Ally McBeal

Olivia presiding on Ally McBeal, in three episodes

Ally McBeal is a TV series created by David E. Kelley (Boston Legal) that aired on FOX from 1997 to 2002. The series features Calista Flockhart as the title character who struggles to balance her life as a lawyer at the fictional Boston law firm of Cage and Fish, with her eccentric love life.

Muppet Mentions

• The second season episode "Angels and Blimps" features a young boy with leukemia named Eric Stall who wants to sue God. The episode opens with a rendition of "Rainbow Connection" performed by Vonda Shepard playing under a scene in which Ally is depicted as walking on air as she converses with Dr. Greg Butters. The song is used again later in the episode after it is revealed that the boy had passed away. It's used at length over silent footage of grievance, and a sequence depicting Eric held by the hand, walking into the afterlife.

Connections

• Anthony Anderson played Matthew Vault in 2 episodes
• Louie Anderson played a therapist in "Without a Net"
• Paul Bartel played a doctor in "Love's Illusions"
• Sandra Bernhard played Caroline Poop in 2 episodes
• Dyan Cannon played Judge Jennifer "Whipper" Cone (1997-2000)
• Nell Carter played Harriet Pumple in 2 episodes
• Chubby Checker played himself in "Mr. Bo"
• James Denton played Jimmy Bender in "Do You Wanna Dance?"
• Taye Diggs played Jackson Duper (2001)
• Paul Dooley played Nicholas Engblume in "Reasons to Believe"
• Robert Downey, Jr. played Larry Paul (2000-2001, two 2002 guest spots)
• Dakota Fanning played a 5-year-old Ally McBeal in "Ally McBeal: The Musical, Almost"
• James Frawley directed the pilot episode
• Renée Elise Goldsberry played one of the bar backup singers
• Josh Groban played Malcolm Wyatt in 2 episodes
• Bob Gunton played Michaelson in "These are the Days" (1998)
• Anne Heche played Melanie West (2001)
• Florence Henderson played Dr. Shirley Grouper in "Two's a Crowd"
• Barry Humphries played Claire Otoms (2001-2002)
• Elton John played himself in "I Want Love"
• Joanna Kerns directed "Troubled Water" (199) and "The Obstacle Course" (2001)
• Gladys Knight played herself in "Seeing Green"
• Jane Krakowski played Elaine Vassal
• Michael Laskin played Henry Thornton in the pilot (1997)
• Lucy Liu played Ling Woo (1998-2002)
• Heather Locklear played Nicole Naples in "Tom Dooley"
• Barry Manilow played himself in 2 episodes
• Mary Mara played Julie Stall in "Angels and Blimps" (1999)
• James Marsden played Glenn Foy (2001-2002)
• Jesse L. Martin played Dr. Greg Butters (1998-1999)
• John Moschitta Jr. played an auctioneer in "Love on Holiday" (2000)
• Rosie O'Donnell played Dr. Hooper in "Let's Dance"
• Haley Joel Osment played Eric Stall in "Angels and Blimps"
• Hayden Panettiere played Maddie Harrington (2002)
• Stuart Pankin played Mr. Handy in "The Eat Horses, Don't They?" (1998)
• Rhea Perlman played Dr. Helen Tooth in "Falling Up"
• Bernadette Peters played Cassandra Lewis in 2 episodes
• Robert Picardo played Barry Philbrick in "Love's Illusions"
• Alaina Reed played Judge Elizabeth Witt in 3 episodes
• Carl Reiner played Johnson Buck in "Bygones"
• Paul Reubens played Louis in "Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade"
• John Ritter played George Madison in 2 episodes
• Richard Schiff played Bernie Gilson in "These Are the Days"
• Rob Schneider played Ross Fitzsimmons in "Happy Trails"
• Kyra Sedgwick played Helena Greene in "All of Me"
• Tony Shalhoub played Albert Shepley in "Those Lips, That Hand"
• French Stewart played Michael Walker in "Blowin' in the Wind"
• Melanie Taylor appeared as a singer and dancer in 7 episodes (1998-2002)
• Marlo Thomas played Lynnie Bishop in 2 episodes
• Tracey Ullman played Dr. Tracey Clark (1998-1999)
• Isaiah Washington played Michael Rivers in 2 episodes
• Betty White played Dr. Shirley Flott in "Seeing Green"
• Fred Willard played Dr. Harold Madison in 2 episodes
• Paul Williams co-wrote the song "I Know Him By Heart" for the episode of the same name
• Vanessa Williams played Sheila Hunt in "Another One Bites the Dust"
• Bruce Willis played Dr. Nickle in "Love Unlimited"