The Practice

Series creator David E. Kelley intended The Practice as something of a rebuttal to L.A. Law, pushing back against that show's romanticized portrayal of the American legal system.

The Practice won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in both 1998 and 1999.

The series holds the Emmy Awards record for the most wins and most nominations in the Guest Actor and Guest Actress in a Drama Series categories, winning that award five consecutive years from 1998 to 2002.

Guest stars who won Emmys for their appearances include John Larroquette, Edward Herrmann, James Whitmore, Beah Richards, Michael Emerson, Charles S. Dutton, Alfre Woodard, Sharon Stone and William Shatner.

The show's post-Super Bowl episode on January 30, 2000, drew 23.8 million viewers, and its lead-in from the mega-hit Who Wants to Be a Millionaire helped push the series to its ratings peak.

Facing sagging ratings after season seven, ABC made the show's renewal conditional on a drastic budget reduction, leading to the firing of regulars Dylan McDermott, Kelli Williams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Chyler Leigh, Marla Sokoloff, and LisaGay Hamilton.

To help revive ratings after the cast overhaul, James Spader and Rhona Mitra joined the show in its final season; Spader went on to win an Emmy for his performance.

The show crossed over with other David E. Kelley series: an 'Axe Murderer' storyline connected with Ally McBeal, an episode tied into Boston Public over a fired coach, and a 'Gideon's Crossover' episode linked with Gideon's Crossing during Ellenor Frutt's pregnancy trouble.

Lara Flynn Boyle made an uncredited guest appearance as a rebuttal witness opposite guest star Heather Locklear in the season 5 episode 'Tom Dooley.'

ABC announced on March 11, 2004, that The Practice would not return for a ninth season, and Kelley instead developed the spin-off Boston Legal, starring James Spader, Rhona Mitra, Lake Bell, William Shatner and Candice Bergen.