Annals of the Dumb Tube

BOSTON LEGAL, David E. Kelley, producer

“Indecent proposals”

AN UNEXPECTED LOOK AT “AMERICAN DEMOCRACY”

CHECK OUT this excerpt from Boston Legal (Season 4, #19), an award-winning dramedy that frequently surprised audiences for its unusually spot-on descriptions of life in these United States. In this episode, one of the segments focuses on the Democratic party and its “right” to decide via superdelegates to override primary results.  The discussion ends up being a broad reflexion by lead character Alan Shore (James Spader) on the political system itself, and its corruption by corporate power. Since no mass audience television program addressing a central aspect of the system—or however mildly critiquing its legitimacy— can air without plenty of contortions and compromises between corporate honchos and producers, we can only imagine the actual intramural arguments that flew about during the production of this piece. For one thing, the writer(s) may not have been able to see beyond their own left-liberal blinders (the 4th Season, which debuted in late 2007 and went on to cover much of 2008, seems clear about its liberal preference but unclear whether it favors Obama, Hillary or somebody else, for the top job).  Flawed as it is, this fragment shows a glimmer of the immense power that even commercial television wields when it chooses to look at something with intelligence. This show was however an exception. After many decades of being utilized chiefly for profit, and for the vilest purposes, the medium’s ability to clarify instead of obfuscate the issues of the day remains virtually untapped. What do you think?— P. Greanville

PHOTO: Alan Shore (James Spader) eloquently holding forth during one of the character’s many court appearances.

SEE VIDEO EXCERPT BELOW:

[flv]https://www.greanvillepost.com/videos/BLdemspart4.flv[/flv]