Boston Legal | The Final Episode

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Although I was not an addict until very recently I have to admit that Boston Legal has to be one of the best made, best written and directed TV show I have watched in a very long time.

The final show of Boston Legal airs tonight on the ABC Television Network at 9:00PM Eastern and I know I won't be answering my phone during that time period. It is going to be a two-hour episode with the firm being sold to a Chinese group due to Crane, Poole & Schmidt's declining financial position. The new owners will not be accepted by Shirley Schmidt, Carl Sack, or Jerry Espenson, who have voted against the acquisition along with 3 other partners. Denny Crane insulted the new owners by shooting them with a paint ball gun. It will be announced that all of the shows main characters will be fired as of January 1st, 2009. This leads up to an ill-received showdown on the part of Alan Shore, where he turns the tables on the new owners and attempts to preemptively fire them. Though his argument is not taken in the light he has intended, it did prompt an offer from the Chinese owners to rehire all the cast members. Denny's actions have also prompted his name being removed from the firm which was renamed to Chang, Poole & Schmidt.

Boston Legal re-runs started airing in September of 2008 and in most markets, episodes began airing in off-network syndication (ironically in anticipation of the last episodes, to bring it to just over 100), during the weekend of September 28-29, 2008.

It was reported that Gary Anthony Williams and Taraji P. Henson would not return for the fifth season as Clarence Bell and Whitney Rome.

Boston Legal was nominated for seven Emmy nominations, including Best Drama Series for a second year in a row. Spader, Bergen and Shatner were also nominated for their roles.

Boston Legal was also nominated for six Emmy awards, including Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Spader), Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (William Shatner), and its first nomination for Best Drama Series in more then three years. Spader won the Emmy for his role as the lead character in the show, while the nominations for Shatner and Clemenson in their roles for Supporting and Guest Actors, were lost. Also, the show itself lost as Best Drama Series to The Sopranos which is my next favorite show. (LOL)

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Migrant Mother (1936)

Image via WikipediaIn these times of economic hardship we remember Dorothea Lange's famous photo labeled "Migrant Mother (1936)" It was taken of Florence Owens Thompson and became immediately identifiable as the image of the "Great Depression".

The Mother of seven children, Ms. Thompson died of heart problems and cancer in Scotts Valley, California in September of 1983. She was laid to rest at the Lakewood Memorial Park Cemetery in Hughson, California. In awe inspiring words, the epitaph on her headstone reads, "Migrant Mother – A Legend of the Strength of American Motherhood".

Florence's car broke down while driving Highway 101 in California so she began to set up inside a pea picking camp in Nipomo Mesa. While her boyfriend, Jim Hill went to get help for their car, Dorothea Lange drove up and began taking photos of Florence and her family. Dorothea took 6 pictures total.

It wasn't until the late 70's that Florence Thompson's true identity was made known. A reporter by the name of Emmett Corrigan from the Modesto Bee, located Thompson visually recognizing her from the photograph.

Thompson later wrote a letter that was published in The Modesto Bee and circulated by the Associated Press entitled "Woman Fighting Mad Over Famous Depression Photo." Florence was quoted as saying "I wish she [Lange] hadn't taken my picture. I can't get a penny out of it. She didn't ask my name. She said she wouldn't sell the pictures. She said she'd send me a copy. She never did". (Dunne, Geoffrey (2002). "Photographic license", New Times)

Because Lange took the picture for the federal government she never directly received any royalties as The image has been in the public domain since Lange had worked for the US Government, although it did give a huge boost to Lange's career.

Some of the photos ran almost immediately in the San Francisco News, and within days, the pea picking camp received over 20,000 pounds of food from the federal government, unfortunately, Florence and her family had already moved on by the time the food arrived.

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