"The Practice" - Cast Dismissed

[Observer]

Having been a fan of this TV show since it's start, I was very upset to hear of nearly the entire cast being let go! What's worse, is that ABC paraded them around in some gala, then handed them their pink slips .. thank you very much for your service!!

Nice job, ABC .. for killing a great show .. first, you move them to a horrible time slot, and now, because you've lost so much in ratings, you can't get the advertising dollars, so you put them back to their winning night yet allow the crew to get dumped because you won't fork over the money. Good going!

:mad:

Cast Dismissed (http://www.suntimes.com/output/rosenthal/cst-ftr-phil21.html)

[PaceAdvantage]

Bizarre. How do you fire all of the most popular characters on a show, and expect it to do well in a prime Sunday night time slot....

Oh well....another case of "they" know best I suppose....

[JustRalph]

These people make more money in a week than most of us will make in 5 years. I could give a damn about Dylan Mcdermott losing his 300K salary and his upcoming raise. It is play acting! It provides almost no benefit to anyone except those who sit down and become involved/engrossed in the unrealistic bullshQ#$ that they spew forth. Oh, yeah....the sponsors get something out of it. It is the most over blown "art" in the world. The cast of friends getting paid a million an episode per person is outrageous. Most of these over paid jerks are babied little persons who fell into their job by knowing or blowing someone of import. They get where they are because they are pretty. That is it......talent is secondary. If you think 5% percent of what you see on television is realistic .....you are living in LA-LA land. Most of it is un-watchable if you have any sense of realism at all. After having worked in an E.R. for a couple years and being a cop for 12, there is nothing left on televison I can watch. Every stinking scene is so full of crap that I have to laugh.

Now, the idea of firing the cast appears completely economic in nature. It will last maybe one more season unless they hire new writers to freshen it up. Same ole Same ole....the writers make the show. What I can't understand is that they kept Cameryn Manheim? What the hell is up with that?

Yep, this is one of my pet peeves.....Hollywood in general......:mad:

[Big Bill]

Just Ralph,

Was any or all of your 12 years as a law enforcement officer in Columbus?

Big Bill

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by Big Bill
Just Ralph, Was any or all of your 12 years as a law enforcement officer in Columbus? Big Bill

Never for Columbus PD. I was actually in the hiring process for CPD when I was offered a job with Hilliard. But 3 different suburbs of Columbus. Last 6 yrs in Hilliard. Started out in San Bernardino County Ca. in 1983 while still in the service (my commander allowed our cops to work with the sheriff's office and go to their academy) and worked part-time while in the service until 1987 when I got out of the service. Moved back to Ohio in 87. Now I am back out here in Ca. You never know where you are going to end up.............

[Dave Schwartz]

Observer,

Even though there are some real inaccuracies... like when Lindsey killed her stalker; she got arrested one week, convicted the next, and out on appeal three weeks later... my wife and I really enjoyed the show.

Seems that this has been a trend at ABC- take a good show that is perfroming well in one time slot and move it to another to try to shore up the ratings and wind up killing the show altogether. They did the same thing with Once-and-Again. Amazing that they can be so blind to not see that it is their actions which caused the failure of these 2 shows. (Wasn't Sports Night an ABC show as well?)

I have noticed in recent episodes that the quality of the guest stars increased signifcantly as did the level of drama. It was as if they were trying harder. And I thought it was working.

BTW, it was good to hear from you. Don't recall seeing many posts from you of late. Everyone okay in your neck of the woods?


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

[Big Bill]

Just Ralph,

One of the companies I worked for relocated to the industrial park at Roberts Road and I-270 in Hilliard. Long drive back and forth for me as I lived on the east side of Columubs, almost to Reynoldsburg. There was a nice little restaurant in Hilliard, in a strip mall, and I can't remember the name of it but that had great prime rib. Wife and I went to high school with Earl Smith, who once was the Franklin County Sheriff.

Dave S,

Yes, Sports Night was an ABC production and one I watched every week. Can't understand why the good shows, i.e., the ones I like, get taken off so quickly! <g> The lead female on Sports Night has been on the last few shows of Frasier.

Big Bill

[Observer]

Originally posted by JustRalph
They get where they are because they are pretty. That is it......talent is secondary.

Let me start off by saying you need to relax JustRalph. First of all, I wasn't crying about these people losing their jobs. My problem is with the way ABC has handled this series, and how unfair it was of them to use the actors they were about to fire in a promotion for which they needed to be flown cross-country .. honestly, this is almost false advertising .. sending actors to promote a show from which they are about to be fired.
:confused:

Second, with regard to the above quote, have you even seen the cast of The Practice? It's one of the most believable on television because they are not all pulled from glamour magazines. They are normal looking people of all shapes and sizes.

By the way, yes, I know this is television .. but if you haven't noticed, I am a fan of this show, and that is why I'm upset with the crazy moves ABC has made with it.

ANYWAY ...

Dave .. thanks for asking .. everything is fine here .. just really, really hectic. As for inaccuracies .. which shows/movies don't have them?? But as for the timeline .. what I always keep in mind is that we don't know how much time is supposed to have passed not only from week to week, but through each individual episode. I have to admit, though, because of the character cuts, I want to boycott the show .. I just can't imagine it without ALL of those characters. It would be one thing if a couple didn't come back .. but this is so many. How many shows can handle a complete over-haul? NYPD Blue has handled consistent changes in their actor line-ups, however, I can't recall any being this drastic .. and it seems more believable for periodic changes in a police department, than big changes in a private law firm that had been so successful.

Sorry for rambling .. can y'all tell what my favorite shows are??

:D :p :D

[Lefty]

The first couple of yrs this was one of my favs. The last couple of yrs the writing has went into the old toilet. At one time or another just about everyone in this "law office" has been on trial. Most unrealistic for a drama. But I continue to watch. I read in TV Guide that show might be cancelled but never heard anything about this "character changing" business. Where'd you pick up on that?

[Jen]

If a show has good stories and writing, it can survive cast changes (although maybe not of this magnitude.) Think of "E.R." or "Law and Order." "Law and Order" has no original cast members and "E.R." has only two major originals now that they brought back Sherri Stringfield. I'm not as happy with the writing on "E.R." as I used to be but I still enjoy "Law and Order." Heck, I'd rather watch a rerun of "Law and Order" than any one of those crappy "reality" or lame contest shows that keep getting produced. Give me good fiction and a moment to suspend my disbelief any day!

BTW, Dave, my husband and I used to call "Once and Again" "The Car Crash" because we were never really sure why we watched it but we just couldn't seem to look away.

Jen

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by Observer
Let me start off by saying you need to relax JustRalph. First of all, I wasn't crying about these people losing their jobs. My problem is with the way ABC has handled this series, and how unfair it was of them to use the actors they were about to fire in a promotion for which they needed to be flown cross-country .. honestly, this is almost false advertising .. sending actors to promote a show from which they are about to be fired.
:confused:Second, with regard to the above quote, have you even seen the cast of The Practice? It's one of the most believable on television because they are not all pulled from glamour magazines. They are normal looking people of all shapes and sizes.

Ok...Point well taken...I shouldn't get up in the middle of the night and post in an insomniac haze....... I agree they screwed em by using them in the promotion, but I saw a critic on Fox that said that they seemed to know it might happen about a month ago? Maybe they were in negotiations?

Jen: The Law and order thing is classic. I can watch a re-run of the original over just about any other show. The most honest portrait of a long time Detective I have ever seen is "Lenny" and Jerry Orbach ought to have a slew of Emmy's

[sq764]

The best episode I ever saw was the one where the woman in the wheelchair had her husband killed and they convicted the other woman. Then at the very end of the show, they show the wheelchair woman walking down the street.. Hitchcock-esque..

[Tom]

How do you think I feel?
My favorite show is "Survivor" and they replace the WHOLE cast twice a season! :(

[Jen]

Oh Tom! Say it ain't so. "Survivor?" You don't really fall for that junk, do you?

I only half watched "The Batchelorette" 'cause I thought the dynamic might be interesting but it wasn't.

Does anyone else wonder where the hell all these award shows are coming from and why we should care? Blech!

Jen

[Observer]

Part of me feels the lack-luster story lines were a direct result from the creators of the show, as they were not happy about the move to Monday nights. You know .. when you're not happy at work .. it tends to effect your productivity.

Originally posted by Lefty
I read in TV Guide that show might be cancelled but never heard anything about this "character changing" business. Where'd you pick up on that?

Heard it first on the radio the other night .. then did a search on google for the stories .. if you look on my original post that started this thread .. there is a link called "Cast Dismissed" to one of the several stories I found on this.

***********

Jen .. I know what you mean about cast changes .. maybe this will be a revival .. but I really don't know of any show that had such sweeping cast changes all at once like this. ER, L&O, and NYPD Blue .. the casts are very different then when they first started .. but they all happened little by little.

***********
sq764 .. that was an awesome episode .. that's the kind that has kept me glued to the show.

***********

Tom .. you're right .. how could I forget about the changes on Survivor?? But at least the main man is always there .. Jeff Probst ;) .. The Practice is losing their main man .. Dylan McDermott .. though they claim he'll appear on four episodes next season.

[Observer]

Originally posted by Jen
Does anyone else wonder where the hell all these award shows are coming from and why we should care? Blech!

Jen

I think the big thing about these reality shows is that they're cheaper to produce .. not really any need for writers .. the cast is cheap .. and basically I think the draw of it is regular American people being thrown into a possible shot at stardom or wealth .. and seeing how they get as far as they get.

[Lefty]

Observer, thanks, missed the link first time. The article had it right though, the writing started to "suffer" before the move to Mon. and the show turned into kind of a soap opera. Hope it gets better. The only ones i;'ll miss are Dillon and lara.

[Dave Schwartz]

Jen,

>>BTW, Dave, my husband and I used to call "Once and Again" "The Car Crash" because we were never really sure why we watched it but we just couldn't seem to look away.<<

Actually, we became enthralled because it was us 7 years ago! We are a blended family and could really relate to many of the struggles.

Of course, civility is cool but the sun will not rise on a day when I'll be walking into my ex-wife's kitchen and pouring a glass of orange juice out of her fridge.


Dave

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by Dave Schwartz
Of course, civility is cool but the sun will not rise on a day when I'll be walking into my ex-wife's kitchen and pouring a glass of orange juice out of her fridge.Dave

Come on Dave...........give peace a chance.......drink right out of the milk jug!

[Jen]

I guess I'm going off on a little bit of a rant here but...

I just saw an ad for the "Young Hollywood Awards" to be televised. What the hell is that? It's as if everybody's in 1st grade and yipee!we all get awards. They all get to pat each other on the back and talk about how great they all are. If they have to give each other awards why must they all be on TV? Obviously I excercise my right not to watch but geez oh man! The "Spirit Awards" "Young Hollywood" "Young Black Whatever Awards" "Young White Whatever Awards" "Old Fart Awards"

GET OVER YOURSELVES!

Jen

[Tom]

Originally posted by Jen
Oh Tom! Say it ain't so. "Survivor?" You don't really fall for that junk, do you?
Jen

Please, don't upset me....it is only two weeks into Survivor-withdrawl and my nerves are still shot. I HAVE A MONKEE ON MY BACK! :eek:

I think we shouldwrite CBS and ask them to do a Survivor: PaceAdvantage!

[JustRalph]

Tom!...me, you.....Lefty and Pa.........to the end........first one out is LJB and then we go after Amazin........Deal......!!!!!!

Suff will probably win all the immunity challenges and the car anyway........burn down the camp!


Me too Tom....my wife gets me into it every time they start up again. Hi....I am Ralph and I am a Survivor-Holic