Ally McBeal (1997 — 2002)

The series, set in the fictional Boston law firm Cage & Fish, begins with main character Allison Marie “Ally” McBeal joining the firm co-owned by her law school classmate Richard Fish after leaving her previous job due to sexual harassment. On her first day, Ally is horrified to find that she will be working alongside her ex-boyfriend Billy Thomas —whom she has never gotten over. To make things worse, Billy is now married to fellow lawyer Georgia, who later joins Cage and Fish. The triangle among the three forms the basis for the main plot for the show’s first three seasons.

Although ostensibly a legal drama, the main focus of the series was the romantic and personal lives of the main characters, often using legal proceedings as plot devices to contrast or reinforce a character’s drama. For example, bitter divorce litigation of a client might provide a backdrop for Ally’s decision to break up with a boyfriend. Legal arguments were also frequently used to explore multiple sides of various social issues. Cage and Fish (which becomes Cage/Fish & McBeal or Cage, Fish, & Associates towards the end of the series), the fictional law firm where most of the characters work, is depicted as a highly sexualized environment symbolized by its unisex restroom.