The final season of David E. Kelley's Emmy Award-winning series Boston Legal will begin its run with an episode titled “Smoke Signals.”

“Smoke Signals” will take audiences to a different scene, when the firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt tackles the tobacco industry.  This will be the 89th episode of the series, following last season's “Patriot Acts.”  We were left with Alan (James Spader) and Denny (William Shatner) celebrating their acceptance to the Auxiliary Coast Guard.  We next see them this season defending a client whose father smoked cigarettes and died from lung cancer.  The tension between Denny and Alan surfaces even more, even in the smallest of acts in the trial.  Another surprise character from Alan's past appears in the episode as well.

It has been reported that the fifth season of Boston Legal will no longer include Gary Anthony Williams as Clarence/Clarice Bell.  Williams claims that he was not upset that his stint on the show was over.  He already had two years on Boston Legal, and that was much more than he expected.  Taraji P. Henson has also confirmed her departure from the show, no longer playing the character of Whitney Rome.

Boston Legal is one of ABC's consistent performers, having a concentration of high income viewers in its young adult audience.  It premiered in 2004 as a spin-off of The Practice, but has remained on the network because it was well-received.  It was once again nominated in the Emmy Awards this year, for the outstanding performances of its cast members. 

Boston Legal will be airing “Smoke Signals” on September 22 at 10pm, its new timeslot on ABC.  It will be appearing regularly with Dancing with the Stars and Samantha Who? on Mondays. 


-Maria Gonzalez, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: ABC, TV.com, Boston-Legal.org
(Image courtesy of ABC)