Gray's Anatomy loses one of its stars

[JasonEvans]

Isaiah Washington is history. (http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Greys-Fires/800016659)

I guess the whole "I'm a gay-bashing homophobe" thing was bad for his career, eh?

Frankly, I liked Christina much better when she was not with him.

--Jason "the show has gone so far downhill, maybe this will help it get back on track" Evans

[Dukerati]

Yeah, I just read this about ten minutes ago. For all of Isiah's problems, I'm surprised they let him go. I knew it was a possibility but I don't think the writers really thought he was going to leave because they would've built up his departure much longer (and probably more painful) and his exit was less than graceful.

*Spoiler Alert*


It has also been announced that George is coming back at the tune of 125,000 per episode. With Katherine Heigl sure to command huge dollars with the success of her movie, could it be that ABC just didn't want to pay him the money?

[unexpected]

I think they used the "gay homophobe" thing as an excuse to get rid of him - other actors have done far worse, and still have their shows.

Frankly, I'm worried about Grey's next season. The show jumped the shark midway through this year. It seems like the writers are totally out of ideas and feel the need to stir the pot every episode.

What made the episodes so good in the beginning was they revolved around their relationships with external forces - their patients, their families, their past. Now the show seems caught up in the relationships amongst themselves, and after playing the same tired storylines over and over again, I feel like people are getting weary.

I read an article somewhere where Dempsey and the chick who plays Meredith even restated the above, saying [paraphrased] "it'd be nice if Meredith and Derek were in a healthy relationship for an extended period of time"

If the writing doesn't improve, things could go the way of the O.C. very quickly.

[alteran]

I think they used the "gay homophobe" thing as an excuse to get rid of him - other actors have done far worse, and still have their shows.

Frankly, I'm worried about Grey's next season. The show jumped the shark midway through this year. It seems like the writers are totally out of ideas and feel the need to stir the pot every episode.

What made the episodes so good in the beginning was they revolved around their relationships with external forces - their patients, their families, their past. Now the show seems caught up in the relationships amongst themselves, and after playing the same tired storylines over and over again, I feel like people are getting weary.

I read an article somewhere where Dempsey and the chick who plays Meredith even restated the above, saying [paraphrased] "it'd be nice if Meredith and Derek were in a healthy relationship for an extended period of time"

If the writing doesn't improve, things could go the way of the O.C. very quickly.

The equilibrium of all collaborative writing is soap opera.

If they aren't very careful and focused, writers tend to start going down this path. It seems like it always alienates the audience in the long term.

This has killed a lot of great shows.

[Exiled_Devil]

Alteran said:

The equilibrium of all collaborative writing is soap opera.

that is brilliant! I also think it crosses genres - comic books are basically soap operas with capes because the same characters have been gone over by so many authors. When we are lucky, the writers stay for an extended period of time, but something like XMen or Batman have had so many authors they have become more like a platform than a narrative.

Other point: is $125k an episode bad for a network drama?

Exiled

[JasonEvans]

Other point: is $125k an episode bad for a network drama?


No, that is quite a good salary. Grey's will be on for something like 24 episodes next year, meaning "George" will be paid something close to $3 million dollars for the full season... that's a very nice salary. Just for comparison, I would not imagine that TR Knight is now making more than everyone on Lost except maybe Matthew Fox.

-Jason "if Grey's is already running into this kind of salary escalation, the show is not going to live very long with all these big actors. It will simply get too expensive" Evans

[unexpected]

IIRC, the entire cast on Friends was getting a million dollars an episode towards the end.

[hc5duke]

IIRC, the entire cast on Friends was getting a million dollars an episode towards the end.

but what fraction of the viewership does Grey's get compared to Friends?

[JasonEvans]

but what fraction of the viewership does Grey's get compared to Friends?

And sitcoms are worth a TON more in syndication than serialized dramas. History has shown us that you almost cannot sell a serialized drama into syndication on regular TV stations... maybe on major cable (like TNT, Bravo, A&E) but not to the hundreds of local stations out there.

As a result, making an extra season of Friends was worth a fortune to Warner (the syndication company) but making an extra season of Gray's would not be worth nearly as much. Plus, that was only at the end of the line for Friends. They could not have afforded to keep on doing that forever.

-Jason "I think Gray's has a limited shelf life if the salaries get too out of hand... or the cast has a limited shelf life if you get my drift" Evans

[Patrick Yates]

but what fraction of the viewership does Grey's get compared to Friends?

Hard to believe, but Greys averages arround 20-22 million viewers, more than friends (with the exception of many of the last season's episodes)

Greys actors cannot get as much for several reasons.

1. Comedies are worth more money to networks. Thanks to sydication, comedies are cash cows. It is easier to find a place for a half hour comedy, especially because they are not really sequential. Sure Friends had themes, but you did not have to watch every episode to know what was going on and enjoy the episode. (this is why those detesteble crime procedurals are so popular). With Grey', if you miss one or two episodes, you are lost.

2. True ensebles. On Friends, they were all integral to the show. It would have been very hard to subract any one from the show and have it continue. Greys is less so. Right now, McDreamy and Meredith, and possibly Christina, are the only untouchables. Any of the others could be done away with.

3. Bargaining power. Schwimmer on friends was the one who said the friends would negotiate together and get paid the same. This saved the show in my opinion. Otherwise, jealousy and rivalry would have kept salaries low. The producers could have played the stars against each other like a prisoner's dilema. By eradicating that option, the friends were able to drive the price up, much like a cohesive labor union. Greys stars are in it for themselves, and that will keep salaries low.

4. Numbers. Of castmates. Friends only got 1 mill the last 3-4 seasons. In thier second or third seasons, they got the same type raises Greys is getting. If Grey's is still highly rated in 2-3 years, and kicking butt in syndication, you better believe that the top line stars will get 1 million plus.

TV. Just a business, like any other.

Patrick Yates

[hc5duke]

Hard to believe, but Greys averages arround 20-22 million viewers, more than friends (with the exception of many of the last season's episodes)


Well if you look at the season averages, that's not quite so -- Grey's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey%27s_Anatomy) averaged between 18.5 and 19.9 MM viewers, whereas Friends (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends) never averaged below 20 MM. But yeah that is a lot closer than what I thought when I wrote the previous post.

[Raleighfan]

......

Frankly, I'm worried about Grey's next season. The show jumped the shark midway through this year. It seems like the writers are totally out of ideas and feel the need to stir the pot every episode.

What made the episodes so good in the beginning was they revolved around their relationships with external forces - their patients, their families, their past. Now the show seems caught up in the relationships amongst themselves, and after playing the same tired storylines over and over again, I feel like people are getting weary.......

That's why I question the wisdom of getting rid of both of Meredith's mother figures....at least those two characters weren't cast in the mold of young residents/interns and were a source of material for storylines other than "who's bonking whom?", which is what GA's has become.

[JasonEvans]

That's why I question the wisdom of getting rid of both of Meredith's mother figures....at least those two characters weren't cast in the mold of young residents/interns and were a source of material for storylines other than "who's bonking whom?", which is what GA's has become.

The show really, really needs a gay relationship. After getting dumped by Burke, Christina needs to swear off men or something like that.

-Jason "it would be too obvious to make George gay" Evans