During its five-year run from 1997 to 2002, the popular TV show <cite>Ally McBeal</cite> engaged viewers in debates over what it means to be a woman or a man in the modern workplace; how romance factors into the therapeutic understanding of relationships; what value eccentricity has and how much oddity society should tolerate; and what utility fantasy has in the pragmatic world. In addition to these social concerns, however, <cite>Ally McBeal</cite> stood out for being well-constructed, narratively complex, and stylistically rich&#151;in short, beautiful TV.</p>

Starting from the premise that much of television today is "drop-dead gorgeous" and that TV should be studied for its formal qualities as well as its social impact, Greg M. Smith analyzes <cite>Ally McBeal</cite> in terms of its aesthetic principles and narrative construction. He explores how <cite>Ally</cite>'s innovative use of music, special effects, fantasy sequences, voiceovers, and flashbacks structures a distinctive fictional universe, while it also opens up new possibilities for televisual expression. Smith also discusses the complex narrative strategies that <cite>Ally</cite>'s creator David E. Kelley used to develop a long-running storyline and shows how these serial narrative practices can help us understand a wide range of prime-time TV serials.</p>

By taking seriously the art and argument of <cite>Ally McBeal</cite>, <cite>Beautiful TV</cite> conclusively demonstrates that aesthetic and narrative analysis is an indispensable key for unlocking the richness of contemporary television.</p>