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Discussion: Greys Anatomy Season 8Reported This is a featured thread

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JanelleCoulton
Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 19 2011, 2:50 PM EDT | Post edited: May 19 2011, 2:50 PM EDT
I recently read something about Ellen Pompeo's and Patrick Dempsey's contracts being up for renewal at the end of Season 8. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it does. If they did leave; would Grey's survive without them. I have a hard time believing it would? What do you all think? Do you find this valuable?    
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Losa78
Losa78
1. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 19 2011, 3:58 PM EDT | Post edited: May 19 2011, 3:58 PM EDT
It's still way too early to tell what's gonna happen by the end of season 8, namely if the show will even get a season 9 at all. Since this is a very popular show, a season 9 is always something quite likely to happen, but you never know. The show will end someday, inevitably.

If we do get a season 9, I think that Dempsey and Pompeo must necessarily be a part of it. The show just wouldn't be the same without them at all, specially Pompeo. She plays the title character. If she leaves, the show would basically have to end.
... Unless Lexie becomes the new Grey, but that would be too weird...

I also don't know for how long the actors sign and how often they renew their contracts, so I can't say much about those news or how relevant they actually are or not. Do you find this valuable?    
Gusar
Gusar
2. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 20 2011, 5:10 AM EDT | Post edited: May 20 2011, 5:13 AM EDT
Yeah, this is not an easy discussion. The thing is, Grey's ratings are not that stellar anymore (relatively it's still the highest rated drama, but that doesn't mean that much in the absolute sense), so they can't afford to keep actors around by paying them insane amounts of money. It's quite the dilemma - as a show gets older, it's cost goes up, but it's ratings go down.

House needed to save money going into it's 8th season, and because of that they couldn't reach an agreement with Lisa Edelstein, so a *very* important character will be missing there next season, likely being the show's last. Going by that, I'd say if Ellen and Patrick want out (and they do want out, particularly Ellen who wants time for her daughter), it's over for the show. They can try another season without them, but it'd be _way_ worse than House without Lisa Edelstein.

So I'd almost have them not try, to not risk ruining what was great show. If they finish up with the 8th season with MerDer finally completing their adoption of Zola, that would make the show go out on a high note, end with a bang instead of a whimper. Maybe even Lexie being pregnant with Mark's kid (I can dream, right? :) ) Do you find this valuable?    
SuperSwann
SuperSwann
3. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 24 2011, 2:24 AM EDT | Post edited: May 24 2011, 2:24 AM EDT
Actually, Grey's Anatomy is in the top five primetime shows on television right now in terms of both ratings and reception. Usually when contracts are up actors are offered insane raises to entice them to stick around, and these renewed contracts generally last for more than just a single season. So if Ellen Pompeo (and her costars I would assume) agree to this, then you can guarantee that the show will go into a tenth year at the least. And while it's true Ellen has a family, I don't really see her being the kind of person to pull a Katherine Heigl (Yes, I went there).

As for Patrick Dempsey, I see no reason for him the leave the show. He's still a very funny and successful actor and race car driver off the set of Grey's, so I doubt the time commitments of the show are intruding on his life. However, I do believe that Chyler Leigh will one day take up the mantle as the titular Grey. Maybe not next season, but sometime. However, I love Ellen and I really do hold out hope that she'll stay for the show's entire run. Do you find this valuable?    
Gusar
Gusar
4. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 24 2011, 5:08 AM EDT | Post edited: May 24 2011, 5:08 AM EDT
"1) Actually, Grey's Anatomy is in the top five primetime shows on television right now in terms of both ratings and reception.

2) Usually when contracts are up actors are offered insane raises to entice them to stick around

3) and these renewed contracts generally last for more than just a single season.

4) So if Ellen Pompeo (and her costars I would assume) agree to this"
1) Not always. For the week ending May 15, Grey's was 7th. That's excluding reality shows, with those it'd be 14th. Like it or not, Grey's is not a powerhouse anymore. Of course you have to take into account that *all* shows on *all* networks are down, but still.
When I see the season finale getting a 3.6 demo rating, that's... quite blah. ABC's highest rated scripted show, Modern Family, got 4.1

2) Except this is not possible anymore. On the absolute, ratings are just not there. See my example with Lisa Edelstein. Grey's is in the same ratings position as House, it too is now somewhere above a 3.0 rating.

3) This too is not really true anymore. I'd have to check to be sure, but I don't think the girls of Desperate Housewives renewed for more than one year.

4) That's a huge "if". I wouldn't count on it. Same for Patrick Dempsey. There are other reasons besides time commitments, for example a simple "just don't want to anymore". Do you find this valuable?    
SuperSwann
SuperSwann
5. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 24 2011, 6:25 PM EDT | Post edited: May 24 2011, 6:25 PM EDT
"2) Except this is not possible anymore. On the absolute, ratings are just not there. See my example with Lisa Edelstein. Grey's is in the same ratings position as House, it too is now somewhere above a 3.0 rating.

3) This too is not really true anymore. I'd have to check to be sure, but I don't think the girls of Desperate Housewives renewed for more than one year."
These are simply exceptions, though. I'm not up to what's going on with Desperate Housewives, though. Did the cast get a raise? I mean, if they can keep Two and a Half Men on the air, I think they can keep anything on the air. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking but I just don't want to be worried unless there is an explicit reason to be worried.

We could sit here and extrapolate based on ratings/rantings/rumors all we want, but the truth is we'll really never know what the networks will do until they do it. But from what I can tell, the cast of Grey's really isn't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. Perhaps by next year my tone will change. But until then. Do you find this valuable?    
SuperSwann
SuperSwann
6. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 24 2011, 6:30 PM EDT | Post edited: May 24 2011, 6:30 PM EDT
I just did the research; the contract for Desperate Housewives called for two more years, not just one. Do you find this valuable?    
Gusar
Gusar
7. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 24 2011, 8:01 PM EDT | Post edited: May 24 2011, 8:01 PM EDT
"1) These are simply exceptions, though.

2) But from what I can tell, the cast of Grey's really isn't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon."
1) I'd rather call them a sign of things to come. Money saving measures will only get more and more at broadcast networks.

2) Then I guess you haven't read the interview with Shonda where she says next season might be the last for the original cast. Do you find this valuable?    
SuperSwann
SuperSwann
8. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 31 2011, 6:36 PM EDT | Post edited: May 31 2011, 6:36 PM EDT
Well it looks like you were right, Patrick Dempsey has confirmed his departure. Do you find this valuable?    
Losa78
Losa78
9. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
May 31 2011, 7:01 PM EDT | Post edited: May 31 2011, 7:01 PM EDT
"Well it looks like you were right, Patrick Dempsey has confirmed his departure."
Indeed it's true. Season 8 will be the last for Patrick Dempsey. Thanks for the news, SuperSwann.
There are a bunch of articles about it already all over the web, but mostly see here:
http://www.tvline.com/2011/05/patrick-dempsey-greys-anatomy-leaving-vanity-fair/

Now we shall speculate how this goes with MerDer forever and MFEO, which we also know is true. I sure hope they don't kill Derek off so they can still keep Meredith somehow... Or at least it would have to be with a huge bang! Do you find this valuable?    
Gusar
Gusar
10. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Jun 1 2011, 5:31 AM EDT | Post edited: Jun 1 2011, 5:31 AM EDT
Was just at tvline and saw it, came here and I see it's already mentioned...

Now there's two choices really: both leave or Derek dies. Because if Meredith stays and Derek doesn't die... I can't see that working. But no matter what, I'm interested to see how Shonda will pull it off. It won't be easy. Do you find this valuable?    
SuperSwann
SuperSwann
11. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Jun 1 2011, 7:36 PM EDT | Post edited: Jun 1 2011, 7:36 PM EDT
"Now there's two choices really: both leave or Derek dies. Because if Meredith stays and Derek doesn't die... I can't see that working. But no matter what, I'm interested to see how Shonda will pull it off. It won't be easy."
It certainly won't be, it's true. I hope the two will be open to the option of guest starring in future seasons, because you're right when you say that those are the only two choices. However if they decide to guest star for, let's say the first few episodes of season nine (assuming there is one) they could wrap up a big cliffhanger or something akin to that. There are a lot of routes they could take, but you're right in saying it will be difficult.

I will be incredibly sad to see them go. Do you find this valuable?    
Losa78
Losa78
12. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Aug 16 2011, 6:59 AM EDT | Post edited: Aug 16 2011, 7:06 AM EDT
It's definitely been a while, and I figured someone ought to post something here, so here goes the first promo for the upcoming season 8. Watch out because the very first seconds represent a potentially big spoiler already, so watch at your own peril:

http://www.thegreysanatomywiki.com/video/12619892/-#fbid=ZGY7fwJKmJQ

Oh, and another SPOILER (which I don't think had been mentioned before) is that Webber will be voluntarily stepping down as chief of surgery because of Adelle's Alzheimer's problems, and he will be replaced by Owen Hunt as chief of surgery. Seems like a transition in the show. Do you find this valuable?    
SuperJ1997
SuperJ1997
13. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Aug 26 2011, 11:00 AM EDT | Post edited: Aug 26 2011, 11:00 AM EDT
"It's definitely been a while, and I figured someone ought to post something here, so here goes the first promo for the upcoming season 8. Watch out because the very first seconds represent a potentially big spoiler already, so watch at your own peril:

http://www.thegreysanatomywiki.com/video/12619892/-#fbid=ZGY7fwJKmJQ

Oh, and another SPOILER (which I don't think had been mentioned before) is that Webber will be voluntarily stepping down as chief of surgery because of Adelle's Alzheimer's problems, and he will be replaced by Owen Hunt as chief of surgery. Seems like a transition in the show."
Omg I only watched it now on Facebook (I haven't been here for a while...) and seriously this was my face :O
OMG Derek is leaving :'( How will the show go on without him? First of all if he dies, Meredith will be a single mom (assuming that she will keep the adopted baby) and if he doesn't die, he'll have to leave her alone or sty like that and it will probably be an awful cliffhanger....
:'( Owen as chief? Poor Cristina... 1  out of 1 found this valuable. Do you?    
Losa78
Losa78
14. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Sep 1 2011, 2:27 PM EDT | Post edited: Sep 1 2011, 2:27 PM EDT
****SPOILERS****

http://www.tvline.com/2011/09/greys-anatomy-jason-george-returns-spoilers-ben-bailey/

Seems like more Drama coming up for Bailey, although not necessarily in a good way. Her old love interest Ben, the anesthesiologist, will be back and interfere in Bailey's current love life with the nurse Eli. As a Bailey fan, I'm prudently happy right now. We shall see. Do you find this valuable?    
Gusar
Gusar
15. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Sep 1 2011, 9:09 PM EDT | Post edited: Sep 1 2011, 9:09 PM EDT
Damn, you beat me to it!

I just came her to report this, because I figured it'll be fun for you. Ben and Eli fighting for Bailey's attention sure could be cool. 1  out of 1 found this valuable. Do you?    
Losa78
Losa78
16. RE: Greys Anatomy Season 8
Sep 2 2011, 7:06 AM EDT | Post edited: Sep 2 2011, 7:06 AM EDT
"Damn, you beat me to it!

I just came her to report this, because I figured it'll be fun for you. Ben and Eli fighting for Bailey's attention sure could be cool."
Sorry, Gusar! ;)
I "like" and I subscribe to TV Line's latest stuff on Facebook now, so I always get all the TV news very fresh from Ausiello and the crowd there. I thought about subscribing to TV Guide as well, but I figured it would mostly be pretty much the same duplicate content, so I didn't.

So, yeah, this should provide Bailey some more screen time and (sub) plot importance for her now, even though I don't know if it's exactly for the right reasons, specially considering the character's origins and the role she is supposed to play on the show. It's her hardcore professional side and the humor related to it that I was (and I am) the most interested in, and I don't know if we'll actually see much more of that. Bailey's romantic and family life only ever came second to me, even though it's important for a more thorough character development, I know. Do you find this valuable?