One of the longest and most prolific producing collaborations in television is coming to an end.
After more than two decades at 20th Century Fox TV, Emmy-winning writer-producer David E. Kelley is moving to Warner Bros. TV with a three-year deal.
Under the pact, said to be worth around eight figures, the man behind such shows as "Boston Legal," "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice," will develop series for broadcast and cable as well as digital projects.
Kelley's deal with 20th Century Fox TV expires in June, and the final series under that deal, "Boston Legal," is in production for its final season 13-episode order at ABC.
He has been at Fox his entire TV career, since joining the writing staff of "L.A. Law" in 1986. He went on to become one of the most prolific producers in television, creating the Emmy-winning series "Picket Fences," "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal."
The pact with Warner Bros. is a more traditional overall writer deal, a departure from the quasi-studio status David E. Kelley Prods. had at Fox, where it had its own business-affairs and production departments. It is understood that the change was prompted by Kelley's desire to deal less with administrative issues and focus on creating shows.
Fox had put an offer on the table for a new deal with Kelley but he ultimately opted to go to Warner Bros., partly because of his relationship with studio president Peter Roth, who used to work with him at Fox.