Zap2it's TV Show Rehab: 12 steps to a better 'Grey's Anatomy'

Dead on - I agree 100%, but don't forget about more Bailey!

I agree with everything. The show was much better with Burke around - too bad Isaiah had to open his big mouth. I seriously wish they'd just kick Heigl off the show already. Her antics are annoying and so frequent that I now find it difficult to separate Izzy from Heigl; they are just one highly irritating person now and make me want to punch through the TV when she's on.

Heigl is also a very poor actress. She actually gets worse with experience as she was a lot more convincing when she was a teenager than now.

No way go easy on Izzie.. I think they should have killed BOTH her and George off. The show would be way better! I'm excited she's gone for 5 episodes.

I think I agree with most of your 12 steps. I'm still on the fence of whether or not I will watch this season. I agree get Addison back. The spin-off is unfortunately crap and her leaving screwed up a lot of things they were building they just disappeared with no pay-off (example her and Alex).

I disagree with the Callie step. I simply don't care. Unless she is with Sloan (which some of the best scenes), her on the screen makes my fast forward. She was great when she was with George even thou I knew George would get with Izzy. But the marriage out of nowhere and the quick break-up just showed the writers have now idea what they are doing. I don't even buy she is gay or even bi. They never did any ground work on the character to make you believe. Gay doctor likes her, then gay doctor kisses her, and now she doesn't now what she is, plus still sleeping with Sloan. I DON'T BUY IT. Still seems like a stunt to get more guys watching and to make up for Issiah Washington.

This other dead world visits were really using up my patience. So, I would tape the movie & watch it right after so I could fast forward through those crappy scenes. Ugghh..

There was no room for Addie on Grey's. How many horrible things can happen to a babay weekly and Derek/Addie was loveless and sad, Mark/Addie hot, but Shonda wouldn't pursue it and she was a supporting character who faded most times into the background. Practice may not be perfect, but at least we have seen more Kate Walsh on magazine covers, interviews and Walsh seems to be loving it. To bring her back would not mean she'd take over as the "star" of GA. It would mean PrP failed and that in itself doesn't send out a good message when she comes back. I'm liking where Addison is now. Like Kate Walsh has said, let Addison move on to tell her own story.

Right on! I hope the GA writers are paying attention.

I agree with most of the 12 steps and yes more Bailey, less Izzie, less Lexie ... less overall whinny-ness. Let's get the story rolling - make us care! Lizzie and George getting together did make my interest plummet, i mean if everyone is going to sleep together why would we bother? Maybe it has outlived its shelf life.

dont people always sleep together just because???? the show is amazing

come on guys this is a tv show not reality Y not have other worldly experiences can we not step out of our own stuffy worlds....

bring back Isaiah! The show has not been good since he was fired.

Will you please send this article to ABC and Shondra Rhimes?? I don't know what it's going to take, but those people need a big wake up call.Seriously.

A big nay to step 5. Kevin mckidd's face looks like an old catcher's mit. Sandra oh's face looks like a catcher's mit that got hit by a frying pan.

Excellent article. I thought I was the only that was thinking the show was going down hill.

1. It turns out that Washington was a central figure and his absence left a hole in the GA universe. He might not have been lovable but his character was well developed.
2. They need to do what House did and get rid of some of the new cast members and return to basics.
3. We need more angst, more medical screw ups and above all we need guests/visiting doctors for the regular one or two episode arc.
4. There was an intensity there during the early GA days that's no longer there, an intensity and desperation on the part of the interns that gave way to a natural comedy.
5. The single biggest mistake they made was to kill off Meridith's mother, she was not only a fine actress but she gave Meridith a "Raison D'etre" for her quirkiness and this intangible parental link with the chief, big mistake.

I wish Lazzie has died,not George I loved his character!

I also tape GA, so that I can fastforward through the gay dr. stuff. It was so much better with her and Sloan. What is it with all the gays being introduced on the tv shows. I think it is a bit much. What about the people that don't support the gay lifestyle. I guess we don't count. Where are all the other minorities. I think we should see more of them. I think Burke should come back also.

I disagree with you about gays being introduced on various shows, Gram23, but not for the reasons you presented. In most of the shows on TV, they take place in larger cities, where there is a greater chance of a gay/lesbian person being where the action in the show occurs. Any show based in Los Angeles or New York, for example, would be a little unrealistic if it had a large cast without a couple of gay people represented, even in a minor part.

What I do get annoyed with is when a gay character is introduced just to have a gay character on the show, especially if it is after the show has already been on a few seasons. What REALLY irks me is when a previously-straight character suddenly becomes gay (as with Willow on Buffy The Vampire Slayer) or bi-curious (Claire on Heroes). Having a gay character on from the get-go is fine, as long as their characters are well-meshed into the cast, and aren't just there to be "the gay guy." That's poor writing, stereotyping, and doesn't allow for depth of characters.

Gay people are more intricate and interesting than just a lisp, a style or a personality type. American television still hasn't figured this out yet, which is why gays on television so often seem like caricatures, rather than regular folks who just happen to be attracted to partners of the same gender. For a community that claims to be so open-minded (that would be Hollywood, by the way), gays and lesbians on television don't seem to have grown all that much as characters. They're either the comic relief, or the conveniently-unavailable guy friend for a female character. That is unfortunate, because they are more than that, and they should be written into shows as such.

Aaron R wrote:

I disagree with you about gays being introduced on various shows, Gram23, but not for the reasons you presented. In most of the shows on TV, they take place in larger cities, where there is a greater chance of a gay/lesbian person being where the action in the show occurs. Any show based in Los Angeles or New York, for example, would be a little unrealistic if it had a large cast without a couple of gay people represented, even in a minor part.
What I do get annoyed with is when a gay character is introduced just to have a gay character on the show, especially if it is after the show has already been on a few seasons. What REALLY irks me is when a previously-straight character suddenly becomes gay (as with Willow on Buffy The Vampire Slayer) or bi-curious (Claire on Heroes). Having a gay character on from the get-go is fine, as long as their characters are well-meshed into the cast, and aren't just there to be "the gay guy." That's poor writing, stereotyping, and doesn't allow for depth of characters.
Gay people are more intricate and interesting than just a lisp, a style or a personality type. American television still hasn't figured this out yet, which is why gays on television so often seem like caricatures, rather than regular folks who just happen to be attracted to partners of the same gender. For a community that claims to be so open-minded (that would be Hollywood, by the way), gays and lesbians on television don't seem to have grown all that much as characters. They're either the comic relief, or the conveniently-unavailable guy friend for a female character. That is unfortunate, because they are more than that, and they should be written into shows as such.

You've hit the nail on Hollywood's head. Hollywood thinks of itself as open-minded, and in some ways it is, but when you look at the casting of minorities, women and anyone over the age of 40 (for women) of 50 (for men), you realize that prejudice is alive and well in Hollywood.

Some of that prejudice stems from prejudices about the audience (when executives thinks the audience is closed-minded even though they aren't) but in the case of ageism (which we've talked about many times in the past) the prejudice is open and heartily endorsed by Hollywood's press.