David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney.
Biography from TMDB.
- April 4, 1956 (70)
- Waterville, Maine, USA
- Writer and producer, also actor
- 27 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
What are David E. Kelley's films like?
Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5
Light 2 · Serious 3 · Dark 1
Grounded 3 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 1
A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1
Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 2
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet4
- Ambiguous5
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch David E. Kelley's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
- discovery+
Subscription and free streaming for David E. Kelley's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
39 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Presumed Innocent(2024)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
A Man in Full(2024)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows
Love & Death(2023)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
The Calling(2022)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
The Lincoln Lawyer(2022)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Anatomy of a Scandal(2022)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.(2021)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Nine Perfect Strangers(2021)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows
Big Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Big Sky(2020)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
The Undoing(2020)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows
Mr. Mercedes(2017)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Big Little Lies(2017)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Goliath(2016)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
The Crazy Ones(2013)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
Monday Mornings(2013)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Harry's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
The Wedding Bells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Lake Placid 2(2007)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all filmsThe Law Firm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Boston Legal(2004)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Girls Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Boston Public (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Mystery, Alaska(1999)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Snoops (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Lake Placid(1999)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Ally McBeal(1997)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
The Practice(1997)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Picket Fences(1992)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Doogie Howser, M.D.(1989)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
From the Hip(1987)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
L.A. Law(1986)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all showsLegally Mad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Myron Bolitar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Wonder Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 38 titles, 35 of them dated from 1986 to 2026.
Biggest box office
Lake Placid (1999)
Highest rated
Big Little Lies (2017)
Most popular right now
Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
11 Primetime Emmys and 5 other major awards from 53 major nominations, 1988–2026.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Limited Series
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Writers Guild Award, won · Long Form - Adaptation
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Limited Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
Show 15 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Writers Guild Award, won
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Producers Guild Award, won
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best International (Programme or Series)
+2 other major bodies · 1 win and 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, won
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated ×2 · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated ×3 · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated ×2 · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do David E. Kelley's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 5; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th8
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
14 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Crowd Pleaser14
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the dialogue 47/100 and the plot and story 43/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is David E. Kelley's work okay for kids?
Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does David E. Kelley work with?
People who share at least 2 of David E. Kelley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nicole Kidman shares the most, 3.
Writers
- Liane MoriartyShared titles: Nine Perfect Strangers (2021), Big Little Lies (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Liane Moriarty
- Steven BochcoShared titles: Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. (2021), Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Steven Bochco
Actors
- Nicole KidmanShared titles: Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026), Nine Perfect Strangers (2021), Big Little Lies (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Nicole Kidman
- Michelle PfeifferShared titles: Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026), To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Michelle Pfeiffer
Producers
- Matthew TinkerShared titles: Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026), The Calling (2022), Big Little Lies (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Matthew Tinker
- Checka PropperShared titles: Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026), The Calling (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Checka Propper
- Howard BaldwinShared titles: Mystery, Alaska (1999), From the Hip (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Howard Baldwin
Mixed roles
- Michael PressmanShared titles: Lake Placid (1999), To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Pressman
