Ally McBeal cast reunites at Emmys with throwback bathroom dance

Court was back in session for Ally McBeal at the delayed 2023 Emmy Awards.

During Monday's ceremony, Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol, and Gil Bellows reunited on stage in a nostalgic moment honoring their iconic late '90s legal series — and their moment happened, appropriately, in a recreation of the iconic bathroom set.

Ally McBeal fans remember that the show had a unisex office bathroom, decades before all-gender bathrooms were common. Many scenes took place in that bathroom, and Flockhart began the skit by washing her hands and checking herself out in the mirror. Then Germann, MacNicol, and Bellows danced together around the bathroom.

"I loved working with Peter, Gil and Greg — and I still do," Flockhart said. "The entire Ally McBeal cast was so talented, magical, and the show, created by the brilliant 11-time Emmy winner David E. Kelley, was groundbreaking, revolutionary, introducing us to a dancing baby and unisex bathrooms. Ally McBeal defied convention with humor and humanity."

Ally McBeal premiered in 1997 and ran for five seasons on Fox before it was ultimately canceled in 2002. The series followed Ally (Flockhart) and her colorful co-workers through loves, wins, and losses — both in the courtroom and in life. The beloved show won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy in 1998 and 1999, as well as the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1999. In addition to Flockhart, Germann, MacNicol, and Bellows, Ally McBeal also starred Lisa Nicole Carson, Jane Krakowski, Portia de Rossi, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Lucy Liu, and musician Vonda Shepard.

A revival is currently in development at ABC, and will not focus on the original series' titular character but instead will follow a young Black woman who joins Cage and Fish fresh out of law school. Flockhart has reportedly been approached to reprise her role in an unknown capacity, as well as to executive-produce the new series. Meanwhile, original series creator Kelley has reportedly given his blessing to the sequel but does not plan to be involved.

The long-overdue 2023 Emmys were delayed by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which is why the awards show didn’t take place in September as it normally does. The ceremony finally aired live on Monday, honoring the best of television from the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023 (the 2024 Emmys are still set to happen later this year). The 2023 show was hosted for the first time by Anthony Anderson.

See the full list of winners here.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV.

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