On television, it’s rather common to see a legal drama. That said, CBS’ “The Good Wife” had its own niche because unlike other similar shows, it had something else going for it – a love story wrapped in a political scandal.
On “The Good Wife,” Julianna Margulies played Alicia Florrick, the wife of a former state attorney who gets imprisoned following a corruption and sex scandal. And as she cared for their two children, Alicia makes the decision to pursue a law career, which she had given up long ago. In the process, she reunites with college friend, Will Gardner, who hires her at his law firm.
Created by Robert and Michelle King, the show ran for seven seasons before ending in 2016. And even if you think you’re the show’s biggest fan, there are some interesting things about this series that you may not know about:
15 The Show Is Based On The Real-Life Political Scandals Of Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, Etc.
During an interview with Bitter Empire, Michelle King explained, “We came up with the idea about a year and half ago. There had been this waterfall of these kinds of scandals, from Bill and Hillary [Clinton], to Dick Morris, to Eliot Spitzer, to name just a few. I think they’re all over our culture.”
14 Neither Of The Creators Have A Law Background
Robert King admitted, “We wish we were lawyers. It would make writing the show a lot easier.” Nonetheless, Michelle pointed out, “I don’t think it helps at all. We always start with the idea of a story, but we’re always talking with lawyers who are technical advisors to make it more authentic.”
13 Ashley Judd And Helen Hunt Were Asked To Play Alicia Florrick Before Julianna Margulies
Margulies told The Hollywood Reporter, “When The Good Wife came to me, it came in such a backhanded compliment. ‘Ashley Judd was offered this script, but she's turning it down. Now, I'm going to give it to you, but first, we're going to Helen Hunt. And if Helen Hunt passes, it's all yours.’” Ouch!
12 Alan Cumming’s Character, Eli Gold, Was Loosely Based On Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Cumming told NPR, “I did a little bit of research on [Emanuel]. And, you know, the sort of coiled-spring nature of him I find quite helpful. ... It was more about reading about him and seeing the public face and in imagining what the private one was like.” He added, “When he loses, it's about ... passion. ...”
11 From The Beginning, The Idea Of Playing A Disgraced Politician Appealed To Chris Noth
Noth told The Hollywood Reporter, “I wasn’t looking to go into a network, but the idea of a disgraced politician was really appealing.” He later added, “The political world holds a lot a dirty secrets and I thought it might be fun to jump onboard and see where it goes.”
10 Producers Regretted Introducing Kalinda’s Ex Into The Story, Saying It Was Unnecessary
While speaking with TV Guide, Robert admitted, “You don’t give James Bond a girlfriend.” He added, “Some characters you actually don't want to see that much backstory. We're adjusting. No matter where we went, this was not a place where the audience wanted to go.” This part of Kalinda’s story arc was introduced in season two.
9 The Creators Have Admitted To Getting Details Wrong When It Comes To Arrests And Court Shots
Robert revealed, “For example, we’ve used a stock shot of the criminal court, when it’s really civil court. Or, sometimes we have a Cook County sheriff arresting someone when it should have been Chicago PD. And I know we’ve messed up by referring to Peter’s post-conviction issues as appeals.” He said the errors were due to a “tremendous time crunch.”
8 While Filming A Guest Role On The Show, Kristin Chenoweth Suffered Injuries After Getting Hit By Lighting Equipment
Chenoweth recalled, “We were shooting outside on the river. I think it was day three for me. And Josh Charles, my angel, was there. The set landed on me and kind of messed up my face, my nose and my teeth, and then threw me into a curb, so there was a skull fracture and some rib pain.”
7 The Cast Typically Had 24 to 48 Hours To Learn Their Lines Before Filming An Episode
Josh Charles told Deadline, “Learning all of that legal dialogue on 24 hours’ notice, or 48 hours. Getting a script the night before, two nights before, while you’re shooting the (previous) episode, and looking through the script and realizing you’re in court a lot, having to say a lot of that legalese, making it sound clear, precise and succinct.”
6 Diane Lockhart’s Story Arc Was Changed Because Of Christine Baranski’s Personality Behind-The-Scenes
Robert explained, “Christine Baranski’s character [Diane Lockhart], at the very start of the show, was supposed to be kind of the b***** boss to Alicia.” However, he also noted, “If anybody’s met Christine Baranski, though, you can only go so far with that before you embrace just how wonderful she is.”
