Cage & Fish (which becomes Cage/Fish & McBeal or Cage, Fish, &
Associates towards the end of the series), the fictional law firm
where most of the characters work, is depicted as a highly sexualized
environment, symbolized by its unisex public restroom. Lawyers and
secretaries in the firm routinely date, flirt with, or have a romantic
history with each other, and frequently run into former or potential
romantic interests in the courtroom or on the street outside.
The show had many offbeat and frequently surreal running gags and
themes, such as Ally's tendency to immediately fall over whenever she
met somebody she found attractive, or Richard Fish's wattle fetish and
humorous mottos ("Fishisms"), ran through the series. The show used
vivid, dramatic fantasy sequences for Ally's and other characters'
wishful thinking; particularly notable is the dancing baby.
The show also featured regular visits to a local bar where singer
Vonda Shepard regularly performed (though occasionally handing over
the microphone to the characters). The series also took place in the
same continuity as David E. Kelley's legal drama The Practice (which
aired on ABC), as the two shows crossed over with one another on
occasion, a very rare occurence for two shows which aired on different
networks. http://www.dvds-box-set.com/ally-mcbeal-the-complete-set-dvd-season-15-dvd-p-151.html