The show's creator David E. Kelley told the surprised cast and crew about his decision on the set during the day on Wednesday. According to a 20th Century Fox spokesperson there "were tears" and the event "was emotional."

"It's sad to say goodbye to something you love, even when perhaps it is time," Kelley said in a statement.

"Ally McBeal" is the story of a neurotic, romance-obsessed and commitment-challenged Boston lawyer played by Calista Flockhart who goes from one heartbreak to another in her quest for true love.

The supporting cast, including Lucy Liu, Portia di Rossi and Emmy-winner Peter MacNicol, portrayed equally off-the-wall characters in the show's fantasy-meets-reality framework. Kelley did not hesitate to have his cast sing, dance, spit fire, hallucinate about babies, and use a co-ed bathroom. Musical guest stars ranged from Elton John and Barry White to Tina Turner.

In its early days, "Ally McBeal" experienced its share of bashing over its women's micro-minis as well as their dwindling weights. While Flockhart has persistently denied reports of her anorexia, Courtney Thorne-Smith, who was part of the original cast, later admitted she had developed an eating disorder on the set, and Portia di Rossi acknowledged that she had gone through a phase of compulsive-exercising.

Another target of criticism was the topic of the show itself: Intelligent, if kooky, woman seeks perfect man to make her happy. In 1998, Time magazine ran the headline "Is Feminism Dead?" with Flockhart's picture opposite feminists like Susan B. Anthony.

The program won an Emmy for Best Comedy in 1999, but the ratings have since been slipping. In 2000, Robert Downey Jr. helped put the show back on the map as Flockhart's love interest - the chemistry between the two had even tired critics raving - but his drug problems forced him to leave the show. This season, even appearances by Mariah Carey, Christina Ricci and Jon Bon Jovi couldn't make viewers care again though.

Kelley, a former lawyer and Michelle Pfeiffer's husband, is still working on "The Practice" and "Boston Public." His new series "girls club," about three women in San Francisco who are - what else - lawyers, is expected to debut next season.