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| GOING 'GREY' HEALS 'ER'; Published: November 09, 2006 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 24 2006, 09:12 AM (2,023 Views) | |
| Tony | Nov 24 2006, 09:12 AM Post #1 |
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GOING 'GREY' HEALS 'ER' By: Verne Gay Published: November 09, 2006 This is a story that may finally prove – per screenwriter William Goldman’s indelible line – that nobody knows anything in Hollywood. Or it may, in fact, prove that everybody knows something – they’re just not always sure they know what they know until they know it. What this definitely establishes is that television – often a fool’s paradise of predictions, guesswork, spin, hype and outright balderdash – very much remains a place of surprise and even mystery. This is a story, in other words, about “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER,” which both air on Thursday nights, the former at 9 on ABC, the latter at 10 on NBC. One is the great ascendant hit of the year, the TV monster of the moment. The other is an old warhorse. Presumed to be tired and listless, this old nag was supposed to be much closer to the grave than the cradle. “Grey’s” has been seen by an average of 24 million viewers this season, and is far and away TV’s dominant scripted show. Before this, ABC hadn’t had a No. 1 hit on Thursday night in nearly 30 years, when “Laverne & Shirley” briefly nested there during the 1979 season. And the old warhorse? “ER” was TV’s big kahuna in the 1995, ’96 and ’98 seasons and has been a top-10 stalwart for almost each of the past 13 seasons. In terms of pure commercial potency, this has been one of the stellar hits in network history – and remained so until senescence struck. With all original cast members gone, ratings way down in 2005 and a prevailing sense (even at NBC) that the show’s creative arteries were irreversibly sclerotic, this was expected to be the last or next-to-last season. Now, take another look: So far this season, “ER” is NBC’s most-viewed scripted series (averaging around 15 million viewers) and virtually tied with the network’s hot Monday newcomer “Heroes” among younger viewers (both get around 6.5 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 49 in their respective time periods). “ER,” once again, is winning the 10 p.m. time period and is even acting like a young whippersnapper in the process. Sclerosis be damned. Besides the fact that, until now, aging hits almost never – make that never – reversed steep downward spirals, why is this so unusual? There are a couple of reasons. First, counterintuitive though this may seem, “ER” is actually the better of the two Thursday hospital shows. Gone are last season’s histrionics (and violent nuttiness). With volume turned down, the show has gotten back to doing what it always did best – telling the stories of average people in extreme peril. The recent “Ames v. Kovac” episode with guest star Forest Whitaker was superb and went someplace (the courtroom) where “ER” has rarely ventured. And while the drama seems richer and sturdier than in recent seasons, the show also has shrewdly added its own stubble-faced counterpart to “Grey’s” Dr. McDreamy, played by Patrick Dempsey – John Stamos as Dr. Tony Gates. Stamos is nearly the same vintage (43) as Dempsey (40), and both were late-’80s teen icons. The other likely reason for “ER’s” recovery is equally counterintuitive (until you actually stop to think about it). “Grey’s Anatomy” is probably the key reason that “ER” is back on top. Of the resurgence, “ER’s” current show-runner and executive producer, David Zabel, says bluntly: “No, I didn’t anticipate this. I was afraid that what the audience would feel is that if they saw one (hospital) show at 9, then they might not want to see another one at 10. I’m happy to say I was wrong.” He was wrong, but wrong for an understandable reason. What’s happening is one of the older (and odder) phenoms in television. It’s called “drafting” an audience from one show to another. In plain English, this means that if a program (“Grey’s Anatomy”) on one network is a huge hit, then another that follows on a competing network literally gets viewers in its “draft.” The irony is that “ER” appears to be as much a beneficiary as the ABC show that should be getting the direct assist, “Six Degrees,” which follows “Grey’s” at 10. Networks don’t particularly like the draft effect for that reason, but because the TV audience is a rather fickle and uncontrollable beast, they can’t entirely eliminate it. Over the years, the networks got smart. Most of the heavy-hitter hour dramas were slotted at 10. Sitcoms became less prone to draft because they were designed as lead-outs or lead-ins to their companion shows. The advent of the 500-channel universe made drafting even more infrequent – or at least irrelevant. Jeff Bader, executive vice president of ABC Entertainment and the network’s boss in charge of prime-time planning and scheduling, says, “I do think it’s drafting a little bit of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ but you see that in a lot of time periods. If you have a huge show on one network and a popular one on another, you will see people draft over to it.” Not that Bader has anything to worry about. He was the architect of the decade’s most successful scheduling change so far. So why put “Grey’s” on Thursday in the first place? To follow the money. Commercials can be sold at a premium because of the looming weekend shopping days and because there are so many more available viewers. Nevertheless, there is studied pretentiousness to “Grey’s” these nights. This feels like a show that is Important, or – more to the point – knows that it’s Important. There was a casual serendipity to “Grey’s” last season. By contrast, “ER” now feels more grounded and, surprisingly, often more intelligent. Credit for the recharged “ER” goes to Zabel, who has been with “ER” for five seasons. He secured Stamos for a couple of episodes last season, then signed him full time for this one. Says Zabel of Stamos’ character, new intern Tony Gates, “he has a great sense of humor and spark and energy that I felt this show needed.” Along with “ER” stalwarts Goran Visnjic (Luka Kovac), Maura Tierney (Abby Lockhart) and Mekhi Phifer (Gregory Pratt), the show has added new faces, notably veteran actor J.P. Manoux as obnoxious motormouth Dr. Dustin Crenshaw, who may be the ideal choice for fans who actually pine for Paul McCrane’s Dr. Robert Romano. “What’s happening this season,” Zabel says, “is that we’re getting new viewers who are young enough that they’re discovering ‘ER’ as if it’s a new show. They don’t have any preconceptions.” They do now. They’re mostly good ones, too. Newsday |
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| aliyah9 | Nov 24 2006, 10:55 PM Post #2 |
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Resident (500+ posts)
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Well finally someone realises this!!!! Gosh, ER is by far way way way better than Grey's Anatomy. |
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| lubylover319 | Nov 25 2006, 07:24 AM Post #3 |
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Medical Student (100+ Posts)
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Yay! Finally hearing some good things about ER. |
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| Roos | Nov 26 2006, 03:06 PM Post #4 |
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Nurse (-100 Posts)
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Thanks for posting the article. |
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| Drakey | Nov 26 2006, 09:38 PM Post #5 |
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Nurse (-100 Posts)
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Grey's is too much of a crappy soap opera. and its demographic is mostly adolesants (sp? im not the smart one here) my good friend at work her kids are 14 and 10 both LOVE Grey's and cant stand ER. im starting to feel a teensy bit old but hell who cares right? in the end of the grueling bloody kingdom battle ER comes out on top smileing. This is what i love and what im used to. i cant watch scrubs or greys or that new 3lbs series.. only 1 shall exist......1!!!!! /end rant type thingy.....i think
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Carol Hathaway. Wishing she was my nurse when i broke all those ribs ... when all else fails! duct tape it..... | |
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| Stratman | Nov 27 2006, 08:01 AM Post #6 |
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Nurse (-100 Posts)
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I loved the second season of Grey's Anatomy, the first was really nothing special, but the second was excellent. ER of course, is the better show, IMHO, but you shouldn't ignore GA. |
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| aliyah9 | Nov 27 2006, 11:42 PM Post #7 |
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Resident (500+ posts)
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NAH!!! I totally agree with Drakey!!! Grey's Anatomy is a bunch of crap!! The only reason why GA gets ratings is because everyone is sleeping with everyone. they have stupid story lines and if they do happen to have a good one, it's because they got the idea from the all time king of hospital dramas... ER!!! and they did use the same snow patrol song ER used for their season 12 finale. Call it coincidence or pure stupidity... you be the judge!! (I choose pure stupidity) ER has actual heart breaking stories of people fighting for their life and it's realistic. They don't just focus totally on the relationships, but what actually happens in the hospital, patient and career wise, which i believe makes it such a great show. |
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| Stratman | Nov 28 2006, 06:00 AM Post #8 |
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Nurse (-100 Posts)
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If you didn't find the Izzy/Denny storyline heartbreaking, you have no soul. And by the way, GA used Chasing Cars, ER used Open Your Eyes. Open your eyes before you go chasing cars you can't catch, dumb ass. |
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| fan08 | Nov 28 2006, 09:03 AM Post #9 |
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Nurse (-100 Posts)
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Greys did use Open Your Eyes. And, although I do have a soul, I found the Izzy/Denny storyline a little over the top. I was feeling sorry for her before she stole that heart -- basically sentencing that other man to death -- for her own selfishness. Bottomline, while I do watch Greys, I think ER is far superior. |
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| aliyah9 | Nov 29 2006, 01:23 AM Post #10 |
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Resident (500+ posts)
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thanks for calling me a dumb ass!! and btw, i'm 150% sure that GA played open your eyes, cause i saw part of that epi and i heard the song. I don't know that Izzy/Denny storyline because i don't really follow GA cause the few times i tried to watch it i ended up changing the channel out of boredom, but whatever the storyline, all i know is that GA is not a show that balances off the relationship storylines and the patient storylines; the scales leans more to the relationship side, which i see alot in entertainment news and how the show is portrayed. I never said that they don't have heartbreaking storylines, they just don't have many dealing with patients. So don't kill me for having an opinion, i just don't fancy Grey's Anatomy, but i absolutely LOVE ER!!! |
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| Stratman | Nov 29 2006, 05:38 AM Post #11 |
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Nurse (-100 Posts)
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Aliyah, I'm afraid you simply want Grey's Anatomy to be the same show as ER. Tv.com does not list Open Your Eyes in the ''Losing My Religion'' episode overview, and I don't remember hearing it, though the two do sound very similar. |
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| iheartnurdz | Nov 29 2006, 09:46 AM Post #12 |
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Resident (500+ posts)
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^ Grey's used Open Your Eyes in one of the first few eps this season.... I think maybe the one where Izzie was lying on the bathroom floor (but maybe I'm wrong here). I know it was on though, because I couldn't stop picturing Morris putting a chest tube in Jerry and Abby bleeding and passing out....
Hey, let's try and play nice now kids... |
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| Sydney | Nov 29 2006, 01:01 PM Post #13 |
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Chief Resident (1,000+ posts)
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*doesnt watch greys at all* im sooo happy ER is getting the praise! i feels good to be a part of it too- like we are the viewers! cant wait to see where this season takes us! |
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| aliyah9 | Nov 29 2006, 11:35 PM Post #14 |
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Stratman, I am very sure that it was open your eyes because first of all i know the difference between the two songs and second, i remember hearing the song and placing the ER episode with it, and also thinking "how could they use that song when ER did just the other day". tv.com is not always right, viewers make those posts and they are not always right. all i know is that i am right about this one, i may not be right about the other things i said but i am sure i am right about this one. and i don't want Grey's Anatomy to be the same as ER, I just want ER and ER alone!!! but if GA has to be well let it be, once people don't mess with ER. |
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| marbethfan | Dec 7 2006, 10:37 AM Post #15 |
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Honestly, I think Grey's Anatomy is funny. As far as dramady's, and I emphasize the comedy aspect, it's great. But it ain't no ER... |
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