Kelley a no-show for critics

LOS ANGELES — "Boston Legal" — formerly known as "The Practice: Fleet Street" and then "Fleet Street" — is the latest drama from executive producer David E. Kelley.

But as the show was being introduced to TV critics, one thing seemed to be missing. Um, where was David E. Kelley?

"He just moved up north of Palo Alto, and he's conducting business from there," said executive producer Bill D'Elia. "And he flies in to see us about once a week. During the course of the week, we're on the phone with him daily. And we're in the course of setting up this video link so we can actually see each other daily, just like we used to.

"It's not much different than when he was there every day, actually."

Well, that's all very nice. But where is he right now? Why isn't he here to take our questions?

Um, a big no-answer there.

What made it sort of strange was that not only was Kelley listed in our notes as a scheduled participant, but he was in the seating chart provided to (us not-so-bright) critics before the panel began. And, as it turns out, his people didn't tell ABC's people he wouldn't be there until the day before he was scheduled to appear.

"I'll apologize on everyone's behalf, then," D'Elia said. "But we were not certain, since his move to Palo Alto, whether or not he would be available.

"And, obviously, we all wanted him to be here, and he would like to be here himself. This just coincided with his move out of the Los Angeles area, and he's just literally unpacking and coming back and forth. And it just didn't work out that this day worked. It's as simple as that."

Not that we really believed that. And not that his no-show was that big of a deal.

But it did lead to a rather natural question: "Is he (ticked) at us?"

"How could he be (ticked) at you?" series star William Shatner asked with more than a trace of irony and sarcasm.

"No," D'Elia said. "He told me to tell you that he loves you all very much."

Um, that would have to qualify as one of the bigger lies (albeit a humorous one) of the recent press tour. After being sort of a critical darling for years, Kelley has taken his lumps from us. Which he deserved for shows like "girls club" and "Snoops" and the way "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice" degenerated into drivel.