Season 1 poster

Season 1

(1997)

Overview

The first season of the television series Ally McBeal began airing in the United States on September 8, 1997, concluded on May 18, 1998, and consisted of 23 episodes. It tells the story of Ally McBeal, a young lawyer who found herself without a job after being sexually harassed by her boss, only to end up employed by her friend from college, Richard Fish, to work in the firm he created with his friend John Cage, named "Cage & Fish."

Cast

Calista Flockhart as Ally McBeal
Calista Flockhart

as Ally McBeal

Courtney Thorne-Smith as Georgia Thomas
Courtney Thorne-Smith

as Georgia Thomas

Greg Germann as Richard Fish
Greg Germann

as Richard Fish

Lisa Nicole Carson as Renée Raddick
Lisa Nicole Carson

as Renée Raddick

Jane Krakowski as Elaine Vassal
Jane Krakowski

as Elaine Vassal

Gil Bellows as Billy Thomas
Gil Bellows

as Billy Thomas

Peter MacNicol as John Cage
Peter MacNicol

as John Cage

Episodes

Pilot poster

Pilot 8.3

September 8, 1997

Ally McBeal, 28, and a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, is harassed on the job by a senior associate. When she co…

Compromising Positions poster

Compromising Positions 8.0

September 15, 1997

Fish's partner, John Cage faces fines, jail, and public humiliation. To her dismay, Ally is assigned to be a litigator.…

The Kiss poster

The Kiss 8.3

September 22, 1997

Ally senses Cheanie is withholding something when he neglects to kiss her goodnight after their first official date. Ge…

The Affair poster

The Affair 8.0

September 29, 1997

Ally is asked to be a pallbearer at the funeral of her ex-law professor. The widow, Katherine Dawson, invites her to gi…

100 Tears Away poster

100 Tears Away 8.0

October 20, 1997

Ally is arrested for aggravated assault and attempted shoplifting. Renee bails her out, but word spreads quickly, and A…

The Promise poster

The Promise 8.0

October 27, 1997

Ally has to defend a friend of Whipper brought up on solicitation charges. She is serving as second chair to Cage, whos…

The Attitude poster

The Attitude 8.7

November 3, 1997

Ally represents a Jewish woman who needs her Rabbi to grant her a spiritual release from her marriage to her comatose h…

Drawing The Lines poster

Drawing The Lines 8.5

November 10, 1997

Billy and Georgia are faced with a crisis of confidence in their marriage. Elaine threatens to sue the firm for sexual …

The Dirty Joke poster

The Dirty Joke 9.0

November 17, 1997

The attorney, Caroline Poop, who represented Elaine in her short lived suit against Fish and Cage regarding the constan…

Boy To The World poster

Boy To The World 9.0

December 1, 1997

Judge Whipper Cone asks Ally to take on a pro-bono case of a young prostitute up on her third solicitation charge. Fish…

Silver Bells poster

Silver Bells 8.0

December 15, 1997

Three intelligent, successful and motivated adults approach Judge Whipper Cone about the possibility of getting legal r…

Cro-Magnon poster

Cro-Magnon 0.0

January 5, 1998

Ally is shocked to discover that her biological clock is ticking, unleashing strange libidinal impulses in her. During …

The Blame Game poster

The Blame Game 0.0

January 19, 1998

Ally has a chance encounter with Glenn, the well-endowed artists' model, at a local Starbucks, and makes it very clear …

Body Language poster

Body Language 0.0

February 2, 1998

Ally and Renee are bridesmaids at a friend's wedding. They both bristle at the absurdity of the rituals performed, and …

Once In A Lifetime poster

Once In A Lifetime 0.0

February 23, 1998

Fish brings in a client, an 80-something world famous artist, who is battling his heirs to regain control of his estate…

Forbidden Fruits poster

Forbidden Fruits 6.0

March 2, 1998

A high-profile case opens up for Cage and Fish when a jilted spouse plans to sue a U.S. Senator for "interfering with h…

Theme Of Life poster

Theme Of Life 0.0

March 9, 1998

Ally, Georgia and Renee sign up for a kick boxing class to relieve stress. Ally and Georgia wind up having to fight eac…

The Playing Field poster

The Playing Field 0.0

March 16, 1998

Ally is a passenger in a car accident with the firm's client Greg Butters, a handsome doctor to whom she finds herself …

Happy Birthday Baby poster

Happy Birthday Baby 0.0

April 6, 1998

Ally is in denial about her birthday but her co-workers aren't. Elaine orchestrates a party at the bar and asks Dr. Gre…

The Inmates poster

The Inmates 0.0

April 27, 1998

A wealthy client is brutally murdered and the wife is implicated. Her only defense when caught red-handed is that she h…

Being There poster

Being There 8.0

May 4, 1998

Cage prepares Ally for Renee's trial. Renee is fast becoming a basket-case because she's convinced Cage's untraditional…

Alone Again poster

Alone Again 8.0

May 11, 1998

John Cage must confront the cowardice of his convictions when he comes face to face with an ex-law school classmate who…

These Are The Days poster

These Are The Days 9.0

May 18, 1998

Cage must represent his second cousin, a harmless but eccentric man with a Cupid Complex. His cousin was brought up on …