New Crew For Sitcom 'Ally McBeal'

Posted Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 1:55 PM Central

by Heather Koehler

Ready for its fifth season, 'Ally McBeal' is getting some big changes. Calista Flockhart will have to make new friends as her roommate Lisa Nicole Carson was given the boot, along with her on-screen beau Robert Downey Jr.

Also leaving the law firm are Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs and James LeGros. Most of these changes came straight from creator David E. Kelly, who just wants to "rejuvenate" the show, so he's added more beautiful people to the club.

Regina Hall, Julianne Nicholson, James Marsden and Josh Hopkins will make up the new "in-crowd" at Fish & Cage. Calista says, "Sometimes characters can come up against a dead end, and writers don't know wht to do with them any more. It's really sad to see people go. On the other hand, it's always nice to have fresh energy."