Future of ER

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OK, so since AE's leaving, and there's speculation about Innes, LaSalle and Wyle leaving, (since their contracts are up at season's end)...too much to swallow, what's going to happen? Will ER be on past 2003 (NBC's contract with the show ends)? ER has survived its castmembers leaving before, but four major players in one season?! I think they're going to have to do some serious development of the rest of the characters (Elizabeth, Deb, Dave, Cleo, Romano(?), jesus who else is there?) By the way, of course I'm sad to see AE leave--he's my favorite character, but I completely understand where he's coming from if he wants to spend some real time with his family, and he's financially able to do so! Anyway, what do you think?

-- LeeS (binkyinc@xsite.net), January 24, 2001

Answers

I don't think they can have AE, ELS, LI, and NW leave all together. they've had miscellaneous characters leave before, but i don't think they can come up with 3 or 4 leaving at the same time. mark greene is also my favorite character, i have loved watching him through the years. he will be missed a lot, but i guess it's his decision if he wants to leave and i understnad why he wants to.

-- Jessie (sweetbebe0686@yahoo.com), January 24, 2001.

In all honesty I think if it isn't cancelled by the end of next season it will be cancelled during the 9th season. AE is leaving. NW may leave as well next season. I heard that he has hinted that he wants to leave to do other things. To make matters worse I remember reading somewhere (I can't remember where) that GV may leave as well when his contract is up. So if all these people leave then the show is as food as dead IMO. As for ELS, I really couldn't care if he stays or not. He's only there to play tonsil hockey with Cleobot now so it's not like the show would be affected if he left IMO.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 24, 2001.

If AE leaves at the end of next season, I think TPTB will work extra hard at keeping both NW and ELS on the team. I think it's a good thing that AE wants to leave, it would leave room to develop many of the other characters that deseperately need it. There were a few moments in season 6 where I thought that Dave, Deb and Carter could be the next group of friends to develop. Like the Doug, Mark, Susan days :)

-- Emma (webbef@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.

Here's what I think needs to be done in order for the show to continue once AE leaves and if NW and ELS decides to leave also next season. Start doing something with Dave ASAP! Seriously, he has a lot of potential and he's just being used as a little comic relief. This would be the perfect time to give him a storyline. Do something with Cleo except having her bitc* and make out with Benton or have her leave when ELS leaves. Give more stuff for Romano to do. He's the guy we love to hate. I think if they start doing more things with the newer characters the show could continue. But they need to do something with Dave. Make Luka less depressing and more fun. Abby is improving IMO. Also add more humor. This is all JMO though.

-- Andie (non@no.com), January 24, 2001.

I would bet that TPTB will give Wyle and LaSalle almost anything they want in return for staying at least one more season after Edwards. Of course, there's no guarantee that they'd accept any offer to stay if they are dead-set against it. I think TPTB have been grooming the new cast members as replacements, and that they will probably try to take the series as far as they can, providing it still makes money. I really hope they don't kill off Mark, though. I know everyone expects it because of the tumor, but I think it would be a terrible cop-out. They could promote him, or have him take a job elsewhere, or, my personal favorite: become Mr. Mom and stay home w/ the new baby. Since everyone expects "death by tumor", they could actually try surprising us with something else. Edwards doesn't have to return for cameos if he doesn't want to, no matter how they write him out.

-- Maureen (shepcaff@ix.netcom.com), January 24, 2001.


I don't think that Wyle, Innes, and LaSalle will leave all at the same time. But I think that this is the perfect time to develop some other characters who we know nothing about. I agree with Andie, Dave is a great place to start. Even if all these characters stay they need to develop characters like Dave if they want the show to continue. People can't expect these people to stick around for ever. I've been saying that they should develop Dave since he started.

-- Kelley (takel@earthlink.net), January 24, 2001.

In all honesty, the fate of ER might already have been sealed by the introduction of the Kynesha (sp?) character. Although well acted, organizations such the NAACP, as well as Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH coalition, have systematically halted television networks from portraying African-Americans in roles where they are negatively portrayed.

-- Andreaux (andscott@email.com), January 24, 2001.

Actually, I agree with Andreaux...I don't really know if the series will be able to withstand the heat from they are probably receiving due to the contraversial nature of some of the recent story lines. Sad to say it but ER could end this season or next

-- BGT (sac25063@saclink.csus.edu), January 24, 2001.

Andreaux's comments are puzzling to me. There are plenty of TV shows that have negative characters played by minority actors---NYPD Blue continues to thrive despite featuring black actors playing criminals on a regular basis---and ER has a history of casting minority actors in positive roles as well. I have not heard of the NAACP or PUSH getting any show off the air, and they certainly won't take on the most popular show in this country over one minor character whose storyline has probably already run its course. ER will be on the air as long as it makes money. It could end next year or go on until Carter is as old as Gabe Lawrence; the original cast can quit and the replacement cast can quit and the replacements for Goran and Ming-Na can quit, and if the show is still making money (even if it stinks) it will still be on the air.

-- Melinda (mross@value.net), January 24, 2001.

Well, remember what happened to Chicargo Hope? (Well, what i've heard. New's takes a long time to reach us in oZ) They lost about 5 characters in one eppisode! I hope that TPTB won't be as 'narrow minded' as to just fire everyone because Romano wanted to play. I repect AE's decision, seven years is a long time to play Dr Greene.I thought ER's contract with NBC etc was finished in 2004?

-- Ritaann (er_aussie@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.


NBC's contract with ER does finish in 2004. This was an extension of a previous contract. If the show is still making money for NBC, they will extend the contract again. Most of the shows on the networks right now are contracted for 6 to 22 episodes; it is only the mega-hits that get extended contracts, like ER and Friends.

-- Melinda (mross@value.net), January 24, 2001.

Kind of OT- I heard that "Friends" will be ending for good at the end of next season even though it's still doing good in the ratings and obviously it's making money for them. One of my friends told me this a few weeks ago. Could the same thing happen to "ER"?

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 24, 2001.

As much as I'd miss ER if it went off the air, it might almost be time to pull the plug. How many shows, books, movie sequels, etc. have stayed around just a little too long and totally ruined themselves as a result? ("Homicide" should have ended with Andre Braugher's final season, for example.) TPTB should take the "Calvin & Hobbes" approach and end it before it collapses. Or course, they will probably keep it running until they milk every last cent possible out of the show, but I can always hope they'll do the right thing.

(Besides, after they do retire the show you know they'll come up with some sort of TV-movie premise and bring back as many cast members as possible.)

-- Will Harrison (wharrison51@hotmail.com), January 25, 2001.


Beleive me, the NAACP is a very strong force to be reckoned with. Couple them with the vociferious Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and you have a combination that continues to intimidate the networks into making their agenda happen. The casting of more and more blacks in lead roles, more non-minorities as "antagonists," etc.

-- Andreaux (andscott@email.com), January 25, 2001.

Andreaux, this is a little off track, but give me a break! Do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have just too much time on their hands?! So what if Keneisha is portrayed in a negative light? It's not like ER uses ONLY African Americans to portray "bad" people. I'm sorry people but there ARE African Americans who are screwups in this country, just like all the other races have them...(which have also been portrayed as such, countless white teens, the schizo murderer, the elderly rapist, the white child-beating parents, etc.) It's pretty obvious to me that Jesse and Al don't even watch ER, so they don't know what the hell's going on...as soon as they see a black person portrayed as flawed, they freak out and don't even look at the context. Sorry to rant but I get so upset when I hear news like this.

-- LeeS (binkyinc@xsite.net), January 25, 2001.


News like what? Has anybody seen any statement by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, or the NAACP that they want ER taken off the air? Is this any more than speculation? Is there a boycott under way? I have not heard or read anything to suggest that there is any reason for concern at all. Whatever clout you think these people have, they are using on other targets.

-- Melinda (mross@value.net), January 25, 2001.

The Reverend Al Sharpton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson are honorable leaders of the black community.

-- Andreaux (andscott@email.com), January 25, 2001.

Don't even get me started, Andreaux...

:) Jenna

-- Jenna (JennaLunt@aol.com), January 25, 2001.


On this note, would anyone have any objections to re-classifying CBS's "City of Angels" to the genre called "Science Fiction?"

-- Andreaux (andscott@email.com), January 25, 2001.

Adreduex or whatever your name is. Jesse Jackson Honorable? Have you picked up a paper or watched the nightly news in the last week. He just admitted Saturday to having a twenty month old Baby from an affair. That sounds real honorable to me. NOT! Personally I had a lot of respect for him that just went out the window. Now lets get back to the topic.

I would love to see ER on TV for a long time. I just don't want it to get old. So I say as long as its making money and people are watching it keep it going.

-- James (eorejim@aol.com), January 25, 2001.


So, if you had your druthers and wanted to spin off a character into another series (think Law and Order: SVU) who would it be and why?

:) Jenna

-- Jenna (JennaLunt@aol.com), January 26, 2001.


Ha ha! Law and Order SVU always makes me laugh out loud--they're so freaking serious!

-- LeeS (Binkyinc@xsite.net), January 26, 2001.

Show Ideas for Cast:

Laura Innes: Ellen Kim: Ellen Abby: Ellen Yosh: Dharma and Greg

-- Andreaux (andscott@email.com), January 26, 2001.


I think Andreaux is trying to play devils advocate here, so don't y'all be too miffed.

And anyway, he/she's got a point. Did you hear what's happening over at Law & Order? And *that* storyline was based on an actual event.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), January 29, 2001.


S. Trelles- are you talking about the storyline that was based on what happened in NYC last summer? I read over at tv.zap2it.com after this episode aired that a lot of people were mad by this and now NBC said that they will never air the episode again. Is that what you're talking about?

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 29, 2001.

Getting back to the main subject, ER's future.... NBC has ordered three more seasons of episodes after the current 7th season of ER from Warner Bros. TV, which produces the show. I am not sure if this 7th season is part of the record-setting $13 million-per-episode deal for the show or the $10 million-per extension that takes ER through 2003-2004. FRIENDS is in the first year of a two-year production contract, also between NBC and WB TV. All six cast regulars signed two year extensions; presumably they would all agree after next season if they wanted to do more shows (money talks but there is RUMINT that the regulars wanted this contract to wrap up the show). I believe Eriq La Salle signed a three-year extension but don't know when he did it; this season could be the 1st year of that or it could be the 2nd. If it's the 2nd, then his contract would be up at the same time as the departing Anthony Edwards and the undecided Noah Wyle. I have no idea when the contracts of Laura Innes, Goran Visjnic, Alex Kingston et al. began or when they expired. Anyone who knows this would have a much better picture of who's coming and going on ER.

-- Benjamin (BenGW1@aol.com), April 30, 2001.

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