TVSquad

Everyone have their Boston Legal scorecards out? Good, because there are a few more changes to the fourth season line-up in addition to those already mentioned a few weeks ago. So, get those pencils ready.

If you recall from a few weeks ago cast members Constance Zimmer, Julie Bowen, Mark Valley and Rene Auberjonois were let go from the legal comedy-drama while John Larroquette was added to the cast. Now it turns out that Valley and Auberjonois will be returning for multiple episodes next season. Apparently Auberjonois' character, Paul Lewiston, will still be a senior partner at Crane, Poole and Schmidt; however, Valley's character, the very uninteresting Brad Chase (end editorial here), will go up against one of his former CS&P colleagues in court.

Over the last three seasons Boston Legal has been known as a program with a pretty busy revolving door when it comes to cast members coming and going. Usually, though, it was some of the smaller fish in the pond that came and went like the wind. This time around some of the bigger fish have been given their walking papers instead.

According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello Constance Zimmer, Julie Bowen, Mark Valley and Rene Auberjonois have been let go from the program. To fill the void, former Night Court actor John Larroquette will be joining the series as a regular, but not as the character he portrayed on The Practice. Instead, he'll be (another) attorney from the New York offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Also joining the cast will be Dirt's Tara Summers, who will play a young associate to the firm. Finally, much to some people's chagrin, Christian Clemenson, who portrays the quirky Jerry Espenson, will be promoted to series regular.

Here's a little addendum to this post: ABC is pushing the season finale of Boston Legal out of the May sweeps period.

The episode was supposed to run on May 22, but ABC has instead decided to squeeze one more "very special episode" of The Bachelor titled "After The Final Rose." This means that the season finale of Boston Legal won't air until the following Tuesday, May 29, at 10pm.

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?

Well, not the real Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager, because that would be just silly. I mean, do you know the financial costs of traveling back in time from the 24th century? They're astronomical! Plus, if she manipulates the time stream we could all be living under the iron thumb of . . . gulp . . . Canada!

No, I'm talking about Jeri Ryan, who appeared as Seven of Nine, and recently worked with David E. Kelley, creator of ABC's Boston Legal, on the FOX series Boston Public. Ryan will be appearing in the two-hour season finale of Boston Legal that will air on May 16th. She will appear as host of a fictional reality series who is charged with attempted murder after shooting at a member of the paparazzi that was stalking her.