'Ally McBeal' is canned

LOS ANGELES, April 17 (UPI) -- David E. Kelley, the creator and producer of the Fox series "Ally McBeal," has decided to end production on the show, according to a report Wednesday in Daily Variety.

Kelley reportedly told the cast and crew about his decision late Wednesday afternoon.

The hourlong comedy-drama set in an unconventional law office was once a ratings winner, but has slipped this season -- it's fifth on Fox's primetime schedule.

According to Variety, Kelley's decision is not "a complete surprise," since industry insiders believed he would end the series so he could focus on "The Girls Club" -- an hourlong show he is developing for Fox.

"Ally McBeal" has been nominated for 26 Emmy Awards, winning five -- including one for best comedy series in 1999, the second straight year it was nominated in the category. The nominations -- and the win -- raised some eyebrows, since many in Hollywood regarded the show as a drama with comic elements, rather than a flat-out comedy.

Either way, "Ally McBeal" was something of a groundbreaker in commercial TV, as Kelley used fantasy sequences to explore the private thoughts of the title character, played by Calista Flockhart in a star-making role. Flockhart was nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 1998 and 1999.

The show received nine Emmy nominations in 1998 and 13 the following year. Last year, it only mustered three nominations, including Peter MacNicol's second consecutive nomination as best supporting actor in a comedy series.

In 2001, the show made headlines when Kelley gave Robert Downey Jr. an opportunity to come back from a professional slump caused by the actor's several brushes with the law -- including a series of drug arrests and a jail term for violating his probation.

Downey won a Golden Globe Award for his performance as Larry Paul -- a love interest for McBeal -- but he was fired from the show last spring after he was arrested once again on suspicion of drug possession.

In a late-season attempt to perk up ratings, "McBeal" has loaded up lately on high-profile guest stars -- including rocker Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Perry ("Friends"), Christina Ricci ("Sleepy Hollow"), Heather Locklear ("Spin City") and Lara Flynn Boyle ("The Practice").

But the show seemed to lose favor with critics and viewers after Downey's exit and has not been able to recover its footing. It ranks 60th in total viewers and 30th among viewers ages 18-49.

With "McBeal" off the table, Kelley will still be juggling three network shows -- "Boston Public" on Fox, "The Practice" on ABC and the new show, "The Girls Club," based on the exploits of three single lawyers in San Francisco.