TVSquad

Boston Legal is a unique program. Not in terms of its subject matter, or its cast (although, it does have a pretty star-studded cast), but in the fact that it has such a huge connection to the various incarnations of Star Trek. No, I'm not saying that the show takes place in the legal offices of the United Federation of Planets. What I'm pointing out is the fact that it stars or has featured several actors who have been part of that legacy. Here is a breakdown of the five (plus one) Star Trek actors who have graced the David E. Kelly program.

William Shatner (Denny Crane): Of course, we all know Mr. Shatner as the brave and bold Captain James T. Kirk from the original run of Star Trek. And, in some ways, Shatner's Denny Crane is a future version of the Captain. For instance, Denny is tough, abrasive, direct, and extremely horny. If you have seen the show, you know that Denny will have sex with anything that isn't tied down, including life-like inflatable dolls that have a uncanny likeness to law firm partner Shirley Schmidt. Other than the inflatable doll, how much of what I mentioned describes Kirk?

Rene Auberjonois (Paul Lewiston): For seven seasons Auberjonois played the rubbery-faced Constable Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Once again, the character he plays on Boston Legal isn't far from his role on DS9, save for the fact that Lewiston can't morph into other objects. While not a meaty role, Paul has been shown as someone that doesn't take crap from the other attorneys in his law firm, especially Alan Shore. In fact, in a recent episode, he acted very much like the constable when speaking to another DS9 actor mentioned below.

Armin Shimerman (Judge Brian Hooper): On Deep Space Nine, Shimerman played Quark, Ferengi bar owner and 'businessman' who was always rubbing the wrong way against Auberjonois' Odo. On Legal, Shimerman plays a judge who's wife was recently murdered. In one episode, Judge Hooper and Paul Lewiston have a brief discussion that sounded very much like one they would normally have as Quark and Odo on the Promenade of space station Deep Space Nine.

Ethan Phillips (Michael Schiller): Ethan guest-starred earlier this season as the father of Scott Little, the law clerk who allegedly murdered Judge Hooper's wife. On Star Trek: Voyager, Phillips played Neelix, the lovable Talaxian who was the starship's cook during their perilous journey through the Delta Quadrant. On Legal, Phillips' character revealed that he saw his son pleasuring himself to naked pictures of his mother. Hmm, not too many similarities between Neelix and Schiller.

Jeri Ryan (Courtney Reese): In last season's finale, Ryan played a TV personality who was arrested after shooting a photographer who she mistakenly thought was a stalker. She was also the subject of plenty of sexual advances by one Denny Crane. On Star Trek: Voyager she played the part-Borg crewmate Seven of Nine who exterminated plenty of people before she learned how to become human once again.

Finally,

Katey Sagal (Barbara Little): While not directly connected to the Star Trek universe she was the voice of Leela on Futurama. There was one episode of that series where she interacted with a good portion of the original Star Trek cast, including William Shatner. So, she's listed because of a 'six degrees'-type of connection. By the way, on Futurama, Leela was the tough, one-eyed pilot who had a on-again, off-again thing for Phillip J. Fry. On Legal, Sagal's character Barbara Little was the tough, two-eyed mother who had the hots for her son. Um, no comparison there.