1928 replies to this topic

[BNScrubNurse]

First off, I almost named this thread 'Crackpipes and Crayons'. I went with the psych ward because well, it goes with the Grey's theme and these bitches should be committed.

Secondly, I really don't know if I blame the writers completely. I mean, they can't be the ones that were like "Hey, let's bring back Denny and then he can have sex with Izzie." And it's not like they can refuse to do their job. At the very least, they've made it somewhat entertaining with Denny having his own little ghost commentary. (Even if I do spend most of my time wanting to punch him in the face) but how much of this is the writer's fault and how much is really Shonda's fault?

I used to dream of the day that I could write for Grey's Anatomy and now I'd rather stick to writing mediocre fanfiction. At least I know my shit is better recieved. ;)

[mcsteamygirl]

I sort of like Crackpots and Crayons. Sort of fits with the stoned 12 year olds that write this show.

I think from that TV Guide Interview the blame is squarely on Rhimes shoulders. I am guessing the other writers are just doing what they are told but by Mark Wilding's blog last week he seemed to like Dizzie.

This show maybe still drawing 14 million but it could be drawing 20 million if they had different show runners.

[fishwife56]

Well let me just say I shall give a vote of confidence to my two favorite writers of the moment - Jenna Bans and Mark Wilding. :P


All the others are crack pots/pipes with crayons. Ok well Krista is going to write part of the cross-over on the Grey's side so lets see how well she does with that.

Edited by fishwife56, Jan 29, 2009 @ 8:55 PM.

[Featherhat]

In some ways take out the insano plots (of which there are lots) and you can still find a lot of good stuff in the episodes.

I really like Jenna Bans as a writer (No I in Team, Sympathy for the Devil) recently and I hope she does more this season. Her eps seem to be a great mix of comedy, angst, drama and suspense. It helps that she got a great actress in Tyne Daly for 5.12 though to pull off some of Mrs. S's questionable Mark statements.

Also Debora Cahn, I've liked since TWW and she brings a lot of the feel of that sometimes. She wrote my 2nd favourite ep of the season (Brave New World). Though Krista often brings it still as well, so I'm hopeful about the crossover as long as Marti Noxon doesn't get her hands on it, I've never forgiven her for the Spike/Buffy "romantic" almost rape and her finger prints were all over last last big event, the NDE arc.

I don't know though. It seems like the majority the shows I watch or used to watch on network TV the fans are screaming at the writers to put down the crackpipe recently, House, Heroes, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Bones to a certain extent, my sister says SPN is the same. Cable seems better all around, but I don't think it's just us that are calling for showrunners' heads even though Grey's is by far the most prominent because of Deddy. Though I do put the blame for Deddy squarely on SR since she bragged about it in TV Guide.

[Deanie87]

Does Stacy McKee still write for the show? I always really liked her episodes and I liked her blogs. She would actually talk about why they chose to do a scene a certain way and actually explained the choices they made. Instead of talking about the characters like they are real people like Shonda.

[WindSprints]

Does Stacy McKee still write for the show?

She wrote "These Ties That Bind" this season.

[Featherhat]

She wrote "These Ties That Bind" this season.

Which apart from Sadie, Deddy and the IFC was actually pretty good. ;)

[Deanie87]

She wrote "These Ties That Bind" this season.

Oh. Ew, that one was one of the early Denny ones. Hhhmmmm....well Alex was good in it, so I guess I still like her.

[mcsteamygirl]

Jenna Bans has been my favorite this season. Krista has been off for awhile. I used to look forward to her episodes but I think its the last two that have been off in my book. There have been good episodes in the season but I think the bad is just overshadowing the good.

I thought Burn Notices premiere last week was fantastic. The Closers premiere this week was great. I think cable is really beginning to make its mark on network programming.

[Kit Kat]

It seems like the majority the shows I watch or used to watch on network TV the fans are screaming at the writers to put down the crackpipe recently, House, Heroes, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Bones to a certain extent, my sister says SPN is the same.

Except for Bones and SPN, I gotta agree with this list. Heroes and Ugly Betty have become offensively bad, and Brothers and Sisters is just boring as hell. Even House has some problems with the weird Hadley obsession. What is happening to network TV?

Which apart from Sadie, Deddy and the IFC was actually pretty good. ;)

Haha, yeah, that was a great four minutes of TV.

Cable seems better all around,

God, cable is so much better in almost every way. I don't know if it's the quality of writers and actors they can get, the willingness to break new ground, not having the FCC puppeted by bible thumpers dictating what grown adults can and can't see, or what, but cable kicks ass.

[BNScrubNurse]

I've always had a love for Tony Phelan and Joan Rater. Well, until the season 3 finale with disappearing! Burke, which was painful- but they've always written a very good Cristina.

[fishwife56]

You know I was just beginning to trust this writing team again. And then a 10 second promo clip just throws that trust into the fire.

I don't get it. I just don't get it.

[wonderwait]

What I really want is for some of the best GA fanfic writers to work together to write an episode.
Then it should get aired.


When reviews start pouring in about how much fans loved it, then maybe we'll see some progress.

[fishwife56]

EW has a poll up to rate the new Pilot projects. Rhimes' is there.

EW Rate the Pilots!

[Kit Kat]

but I'm crossing my fingers that Box is Sports Night meets Murphy Brown and not...Private Practice.

So much word. If this is another show about adults acting like idiot highschoolers, I am officially done with anything Shonda writes ever again. Is the woman stunted and these are the only characters she can write, or does she think they're endearing?

Edited by Kit Kat, Feb 1, 2009 @ 8:19 PM.

[Red Ranger]

Shonda really should be committed if she thinks she can juggle three shows. I don't think it's a coincidence that GA started to go down in quality when she was starting up PrP. I really hope she and Betsy concentrate on this show and ABC gets a new show runner for GA. I think that would be the only good that could come from this.

[Featherhat]

I doubt Shonda will be concentrating on the new show since she is neither the creator nor showrunner. She's just exec producing, it doesn't mean she will be involved on a day to day basis. It's jut being called "her" pilot because she is the most famous name attached. Much like JJ Abrams is an executive producer of LOST but has sweet FA to do with it since directing the pilot and writing a few episodes.

[pendletons]

EW has a poll up to rate the new Pilot projects. Rhimes' is there.

EW Rate the Pilots!

Muahaha. Some of the most entertaining comments I've heard in a looong time. Totally made my day, thanks for posting!

[Kit Kat]

I doubt Shonda will be concentrating on the new show since she is neither the creator nor showrunner. She's just exec producing, it doesn't mean she will be involved on a day to day basis.

Being a executive producer is a pretty big involvement. Obviously, not to the level of a showrunner, but she just can't phone it in between GA and PrP.

What I really want is for some of the best GA fanfic writers to work together to write an episode.
Then it should get aired.


When reviews start pouring in about how much fans loved it, then maybe we'll see some progress.

I can't for the life of me remember what show did this, but they did try this before. And it was awful. Like, really, really awful. I think it was a soap opera.

Basically, my point is that we give Shonda and Co a lot of shit, as well we should, but writing for TV is pretty hard. And just because you write good fanfic doesn't mean you can write a good episode.

Edited by Kit Kat, Feb 2, 2009 @ 12:59 AM.

[boewyr]

I don't watch this show much. I find pretty much everyone except Sandra Oh insufferable. But as someone with a vague interest in writing, particularly television, I have looked at a bit of the creative stuff. Mostly a few interviews with Shonda cause hey, regardless of what I think of the show it was (and still is last time I saw the ratings for it) incredibly popular. I gotta say though, I've gotten the impression Shonda is pretty... immature in what I've seen. It really struck me in an interview here she described surgery as sexy (huh? Cutting up bodies and fiddling with vital organs?) and detailed how some of the characters interactions are similar to her and her friends. I don't mean immature in a I-think-everything-should-be-like-this-and-it-damn-should-be-if-possible way (like Matt Weiner, very specific/picky guy from what I've read) but a teenage girl way. The TwoP descriptions of the podcasts for the show and the way the characters act don't exactly do much to dissuade me from that either. I don't know, maybe some of the regular watches here can correct me, but that's the impression I've gotten. It makes it a bit hard to take her seriously.

Edited by boewyr, Feb 2, 2009 @ 1:42 AM.

[Featherhat]

Being a executive producer is a pretty big involvement. Obviously, not to the level of a showrunner, but she just can't phone it in between GA and PrP.

It depends. Some EP's are just vanity attachments or cover some vague "creative input" .e.g Doug Liman was EP of The OC for the first few episodes because he directed the pilot, but did nothing else creative and he was a biggish name. Or it could be on set on a day to day basis, but I very much doubt that. Between GA and PrP I don't think she will be very involved in it. And TBH there's no indication Greys would get consistantly better if BB or KV was left in charge on a day to day basis and SR went off to play with a new toy, because isn't that what KV is supposedly doing now?

[WindSprints]

Basically, my point is that we give Shonda and Co a lot of shit, as well we should, but writing for TV is pretty hard. And just because you write good fanfic doesn't mean you can write a good episode.

Completely agree.

It depends. Some EP's are just vanity attachments or cover some vague "creative input" .e.g Doug Liman was EP of The OC for the first few episodes because he directed the pilot, but did nothing else creative and he was a biggish name. Or it could be on set on a day to day basis, but I very much doubt that. Between GA and PrP I don't think she will be very involved in it.

I agree. Look at Grey's itself. Mark Gordon is credited as executive producer for all 90 episodes of Grey's. During the years he has been attached to Grey's he's also been executive producer for several movies, Criminal Minds, Private Practice, Army Wives, The Reaper and has been announced as executive producer for a new series next season. I've never seen anything indicating that he is involved in the day to day at Grey's or has any significant role in the storylines. Shonda could have an involvement with the new show like he does with Grey's.

[Cat Collector]

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I think this might be the perfect thread for it. According to IMDB, it's official. Denny has appeared in more episodes since he died than when he was alive.


Begin the Begin (15 January 2006) - Denny Duquette
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (26 February 2006) - Denny Duquette
Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole (12 March 2006) - Denny Duquette
Superstition (19 March 2006) - Denny Duquette
The Name of the Game (2 April 2006) - Denny Duquette
Blues for Sister Someone (30 April 2006) - Denny Duquette
Damage Case (7 May 2006) - Denny Duquette
17 Seconds (14 May 2006) - Denny Duquette
Losing My Religion (15 May 2006) - Denny Duquette
Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response (15 May 2006) - Denny Duquette

************************************************************
What I Am (12 October 2006) - Denny Duquette (voice) (uncredited)
Drowning on Dry Land (15 February 2007) - Denny Duquette (uncredited)
Some Kind of Miracle (22 February 2007) - Denny Duquette
Every Moment Counts (12 April 2007) - Himself/Host
Dream a Little Dream of Me (25 September 2008) - Denny Duquette (uncredited)
Rise Up (6 November 2008) - Denny Duquette
These Ties That Bind (13 November 2008) - Denny Duquette
In the Midnight Hour (20 November 2008) - Denny Duquette
All by Myself (4 December 2008) - Denny Duquette
Wish You Were Here (8 January 2009) - Denny Duquette
Sympathy for the Devil (15 January 2009) - Denny Duquette
Stairway to Heaven (22 January 2009) - Denny Duquette

[ShepherdSquared]

LMAO at Shonda exec producing another pilot. This is highly amusing. I would expect Inside the Box to be more Murphy Brown meets Degrassi High.

[greynewz]

Inside the Box is already casting and it looks like a copy of GA and PP.

Hollywood Reporter

ABC's "Box" is set in a Washington network news bureau and centers on Catherine, an ambitious female news producer, and her colleagues pursuing "the story" at all costs while juggling their personal animosities and crises of conscience.

Like "Grey's" and "Practice," "Box" is an ensemble built around a professional woman (think Ellen Pompeo, Kate Walsh) and her on-again-off-again relationship with a handsome male co-worker (a la Patrick Dempsey, Tim Daly).

Henderson will play that male heartthrob on "Box," named Jake. Jake is Catherine's right hand -- charismatic, with a great sense of humor and great chemistry with her.

[honey89]

I didn't know Addison and Pete were the Meredith & Derek of PrP.

[Gesser]

After recently rewatching the first season of Grey's, I realized that what really bugs me about the current dialogue/writing is that the writers write a line and then figure out twenty ways to rephrase it so that when a character is saying something simple like:

I want to go home.

He/she ends up saying something along the lines of:

I want to go home. Home is where I want to be. Please. I have to go. Home. Just let me leave. I can't be here anymore. I need to go. Home.

I feel like the writers have been using this tactic since the start of the show, but it used to be way more toned down and only happened occasionally whereas now I find it happening a ridiculous amount of times per episode. It just makes these serious/dramatic situations laughable and never fails to pull me out of the moment.

[EdenUK]

The writers are also giving all the characters the same voice this season

Owen
see me
see me

Izzie
I care about you
I care about you

Owen
I don't need you
I don't need you

Meredith
She loved you
She loved you

[noname831]

Meredith
She loved you

I'm not recalling, who did Mer say this too? I know the Izzie comment was to Alex and Owen's comment was to Cris but where is Mer's from?

[ShepherdSquared]

crises of conscience.

Perhaps Shonda's particular brand of "crises of conscience" (think LVAD-gate, Tremorgate, etc) would work out better in the context of infotainment (what's left of journalism) rather than in the context of medicine? I mean, I could actually kinda see Shonda's version of a news show airing on MSNBC. News You Can't Use, News You Can Misuse, etc. That sounds very Shonda, LOL.