Post by Trublu on Jan 20, 2009 22:10:08 GMT -5
As reported on AfterEllen.com:
So after firing Brooke Smith from Grey's Anatomy, a silly move in of itself (IMO), the president of ABC, Steve Phearson, dug himself and his company in a larger hole. During the TCA Winter Press Tour rounds, Phearson blundered over not only Brooke Smith, but Melissa George, who was supposed to play a bisexual on the show but didn't stick around for enough episodes in order to do so.
See here:
McPherson: Melissa George was a guest for one episode.
Reporter #1: ...so many guests just leaving — no, she was in more than one episode.
McPherson: I'm not going to answer the question, that's an absurd question. The only person who has left the show is Isaiah Washington.
Reporter #2: Brooke Smith.
Reporter #3: Melissa had contracted for 8 to 11 episodes, and she hasn't gotten 8 to 11 episodes.
McPherson: She didn't contract for that many episodes, she was a guest —
Reporter #3: That's what she said.
McPherson: Well, we all know what everybody says when they leave the show, they want to say what works best for them."
Reporter #3: She was in more than one episode.
McPherson: Yeah, I think she was in three. She was mentioned in one and then shown in two other episodes, I think.
Reporter #4: Brooke Smith was in the opening credits at the start of the season. Was that just, you didn't like the character —
McPherson: Yeah, the character was not working for us, and the dynamic with the relationship was not working for us. We felt like Sara [Ramirez] is such a dynamic character, an amazing actress and woman, and we really just weren't seeing the excitement out of that relationship. There was some mention that we were upset by the lesbian nature of it. She's going to be in a dedicated lesbian relationship (chuckling) in the show. So again, that was an actress who was trying to talk about something in a manner that would serve her and not the reality.
ABC should be saying "oops" just about now, methinks.
So after firing Brooke Smith from Grey's Anatomy, a silly move in of itself (IMO), the president of ABC, Steve Phearson, dug himself and his company in a larger hole. During the TCA Winter Press Tour rounds, Phearson blundered over not only Brooke Smith, but Melissa George, who was supposed to play a bisexual on the show but didn't stick around for enough episodes in order to do so.
See here:
McPherson: Melissa George was a guest for one episode.
Reporter #1: ...so many guests just leaving — no, she was in more than one episode.
McPherson: I'm not going to answer the question, that's an absurd question. The only person who has left the show is Isaiah Washington.
Reporter #2: Brooke Smith.
Reporter #3: Melissa had contracted for 8 to 11 episodes, and she hasn't gotten 8 to 11 episodes.
McPherson: She didn't contract for that many episodes, she was a guest —
Reporter #3: That's what she said.
McPherson: Well, we all know what everybody says when they leave the show, they want to say what works best for them."
Reporter #3: She was in more than one episode.
McPherson: Yeah, I think she was in three. She was mentioned in one and then shown in two other episodes, I think.
Reporter #4: Brooke Smith was in the opening credits at the start of the season. Was that just, you didn't like the character —
McPherson: Yeah, the character was not working for us, and the dynamic with the relationship was not working for us. We felt like Sara [Ramirez] is such a dynamic character, an amazing actress and woman, and we really just weren't seeing the excitement out of that relationship. There was some mention that we were upset by the lesbian nature of it. She's going to be in a dedicated lesbian relationship (chuckling) in the show. So again, that was an actress who was trying to talk about something in a manner that would serve her and not the reality.
ABC should be saying "oops" just about now, methinks.