David E. Kelley is one of the most prolific writers in the history of television. After joining the writer's room on the popular TV series L.A. Law in 1986, for which he wrote more than 60 episodes, Kelley has written for more than 20 mainstream television shows over the past three decades.
While he often creates legal dramas such as The Practice and Boston Legal, Kelley has branched out in recent years with such acclaimed series as Goliath, Big Little Lies, The Crazy Ones, Monday Mornings, and more. With many Primetime Emmy Awards to his name, here are the highs and lows of his career thus far.
10 Best - The Practice (1997) 7.7/10
David E. Kelley created the acclaimed legal drama The Practice in 1997, for which he wrote 167 hour-long episodes between then and 2004. The series followed Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott), the founding litigator and senior defense attorney at a Massachusetts law firm.
The Practice won three Golden Globes and a handful of Primetime Emmy Awards while on the air during its eight-season run. The show also inspired the spinoff series, Boston Legal, which Kelley also created.
9 Worst - Snoops (1999) 6.6/10
One of the few TV series created by Kelley that did not turn into a runaway hit includes Snoops, a detective comedy series starring Gina Gershon as a modern-day L.A. gumshoe.
The one-season, 13-episode show followed Glenn Hall (Gershon), an unconventional private eye who sets up her own detective agency in Los Angeles. To help solve cases, Glenn often turns to her well-connected ex-boyfriend (Edward Kerr), who happens to be an LAPD detective.
8 Best - Mr. Mercedes (2017) 7.9/10
In his first real foray into the horror realm, Kelley's adaptation of Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes has drawn praise across the board. The series tracks Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson), a grizzled lawman drawn out of retirement to catch a brutal serial killer who slaughtered 16 people by driving a Mercedes into a large crowd.
As Hodges works to solve the case, he becomes the object of obsession for a psychotic youngster named Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway).
7 Worst - The Brotherhood Of Poland, New Hampshire (2003) 6.5/10
In a series that included only seven episodes in 2003, five of which Kelley wrote, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire is a star-studded domestic drama. The show was canceled the day after the fifth episode aired.
The series follows the large Shaw family, led by Police Chief Hank Shaw (Randy Quaid), as they navigate their day-to-day existence in a small New Hampshire town. John Carroll Lynch, Chris Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, Mare Winningham, and Ann Cusack are just a few who comprise the Shaw family.
6 Best - Goliath (2016) 8.2/10
In an original show that continues to air on Amazon, Goliath marks the return of Kelley to the well-worn legal drama. The series has been praised for Kelley's writing and Billy Bob Thornton's performance as the disreputable lawyer on a comeback, Billy McBride.
With 24 episodes and counting, Thornton won a Golden Globe in 2017 for his role as McBride, a brilliant lawyer who bucks convention and plays by his own rules. A fourth and final season has been confirmed by Amazon with plans to release the next eight episodes sometime in 2021.
5 Worst - Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989) 6.5/10
Kelley not only created Doogie Howser M.D. in 1989, but he also wrote all 97 episodes of the half-hour sitcom starring a young Neil Patrick Harris. The show also marked Kelley's first time as showrunner.
The series follows the precocious teenage doctor, Doogie Howser, who navigates the pitfalls of adolescence while performing his duties as a certified physician working towards his residency. Harris earned a Golden Globe nod in 1992 for his performance on the show.
4 Best - Boston Legal (2004) 8.4/10
While he was first introduced in Kelley's series The Practice, Boston Legal serves as a spinoff series focusing on Alan Shore (James Spader), a morally ambiguous civil-suit lawyer. Kelley wrote all 101 episodes of the show that ran for five seasons from 2004 to 2008.
Much of the series revolves around the contentious relationship between Shore and his mentor, Denny Crane (William Shatner). In addition to the Emmys and SAG Awards Spader won, Shatner won a Golden Globe in 2008 for his role on the series.
3 Worst - The Wedding Bells (2007) 6.4/10
Another rare misfire from Kelley included the short-lived 2007 TV series The Wedding Bells, a series he co-created and co-wrote all seven episodes along with Jason Katims.
The premise of the show entails a trio of sisters who inherit a chapel called "The Wedding Palace" following their parents' divorce. The Bell siblings decide to become run the place as world-class wedding planners in order to help strangers enjoy matrimonial bliss. Once again, the show was canceled after its fifth episode aired.
2 Best - Big Little Lies (2017) 8.5/10
According to IMDB, the best TV show David E. Kelley has participated in is the HBO hit, Big Little Lies. Kelley not only created the show based on the 2014 Liane Moriarty novel, but he also wrote seven of the 15 episodes. The show ranks #220 on IMDB's Top 250 TV Shows.
The domestic drama follows the elegant lives of a tight-knit group of Northern California women. When it's discovered that Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) is the victim of physical abuse at the hand of her husband, her friends take dramatic measures to ensure it never happens again. The show won four Golden Globes, including Best Television Limited Series.
1 Worst - Girls Club (2002) 5.3/10
While Kelley's best TV series featured a close group of women, his worst also entails a certain Girls Club. In the latter series that run for nine episodes in 2002, Gretchen Mol, Kathleen Robertson, and Chyler Leigh play a trio of women working for a reputable San Francisco law firm.
As the girls work toward their own personal successes, they must contend with a chauvinistic world of male lawyers undermining them at every turn. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after airing just two episodes.
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