History YMMV / AllyMcBeal

* GratuitousSpecialEffects: There was at least one ImagineSpot OnceAnEpisode. It typically used CGI, which was extremely rare for a law drama in the 1990s. The CGI dancing baby is another example.

* QuestionableCasting: "Only the Lonely" had Peter Tomarken- the guy who hosted ''Series/HitMan'', ''Series/Wipeout1988'' and most famously ''Series/PressYourLuck''- as a random TV reporter.

* WTHCastingAgency: "Only the Lonely" had Peter Tomarken- the guy who hosted ''Series/HitMan'', ''Series/Wipeout1988'' and most famously ''Series/PressYourLuck''- as a random TV reporter.

* MemeticMutation: The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_baby dancing baby]] hallucinations resulted in animated [=GIFs=] of dancing babies spreading like wildfire across the Internet and turning up on many websites and in many mailboxes. Also, the Blue Swede's cover of ''Hooked on a Feeling'' became associated with the dancing baby (until ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' came along).

** Creator/HaydenPanettiere as Ally's daughter, before she became household-name with ''Series/{{Heroes}}''.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The first season featured cool CGI antics reminiscent of old Warner Brother cartoons, with eyes popping out and hearts pounding out of characters' chests. Later seasons dropped the CGI cutaways and focused on the antics of the characters.

** Particularly in the #Me Too era, the oversexed behavior of most of the lawyers (especially Richard Fish) would be almost totally inconceivable nowadays.
** Not to mention Richard's homophobia and his double standards about lesbianism vs male homosexuality.

** Creator/HaydenPanettiere as Ally's daughter, before she became household-name with ''Series/Heroes''.

* MemeticMutation: The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_baby dancing baby]] hallucinations resulted in animated [=GIFs=] of dancing babies spreading like wildfire across the Internet and turning up on many websites and in many mailboxes. Also, the Blue Swede's cover of ''Hooked on a Feeling'' became associated with the dancing baby (until ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' came along).

* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/HaleyJoelOsment as the LittlestCancerPatient who sues God, before his star-making turn in ''Film/TheSixthSense''.

* ValuesDissonance: Particularly in the #Me Too era, the oversexed behavior of most of the lawyers (especially Richard Fish) would be almost totally inconceivable nowadays.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Ling. She was originally only a recurring character, but, since fans loved her, she was moved to a full time cast member. After Creator/LucyLiu left the show, the popularity of the show on a whole went down quite a bit.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: John Cage starts noticing that Nelle is a snob, when she doesn't remember Billy's secretary's name and admits that she wouldn't date a janitor. Nelle responds by pointing out that John only remembers Sandy's name because she's cute and asks him if he would date an ugly woman -- only to hear that it's different. Josh then proceeds to call Nelle an 'elitist rich bitch snob' and they start to fall out. While Nelle indeed ''is'' an 'elitist rich bitch snob' (and does some things to make herself look unsympathetic, like breaking up with John when he's being stuck in the elevator) and John ''does'' get called out of his behavior by Richard after he goes out of line during his conflict with Nelle, her initial point that women (or at least herself) are attracted to successful men just as men (or at least John) are attracted to beautiful women, never gets acknowledged in the show. We're supposed to side with John despite the fact that what started their conflict was simply Nelle not being a hypocrite about her tastes.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The first season featured cool CGI antics reminiscent of old Warner Brother cartoons with eyes popping out and hearts pounding out of characters' chests. Later seasons dropped the CGI cut-aways and focused on the antics of the characters.
* ValuesDissonance: Particularly in the #Me Too era, the oversexed behaviour of most of the lawyers (especially Richard Fish) would be almost totally inconceivable nowadays.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Creator/HaleyJoelOsment as the LittlestCancerPatient who sues God, before his star-making turn in ''Film/TheSixthSense''.
** Before playing Cat Grant in ''Series/Supergirl2015'', Calista Flockhart played the titular Ally [=McBeal=].

* ValuesDissonance: Particularly in the #MeToo era, the oversexed behaviour of most of the lawyers (especially Richard Fish) would be almost totally inconceivable nowadays.

* MemeticMutation: The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_baby dancing baby]] hallucinations resulted in animated [=GIFs=] of dancing babies spreading like wildfire across the Internet and turning up on many websites and in many mailboxes. Also, the Blue Swede's cover of ''Hooked on a Feeling'' became associated with the dancing baby (until Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy came along).

* CoverVersion: Many songs covered by Vonda Shepard, both diegetic and soundtrack.

* CoverVersion: Vonda Shepard's rendition of "Hooked on a Feeling" at the end of "Cro-Magnon".

* CoveredUp: Vonda Shepard's rendition of "Hooked on a Feeling" at the end of "Cro-Magnon".

** Creator/HaleyJoelOsment as the {{Littlest Cancer Patient}} who sues God, before his star-making turn in ''Film/TheSixthSense''.
** Before playing Cat Grant in ''Series/{{Supergirl}}'', Calista Flockhart played the titular Ally [=McBeal=].

* {{Retroactive Recognition}}:
** [[TheSixthSense Haley Joel Osment]] as the {{Littlest Cancer Patient}} who sues God, before his star-making turn in ''Film/TheSixthSense''.

* TheWoobie: John Cage, a sweet guy who seems to get the short end of the stick from the universe, from rejection to half the cast accidentally laughing [[spoiler: at his pet frog's funeral.]]

* {{Retroactive Recognition}}: [[TheSixthSense Haley Joel Osment]] as the {{Littlest Cancer Patient}} who sues God, before his star-making turn in ''Film/TheSixthSense''.