A sharp, morally thorny legal drama with a scrappy, underdog feel and a strong run of case-of-the-week stories. It’s at its best when it treats law as a pressure cooker for ethics, loyalty, and compromise, and it remains one of David… Read more
The Practice
Where to watch: Buy
TV Show · Drama
Tue
Created by: David E. Kelley
Starring: Steve Harris, Camryn Manheim, Michael Badalucco
Overview
A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”
Created by
David E. Kelley
Cast
Steve Harris, Camryn Manheim, Michael Badalucco, Jessica Capshaw, James Spader, Rhona Mitra
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, morally thorny legal drama with a scrappy, underdog feel and a strong run of case-of-the-week stories. It’s at its best when it treats law as a pressure cooker for ethics, loyalty, and compromise, and it remains one of David E. Kelley’s most distinctive network dramas.
Best for
Viewers who like ethical dilemmas and courtroom tension
Fans of character-driven ensemble dramas
People who enjoy 1990s network prestige TV with a gritty edge
Viewers looking for a legal series that balances cases with personal fallout
Skip if
You want a glossy, procedural-only legal show with minimal character drama
You prefer fast-paced modern serialization over episodic legal storytelling
You’re not interested in morally ambiguous protagonists or messy workplace dynamics
Overview
The Practice is one of the defining legal dramas of the late 1990s because it understands that the real conflict is rarely just in the courtroom. David E. Kelley builds a world where every win has a cost, and the firm’s limited resources make the stakes feel personal as well as professional. The show’s Boston setting and bare-bones sensibility give it a scrappier, less polished identity than many later prestige dramas, which helps it stand out.
Worth noting
Its strongest seasons are the earlier ensemble years, when the series leans hardest into ethical pressure, client desperation, and the uneasy bonds inside the firm. The show evolves over time, and the later James Spader era brings a more overtly theatrical, sharper-edged energy that many viewers remember vividly, though it changes the balance of the series. If you like legal dramas that are as much about character fracture as verdicts, this is a rewarding watch.
Bottom line
It can be uneven, and some stretches are more soap-operatic than others, but the best episodes are still excellent at turning legal strategy into moral drama. For viewers who appreciate network TV that is smart, humane, and occasionally ruthless, The Practice remains highly watchable.