E Kelly is thinking of going cable to escape the ads

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The creator of Emmy-winning legal drama "Boston Legal" said Tuesday he's concerned about the amount of commercial time on primetime TV shows and raised the possibility of working in cable in the future.

"If the commercial encroachment becomes worse, it's probably something that we'll all consider," David E. Kelley told reporters during ABC's portion of the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton. He said he has no plans in cable right now.

Kelley said that when he worked on "L.A. Law," there were 48 minutes of show. That has been reduced over the years to a little more than 41 minutes. Kelley said that makes it tougher to create character-driven stories and tell emotional stories, particularly within the five-act structure that sometimes gives only eight minutes between commercial breaks.

"It's tough to be as effective as a storyteller with 41 minutes," Kelley said. He added that it was hard to get the audience's attention for a subtle or softer story line coming out of some commercials. He said he would be open to alternatives to add to the time available.

"I would love to explore some ideas that buy some of that time back," Kelley said, including perhaps entertaining offers with corporations that would sign on as co-producers who might allow 43 or 44 minutes for the shows.

In an interview following the presentation, Kelley said he had explored a co-production deal with a company for his shows "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal" for that reason. But it wasn't practical because, given his story lines, it was possible that it would offend at least somebody that might make it difficult for a company to sponsor the show.

"My exploration came to an end because the corporate entity wanted some script control . . . That's not viable" for creative reasons, Kelley said. He hasn't considered it since.

During the panel, Kelley said he wasn't happy about ABC's removal of "Boston Legal" for the premiere of "Grey's Anatomy" this year.

"It was very tough, but it's the reality that we're dealing with, and we're going to make a go of it in our new time period," Kelley said.

He added it was particularly difficult because he felt "Boston Legal" was coming to its best five episodes when the show was taken off the air. Four of the five episodes, including two with Heather Locklear as a murder defendant and also guest-starring Betty White and Rupert Everett, will be the first ones shown this coming season. They are being reworked to include the new co-stars, including former "Ed" actress Julie Bowen; the fifth will require more extensive reworking.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter