This show was one of the best products to come from David E Kelley, and David E Kelley was one of the best things to happen to television. With so many dramas about lawyers, police units, and hospitals get more than enough attention, this show drew a lot of appeal simply by finding a new interesting segment of society to feature on a TV show that anyone who has ever attended public school would like to know more about.
Kelly infused his drama about the academic faculty of an inner-city school with a balance of humanity and sensationalism. The show featured a talented ensemble through which conflict could be created through clashing philosophies, but the one thing their passion to the job. The characters on the show were all conveniently designed to be single and attractive, leading to another classic draw of TV in this day and age, sexual tensions. A chief complaint that many, including myself, had with the show was that it wasn't entirely realistic, most high schools do not have as many eventful things going on as Winslow (where the show took place) every week, and I don't remember as many of my teachers being drop-dead gorgeous and so sexually-in-need, but the show, nevertheless had a lot of gripping drama and really faced head-on some of the issues involving public school, from both the standpoint of students and teachers. It's much easier to appreciate, anyway, when you accept that David E. Kelley shows aren't supposed to be realistic.
Unfortunately, the show has lost some of it momentum after the first couple years. For one, there was a high cast turnover, and it was hard to get attached to characters after they kept leaving or getting fired and replaced by new characters. I don't know what the cause of that was, but with the exception of the relationship between Principal Harper and his assistant Scott Guber, both played by two capable leads, none of the other interpersonal relationships in the story really had a chance to develop. It was also for other reasons that I felt like Boston Public had never grown past season one, like inconsistencies thrown in by the creators that looked like cheap attempts to boost ratings. For instance they suddenly made Scott Guber a religious Jew who abhorred dating Jewish women in the 4th season even though the desperate assistant principal had been trying to get with ever non-Jewish teacher in the school since day 1 and always hated Mr. Lipschutz, and they suddenly added a daughter for Steven Harper in the second season who attends the school when there was never any mention of her in the first season. For these reasons, I always felt like each season, was just another season 1 for Boston Public and after a while it just got old. The move to Friday nights by Fox was also rediculous, the last thing any student wants to watch on a Friday night is a show about school. The show recently got cancelled and I kind of understood why, since I myself had drifted out of it, but at the same time I really appreciate it, as it once was very good.
Kelly infused his drama about the academic faculty of an inner-city school with a balance of humanity and sensationalism. The show featured a talented ensemble through which conflict could be created through clashing philosophies, but the one thing their passion to the job. The characters on the show were all conveniently designed to be single and attractive, leading to another classic draw of TV in this day and age, sexual tensions. A chief complaint that many, including myself, had with the show was that it wasn't entirely realistic, most high schools do not have as many eventful things going on as Winslow (where the show took place) every week, and I don't remember as many of my teachers being drop-dead gorgeous and so sexually-in-need, but the show, nevertheless had a lot of gripping drama and really faced head-on some of the issues involving public school, from both the standpoint of students and teachers. It's much easier to appreciate, anyway, when you accept that David E. Kelley shows aren't supposed to be realistic.
Unfortunately, the show has lost some of it momentum after the first couple years. For one, there was a high cast turnover, and it was hard to get attached to characters after they kept leaving or getting fired and replaced by new characters. I don't know what the cause of that was, but with the exception of the relationship between Principal Harper and his assistant Scott Guber, both played by two capable leads, none of the other interpersonal relationships in the story really had a chance to develop. It was also for other reasons that I felt like Boston Public had never grown past season one, like inconsistencies thrown in by the creators that looked like cheap attempts to boost ratings. For instance they suddenly made Scott Guber a religious Jew who abhorred dating Jewish women in the 4th season even though the desperate assistant principal had been trying to get with ever non-Jewish teacher in the school since day 1 and always hated Mr. Lipschutz, and they suddenly added a daughter for Steven Harper in the second season who attends the school when there was never any mention of her in the first season. For these reasons, I always felt like each season, was just another season 1 for Boston Public and after a while it just got old. The move to Friday nights by Fox was also rediculous, the last thing any student wants to watch on a Friday night is a show about school. The show recently got cancelled and I kind of understood why, since I myself had drifted out of it, but at the same time I really appreciate it, as it once was very good.