ABC series will finish after five seasons

NEW YORK -- The fifth season of "Boston Legal" will be its last.

The legal drama, which has won five Emmys (including three for star James Spader) in its time on ABC, will bow out with a 13-episode run in the fall, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson told reporters Tuesday (May 13).

The offhand manner in which McPherson made the announcement, though, took his audience somewhat by surprise.

McPherson was answering a question about possible changes to the pilot of "Life on Mars," which "Boston Legal" creator David E. Kelley wrote but will cede to the "October Road" team of Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg going forward.

"Because we rushed it and were unable to do any reshoots or reconfiguring [because of the writers' strike], there is some work we want to do over the summer," McPherson said of "Life on Mars." "And also because David -- because we were able to make a deal to bring 'Boston Legal' back, David is going to move over and I think write pretty much every [episode] of the final season of 'Boston.'"

So that means "Boston Legal" is no more? "Yes," McPherson replied.

The series is moving to 10 p.m. ET Mondays for its final season. Some cast changes may be in store; one regular, Saffron Burrows, has already departed for NBC's new series "My Own Worst Enemy." The 13 episodes will push "Boston Legal" just past the 100-episode mark.