOX and The Practice on ABC were the first two projects to come from this deal.

Premiering as a midseason replacement for the 1996–1997 season, The Practice was Kelley's chance to write another courtroom drama but one focusing on the less-glamorous realities of a small law firm. The New York Times described the show as "the profoundly realistic, unending battle between soul-searching and ambition". By the fifth season, Kelley would usually only edit the final script and was generally not on the set during filming.

In 2003, due to sagging ratings, ABC cut Kelley's budget in half for the eighth and final season. He responded by firing most of the cast and hiring James Spader for the role of Alan Shore, whom The New York Times described as "a lecherous, twisted antitrust lawyer with a breezy disregard for ethics." The final episodes of The Practice were focused on introducing the new characters from his next show, Boston Legal.

Ally McBeal (1997–2002)

When Ally McBeal premiered in 1997 on FOX, Kelley was also shepherding his other two shows, Chicago Hope and The Practice, although he was not actively participating in Chicago Hope at the time. In contrast to The Practice and its idealistic lawyers, the law firm in Ally McBeal was founded only to make money.

The New York Times felt that the show uniquely emphasised "character and caricature". The show lasted five seasons, seven Emmys (one for Outstanding Comedy Series for its second season), mostly positive reviews and a barrage of criticism for its portrayal of women, with many journalists saying that the character Ally was a giant step backwards.

Parallel to The Practice, Kelley penned all the scripts for the first season, then brought in other writers in subsequent years, although he continued to write many episodes himself. A New York Times writer used the character as an example of a strong television woman's role, another saw herself, at times, in the character's portrayal of self-absorption and reflection, her crafted neuroses, her vulnerabilities. In the article, Ginia Bellafante used the McBeal character as a modern exemplar proving that "[M]uch of feminism has devolved into the silly." In response, author Erica Jong felt that the Time journalist diminished her argument by using only pop-cultural references and ignoring the majority of real-world women who have made significant progress.

Writing in Salon.com, Joyce Millman disputed that Ally McBeal should even be described as a "women's show"—that its representations of women were, in fact, a male fantasy. She felt that Kelley treated his female characters "sadistically" in general, beginning all the way back to L.A. Law, saving only The Practice for positive remarks.

Boston Public (2000–2004)

In 2000, 20th Century Fox Television extended its arrangement with Kelley. The deal, which ran for six years, reportedly made Kelley the highest-paid producer in TV history—up to $40 million a year—in return for a first-look at his projects.

Premiering on FOX in 2000, Boston Public, which follows the lives of teachers and administrators at a Boston inner-city high school, joined The Practice and Ally McBeal for the season, meaning Kelley was responsible for writing or overseeing 67 episodes. The show lasted four seasons, garnering one minor Emmy.

Boston Legal (2004–2008)

In addition to Snoops, Kelley continued to have a string of unsuccessful series: Girls Club in 2002, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire in 2003 and the reality show The Law Firm in 2005. All the while, he continued overseeing Boston Public and The Practice.

Boston Legal on ABC, premiering in 2004, gave continuity and success to the Kelley franchise. It was a spin-off of his long-running legal drama The Practice, and followed attorney Alan Shore (a character who became the star of The Practice in its final season, played by James Spader) to his new law firm, Crane, Poole & Schmidt. It also starred veteran television actors Candice Bergen and William Shatner. Critically popular with less than spectacular ratings (ranked 27th for the first season, 46th for the second), the show was an "Emmy darling" during its run, winning seven times and being nominated over 25 times. The show won the Peabody Award in 2005 for its signature political commentaries.

In 2007, Boston Legal began to see a rise of viewership as a result of its following ABC's popular Dancing with the Stars series, mostly ranking either first or second most-watched program of the evening in its ten o'clock time period, beating out CBS and NBC's shows.

The fifth and final season began in 2008 with Kelley writing most of the episodes. The season only aired thirteen episodes, making a series run of 101 episodes. The two-hour series finale drew 11 million viewers. Still, the show drew over 15 million viewers much of its first season—and Kelley felt ABC's treatment of the show over the years ultimately killed it, saying to TV Guide that ABC always treated the show like its "bastard child". Boston Legal aired on four different nights (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Monday) in its five-season run, with the ratings slipping after each move. In the second-to-last episode of the series, Kelley blatantly wrote a show questioning the legitimacy of the Nielsen ratings and the network's treatment of the show by including a plot about a lawsuit against an unnamed television network.

In 2007, Kelley received the Justice in the Arts Award from Death Penalty Focus, an organization dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty. He previously received an award from this organization in 2000 for his work on the show The Practice.

2007–2022

Kelley's The Wedding Bells premiered in the autumn of 2007 and was canceled after seven episodes. Additionally, Kelley worked on an Americanized version of the BBC show Life on Mars for the 2007–2008 season on ABC and also worked on an adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's Hollywood Station. He later handed production to another creative crew.

In May 2008, Kelley signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television and later penned a spec script for another legal drama entitled Legally Mad in a comic vein. NBC ultimately rejected the series. NBC would pay a two million dollar penalty to Warner Bros. for Kelley's scripts. Kelley was the creator and executive producer of Harry's Law, which premiered on NBC on January 17, 2011. The series starred Kathy Bates in the titular role. The show was cancelled in 2012 even though it was the network's second most-watched drama, because its audience skewed too old as the more desirable 18–49 demographic viewership was very low.

In 2011, Kelley wrote a script for the pilot episode of a new Wonder Woman TV series for Warner Bros. Television, but the pilot was rejected by NBC for its fall 2011 lineup.

A new medical series, Monday Mornings, co-created with Sanjay Gupta, premiered February 2013 on TNT, the cable television channel owned by Time Warner. Set in Portland, Oregon, the show stars Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina and Jamie Bamber. In May 2013, the show was canceled by TNT.

A new comedy series created by Kelley, The Crazy Ones, starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar, premiered on CBS on September 26, 2013. The show was cancelled after a season due to lukewarm reception.

In 2015, Kelley created the Amazon Studios series Goliath.

In 2017, Kelley spearheaded a new HBO series, Big Little Lies, which won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. He was also a showrunner on the TV adaptation of the Stephen King novel Mr. Mercedes.

In March 2018, it was announced that HBO had given a series order for The Undoing, a miniseries based on the 2014 novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz. The series was written by Kelley, who also served as executive producer with Nicole Kidman (who starred alongside Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland), Per Saari, and Bruna Papandrea. Susanne Bier directed the miniseries. It premiered in October 2020, and was the most-watched show on HBO that year.

In June 2019, Kelley wrote a script for a CBS crime drama series, The Lincoln Lawyer, based from the 2005 novel of the same name by Michael Connelly. On May 2, 2020, CBS announced that the pilot would not be moving forward. However, on January 11, 2021, the series was picked up by Netflix.

Kelley was announced as the writer and showrunner on the ABC crime drama series Big Sky, based on the book The Highway by C. J. Box.

Kelley served as writer, executive producer and showrunner on The Calling, an American adaptation of Israeli television series Missing File on Peacock.

2023–present

In November 2024, Keley received the 2024 International Emmy Founders Award at the 52nd International Emmy Awards Gala, recognizing his four-decade career creating acclaimed television series such as L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, and Big Little Lies. The International Academy praised Kelley’s lasting impact on global television, while Kelley credited the honor to the collaborators who helped him create influential, award-winning shows and continue producing successful projects across major streaming platforms.

In 2026, Kelley exec produced Margo's Got Money Troubles with A24 as the studio.

In April 2026, Kelley is teaming up with director Matt Reeves for a series based on Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities. The project is in development at Apple TV, with Warner Bros. TV as the studio.

In May 2026, Kelley will adapt a Michael Connelly crime novel for television, the 2024 bestseller Nightshade, for HBO Max.

Methods

Writing

Kelley writes his first drafts longhand using a Bic ballpoint and yellow legal pad. He typically writes scripts in two to four days, initially working without collaboration, finding it faster and easier than trying to explain what he wants to others. Kelley gradually became more comfortable bringing in writers for ideas and taking over writing responsibilities.

Kelley seeds his plots with political and social "hot-button" issues. One method is by introducing provocative legal cases. Episodes have covered the gamut of contemporary issues from the culpability of tobacco companies and gun makers to assisted-suicide crusaders. Another way is by undergirding the character's social interrelationships with serious explorations such as feminism, sexuality and divorce. Instead of lessons, Kelley strives to "raise moral and ethical questions without easy answers." He states:

Instead of taking clear stands on issues, Kelley creates scenarios meant to challenge audience preconceptions. For example, an episode of Ally McBeal dealt with a female employee who sued for sexual harassment because she noticed that other prettier women were being promoted. There was deliberately no clear point of view.

In Ally McBeal, Kelley utilized two techniques: a voiceover providing an interior monologue for the title character, and Walter Mitty fantasy sequences (ala Dream On as critics have noted) giving a humorous and often deeply honest (but sometimes ironic) explanation of the character's inner thoughts.

Crossover episodes

Kelley frequently crossed the cast of different shows. One crossover program event (which crossed networks also) involved characters from Kelley's Ally McBeal on the Fox network appearing on his ABC show, The Practice, and, in turn, The Practice characters appeared on Ally McBeal. This was done in spite of the two shows' different tones (one a comedy, the other a drama). This crossover was partially credited for raising ratings for The Practice, which it sustained after those episodes.

Casting

Kelley often uses regular actors from older shows in newer shows. For example, Anthony Heald and René Auberjonois both played judges on The Practice, and both went on to be regular cast members in later shows (Heald on Boston Public as a vice-principal and Auberjonois on Boston Legal as a partner at a law firm). Both Kathy Baker and Justin Shenkarow (Picket Fences) have been used in Boston Public. Kathy Baker as Meredith "The Hook Lady" Peters and Justin Shenkarow as the student Warren Dickson. In addition many actors who either had the main roles or major roles in Kelley's previous shows would make at least one guest appearance in Boston Legal.

After the HBO series Big Little Lies, Kelley started a working relationship with Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman. The pair have collaborated on several shows together, including Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers.

Portrayal of real life

Legal profession

The Practice was considered more accurate in its portrayal of the law than L.A. Law or Ally McBeal . The importance of legal strategy, sometimes at the expense of the truth, rang true. One attorney said, "[I]t's really about the tactics and the mistakes that opposing counsel makes." Judges were represented as complex, less-than-perfect human beings, sometimes with emotional problems. Plots demonstrated how a defendant's personality would impact the adjudication of a case. Stuart Levine of Variety magazine said, "[The Practice] isn't afraid to paint the firm's clients as the dregs of society."

Medicine

In The New York Times, Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, felt that medical dramas such as Kelley's Chicago Hope do a good job of addressing bioethical issues such as who should receive a liver transplant or when should a patient be allowed to die. However, there is a lack of discussion concerning the primary money issue: "How do people pay for this?" The show has been criticized for presenting a one-sided view of managed care, portraying HMOs as dramatically evil while glossing over the complexities. Doctors are too often shown as selfless patient advocates ready to battle whatever the financial cost.

Catholicism

Kelley has incorporated religious subject matter from the beginning, including issues involving Protestantism, Judaism, Scientology and Catholicism among others. they frequently complained of anti-Catholic bias in Kelley's shows because of his references to this subject.

Feature films

Besides his first film, From the Hip, which received poor reviews, Kelley wrote and produced three other films. 1996's To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, a romance, co-starring his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, received tepid critical and box office reception. In 1999, came two films: Lake Placid, a combination of suspense, horror and comedy, and Mystery, Alaska, about a fictional small-town ice hockey team that plays a game against the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League

Personal life

thumb|Kelley with wife Michelle Pfeiffer at the [[46th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994]]

His programs have addressed Catholic issues. Kelley was raised a Protestant.

In January 1993, Kelley was set up on a blind date with actress Michelle Pfeiffer. He took her to see Bram Stoker's Dracula the following week and they began dating seriously.

Pfeiffer had entered into private adoption proceedings before she met Kelley. In March 1993, she adopted a newborn daughter Claudia Rose. They married on November 13, 1993, and christened Claudia the same day. In August 1994, Pfeiffer gave birth to a son, John Henry.

David's brother, Mark Kelley, is the former Director of Amateur Scouting for the Chicago Blackhawks.

David was drafted in the tenth round of the WHA World Hockey Association draft by the Cincinnati Stingers in 1977.

Filmography

Film

{| class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Writer

!Producer

| 1987

| From the Hip

| 1996

| To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday

|rowspan=2| 1999

| Mystery, Alaska

| Lake Placid

Television

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Title

! Network

! Creator

! Writer

! Executive Producer

! Showrunner

! Notes

| 1986–1992

| L.A. Law

|align="center"|NBC

| Also story editor, executive story editor, supervising producer, co-producer and creative consultant

| 1989–1993

| Doogie Howser, M.D.

|align="center"|ABC

| Co-creator with Steven Bochco

| 1992–1996

| Picket Fences

| align="center" rowspan=2| CBS

| 1994–2000

| Chicago Hope

| Also executive consultant

| 1996–2004

| The Practice

|align="center"|ABC

| 1997–2002

| Ally McBeal

|align="center"|Fox

| 1999

| Snoops

|align="center"|ABC

| 2000–2004

| Boston Public

|align="center"|Fox

| Also executive consultant

| 2002

| Girls Club

|align="center"|Fox

| 2003

| The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire

|align="center"|CBS

| 2004–2008

| Boston Legal

|align="center"|ABC

| 2005

| The Law Firm

|align="center"|NBC

| 2007

| The Wedding Bells

|align="center"|Fox

| 2011–2012

| Harry's Law

|align="center"|NBC

| 2013

| Monday Mornings

|align="center"|TNT

| 2013–2014

| The Crazy Ones

|align="center"|CBS

| 2016–2021

| Goliath

| align="center"|Amazon Prime Video

|Exited after season 1

| 2017–2019

| Big Little Lies

| align="center"|HBO

| 2017–2019

| Mr. Mercedes

| align="center"|Audience

| 2020–2023

| Big Sky

| align="center"|ABC

| 2021–2022

| Big Shot

| align="center"|Disney+

| 2021–present

| Nine Perfect Strangers

| align="center"|Hulu

| 2022–present

| The Lincoln Lawyer

| align="center"|Netflix

|2022

| The Calling

| align="center"| Peacock

|2024–present

|Presumed Innocent

| align="center"|Apple TV+

| 2026–present

| Margo's Got Money Troubles

| align="center"|Apple TV+

Miniseries

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Title

! Network

! Creator

! Writer

! Executive Producer

! Showrunner

! Ref.

| 2020

| The Undoing

| align="center"|HBO

| 2022

| Anatomy of a Scandal

| align="center"|Netflix

| 2023

| Love & Death

| align="center"|HBO Max/Max

| 2024

| A Man in Full

| align="center"|Netflix

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20

PlotArea = left:25 right:150 top:10 bottom:30

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm/dd/yyyy

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1986 till:12/31/2021

Colors =

id:white value:white

id:grid1 value:black

id:grid2 value:gray(0.7)

id:writer value:pink legend:Writer

id:cocreator value:limegreen legend:Co-Creator/Writer

id:creator value:skyblue legend:Creator/Writer

BackgroundColors = canvas:white

AlignBars = justify

ScaleMajor = start:01/01/1986 unit:year grid:grid1 increment:5

ScaleMinor = start:01/01/1986 unit:year grid:grid2 increment:1

BarData =

bar:LALaw

bar:Howser

bar:Picket

bar:Chicago

bar:Practice

bar:McBeal

bar:Snoops

bar:Public

bar:girls

bar:Poland

bar:Legal

bar:Firm

bar:Wedding

bar:Harry

bar:Monday

bar:Crazy

bar:Goliath

bar:Lies

bar:Mercedes

bar:Undoing

bar:BigSky

bar:BigShot

bar:NineStrangers

PlotData =

align:left anchor:from fontsize:M width:15 shift:(4,-6) textcolor:black

bar:LALaw from:09/15/1986 till:05/21/1992 color:writer text:L.A. Law

bar:Howser from:09/19/1989 till:03/24/1993 color:cocreator text:Doogie Howser, M.D.

bar:Picket from:09/18/1992 till:06/26/1996 color:creator text:Picket Fences

bar:Chicago from:09/18/1994 till:05/02/2000 color:creator text:Chicago Hope

bar:Practice from:03/04/1997 till:05/16/2004 color:creator text:The Practice

bar:McBeal from:09/08/1997 till:05/20/2002 color:creator text:Ally McBeal

bar:Snoops from:09/26/1999 till:12/19/1999 color:creator text:Snoops

bar:Public from:10/23/2000 till:01/30/2004 color:creator text:Boston Public

bar:girls from:10/21/2002 till:10/28/2002 color:creator text:girls club

bar:Poland from:09/24/2003 till:10/22/2003 color:creator text:The Brotherhood of Poland, NH

bar:Legal from:10/03/2004 till:12/08/2008 color:creator text:Boston Legal

bar:Firm from:07/28/2005 till:08/04/2005 color:creator text:The Law Firm

bar:Wedding from:03/07/2007 till:04/06/2007 color:creator text:The Wedding Bells

bar:Harry from:01/17/2011 till:06/01/2012 color:creator text:Harry's Law

bar:Monday from:06/01/2013 till:08/31/2013 color:cocreator text:Monday Mornings

bar:Crazy from:09/23/2013 till:02/27/2014 color:creator text:The Crazy Ones

bar:Goliath from:10/13/2016 till:10/04/2019 color:cocreator text:Goliath

bar:Lies from:02/19/2017 till:07/17/2019 color:creator text:Big Little Lies

bar:Mercedes from:08/09/2017 till:11/12/2019 color:creator text:Mr. Mercedes

bar:Undoing from:10/25/2020 till:11/30/2020 color:writer text:The Undoing

bar:BigSky from:11/17/2020 till:12/31/2021 color:creator text:Big Sky

bar:BigShot from:04/16/2021 till:12/31/2021 color:cocreator text:Big Shot

bar:NineStrangers from:08/18/2021 till:09/22/2021 color:creator text:Nine Perfect Strangers

Legend = orientation:vertical position:right

</timeline>

Note: The above timeline does not include the three additional episodes of Snoops and the final two episodes of Boston Public broadcast in non-U.S. markets nor the short-lived Ally.

Awards

Emmy awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Year !! For !! Category !! Result !! Other notes

|rowspan="3"|1988 || Outstanding Drama Series || rowspan="13"|L.A. Law || || Shared with Steven Bochco, Terry Louise Fisher, Phillip M. Goldfarb, Scott Goldstein, Gregory Hoblit, Rick Wallace

|rowspan=2|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series || || rowspan=2|Shared with Terry Louise Fisher

|rowspan="4"|1989|| Outstanding Drama Series || || Shared with Steven Bochco, William M. Finkelstein, Michele Gallery, Phillip M. Goldfarb, Scott Goldstein, Judith Parker, Rick Wallace, Alice West

|rowspan="3"|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series || ||

| ||

|rowspan="3"|1990|| Outstanding Drama Series || || Shared with Robert M. Breech, William M. Finkelstein, Elodie Keene, Michael M. Robin, Rick Wallace, Alice West

| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series || || For the episode "Blood, Sweat & Fears"

| || For the episode "Bang...Zoom...Zap". Shared with co-writer William M. Finklestein

|rowspan="3"|1991|| Outstanding Drama Series || || Shared with Rick Wallace, Patricia Green, John Hill, Robert Breech, James C. Hart, Elodie Keene, Alan Brennert, Alice West

| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series || || For the episode "On The Toad Again"

| || For the episode "Mutinies On The Banzai". Shared with co-writers Alan Brennert and Patricia Green.

| 1993 || rowspan="5"|Outstanding Drama Series || rowspan="2"|Picket Fences || || Shared with Robert Breech, Mark B. Perry, Jonathan Pontell, Michael Pressman, Alice West

| 1994 || || Shared with Robert Breech, Ann Donahue, Geoffrey Neigher, Jack Philbrick, Jonathan Pontell, Michael Pressman, Alice West

| 1995 || rowspan="2"| Chicago Hope || || Shared with Michael Braverman, Dennis Cooper, Rob Corn, Michael Dinner, James C. Hart, John Heath, Michael Pressman, John Tinker

| 1996 || || Shared with Kevin Arkadie, Rob Corn, Bill D'Elia, Michael Dinner, Patricia Green, James C. Hart, John Heath, John Tinker

|rowspan="4"| 1998 || The Practice || || Shared with Bob Breech, Jeffrey Kramer, Christina Musrey, Jonathan Pontell, Ed Redlich, Gary M. Strangis, Pamela Wisne

|Outstanding Comedy Series || rowspan="2"|Ally McBeal || || Shared with Jeffrey Kramer, Mike Listo, Jonathan Pontell, Steve Robin, Pamela Wisne

|Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series || || For the episode "Theme of Life"

|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series || rowspan="2"|The Practice || || For the episode "Betrayal"

|rowspan="3"| 1999 || Outstanding Drama Series || || Shared with Bob Breech, Jeffrey Kramer, Christina Musrey, Gary M. Strangis, Pamela Wisne

|Outstanding Comedy Series || rowspan="2"|Ally McBeal || || Shared with Peter Burrell, Jeffrey Kramer, Mike Listo, Jonathan Pontell, Steve Robin, Pamela Wisne

|Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series || || For the episode "Sideshow"

| 2000 || rowspan="4"|Outstanding Drama Series || rowspan="2"|The Practice || || Shared with Bob Breech, Jeffrey Kramer, Christina Musrey, Gary M. Strangis, Pamela Wisne

| 2001 || ||

| 2007 || rowspan="2"|Boston Legal || ||

| 2008 || ||

|rowspan="2"| 2017 || | Outstanding Limited Series|| rowspan="2" |Big Little Lies || ||

| Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special|| ||

| 2024 || colspan="2"|International Emmy Founders Award || ||

Notes

Information from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences online database

Emmy winning actors and actresses in Kelley's series

Among the actors and actresses who have won Emmys for playing roles in Kelley's series are Peter MacNicol, Tracey Ullman, Sharon Stone, William Shatner, James Spader, Alfre Woodard, Charles S. Dutton, Michael Emerson, James Whitmore, Beah Richards, Edward Herrmann, Michael Badalucco, Holland Taylor, John Larroquette, Camryn Manheim, Christine Lahti, Héctor Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Kathy Baker, Ray Walston, Paul Winfield, Richard Kiley, Fyvush Finkel, Leigh Taylor-Young, Tom Skerritt, Richard Dysart, Paul McCrane, Christian Clemenson, Jimmy Smits, Larry Drake, Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård, and Laura Dern.

Peabody awards

The following information is from the Peabody Awards database.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Year !! For !! Producing organizations

|rowspan="2"|1998||The Practice||ABC and David E. Kelley Productions

|Ally McBeal||Fox and David E. Kelley Productions

|2002||Boston Public||David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television

|2005||Boston Legal||David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Television Hall of Fame

In 2014, David E. Kelley was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

References

Bibliography

Caldwell, John: "Convergence Television: Aggregating Form and Repurposing Content in the Culture of Conglomeration". Television after TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition. Ed. Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson. Duke University Press, 2004 .
Caves, Richard E.: Switching Channels: Organization and Change in TV Broadcasting. Harvard University Press, 2005. .
Ellis, John: Seeing Things: Television in the Age of Uncertainty. I. B. Tauris, 2000 .
Levine, Josh: David E. Kelley: The Man Behind Ally McBeal. ECW Press, 1999 .
Orlik, Peter B.: Electronic Media Criticism: Applied Perspectives. LEA, Inc., 2000 .
Tucker, Ken: Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy: 100 Things to Love and Hate About TV. St. Martin's Press, 2005 .

Early life

Television work

L.A. Law (1986–1994)

Picket Fences (1992–1996)

Chicago Hope (1994–2000)

The Practice (1997–2004)

Ally McBeal (1997–2002)

Boston Public (2000–2004)

Boston Legal (2004–2008)

2007–2022

2023–present

Methods

Writing

Crossover episodes

Casting

Portrayal of real life

Legal profession

Medicine

Catholicism

Feature films

Personal life

Filmography

Film

Television

Timeline

Awards

Emmy awards and nominations

Notes

Emmy winning actors and actresses in Kelley's series

Peabody awards

Television Hall of Fame

References

Bibliography

External links