Ten Reasons to Watch Boston Legal

First, a belated birthday to Logan of "House of the Ded" - the second coolest guy named Logan I know (behind my godson).

Here they are, in ascending order:

• It's The Show The Practice should have been: Both series dealt with the shadier side of legal matters - The Practice initially focused on the moral shadings of criminal defense attorneys, and gradually degenerated into a soap opera. Boston Legal contains enough sly humor to outweigh the potential weightiness; in short, it's almost an L.A. Law for the new millenium.
• It's not afraid to be liberal - This has been a criticism of the alleged "liberal media bias", but (as last week's episode deftly illustrated), it can be a strength, defending its harshest critics. On that note
• It had a cool semi-crossover with the late, lamented Boston Public - I have to admit, I loved BP - where else could you find drama in a public school setting. I'm waiting for a hot romance between Fyvush Finkel & Betty White on BL. (As a side note, when's Boston Public coming on DVD?)
• Admit it - does anyone really watch Crossing Jordan? Didn't think so.
• James Spader's Finest Hour: In his career, Mr. Spader has only (to the best of my knowledge) only played heroic characters in two films - Tuff Turf and Stargate. The rest of the time, he's just creepy. As Alan Shore, he gets the best of both worlds, playing a self-loathing attorney who can't help but do the right thing. We hate him and love him at the same time.
• It's set in Boston: Any city that brought us the American Revolution, Zoom, my pal Ajay, and my favorite detective can't be all bad, now, can it?
• It's great follow-up to either Desperate Housewives or Law and Order: Criminal Intent: hey, I've done it both ways. Great stuff.
• Great eye candy: Monica Potter. Lake Bell. Rhona Mitra. Mark Valley. Hey, if Candice Bergen and Betty White float your boat, so much the better. You sometimes forget there is a plot.
• Yeah, like you're really gonna watch Masterpiece Theater

And the main reason to watch Boston Legal?

• William Shatner: That's right, the guy you would least expect is the killer ingredient in this show. Some of you are being naysayers - after all, isn't this the guy who leaves teeth marks in the scenery? Well, whatever your opinion, as Denny Crane, Mr. Shatner (I refuse to call him "Shat" or "The Shat Man" - it makes him sound like a bowel movement) performs a tour-de-force as a senior partner who is 1) gradually going senile; 2) pretending to be gradually going senile, or 3) both. His performance proves what many of us secretly suspected - the man can act, ladies and gentlemen.