SHIRLEY SCHMIDT RELUCTANTLY PUTS RIGHT-WING DENNY CRANE ON A CASE INVOLVING ASSAULT WEAPONS, ALAN SHORE DEFENDS HIS FORMER SECRETARY, WHO IS ACCUSED OF MURDER, AND SARA HOLT RECEIVES A SEXUALLY PERVERSE REQUEST FROM DENISE BAUER'S EX-HUSBAND'S LAWYER, ON ABC'S "BOSTON LEGAL"

"A Whiff and a Prayer" - Forced by a client to put Denny Crane on the case, Shirley Schmidt reluctantly enlists his help to defend a Democratic Congressman being sued for not keeping a campaign promise to pass a ban on assault weapons. The right-wing Crane is an unlikely defender from the start, but Schmidt really wonders if she made the right decision when he goes missing the day of his closing. Meanwhile, Alan Shore, still reeling from Tara's exit, focuses on defending Catherine Piper (Betty White), accused of murdering his client, Bernard Ferrion. And Reverend Diddum (Kurt Fuller), Denise Bauer's ex-husband's lawyer, threatens to report Sara Holt and Garret Wells to their superiors for their ruse to get him to drastically reduce his client's alimony -- but he'll forget the whole matter if Sara gives in to a sexually perverse request -- on "Boston Legal," TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Boston Legal" stars James Spader as Alan Shore, Julie Bowen as Denise Bauer, Mark Valley as Brad Chase, Rene Auberjonois as Paul Lewiston, Justin Mentell as Garrett Wells and Ryan Michelle Bathe as Sara Holt, with Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt and William Shatner as Denny Crane.

Guest starring in "A Whiff and a Prayer" are Betty White as Catherine Piper, Kurt Fuller as Reverend Donald Diddum, H. Richard Greene as Judge Harry Hingham, Lisa Kaminir as D.A. Valerie Murro, John Thaddeus as Detective John Stephenson, Ryan Cutrona as Congressman Raymond Jacobs, Lou Beatty, Jr. as Judge Gordon Kolodny, William Russ as Attorney Christopher Palmer, Michael Bryan French as Alex Naughton and Bob Rumnock as foreman.

"A Whiff and a Prayer" was written by David E. Kelley and directed by Bill D'Elia.

"Boston Legal" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning.

This program carries a TV-14,D parental guideline.