John Wells wants "ER" to continue

[Rob Jensen]

"I hope so," he said, adding he and the show's producers still have
some stories to tell.

Abby falling off the wagon yet *again* is not a story that needed to
be told. It only exposes the failure of creativity in the show that
they could not figure out what to do with Maura Tierney in light of
Goran Vijnic's reduced number of appearances on the show. Clearly
they want to keep Abby and Luka together despite Vijnic all-but
leaving the show, but geez, the writers are falling back into their
lazy rut like, say, a sluggish alcoholic by having Abby fall back into
alcoholism. A lot of people at the show seem to have forgotten that
Tierney is a greaet comedic actress and thus they should have turned
Abby toward more comedic personal storylines rather than trying to
stripmine depths of bad storytelling that almost caused the collapse
of the show three years ago.

-- Rob
--
LORELAI: I am so done with plans. I am never, ever making one again.
It never works. I spend the day obsessing over why it didn't work
and what I could've done differently. I'm analyzing all my shortcomings
when all I really need to be doing is vowing to never, ever make a plan
ever again, which I'm doing now, having once again been the innocent
victim of my own stupid plans. God, I need some coffee.

[Tony Calguire]

Post by Rob Jensen
they could not figure out what to do with Maura Tierney in light of
Goran Vijnic's reduced number of appearances on the show. Clearly
they want to keep Abby and Luka together despite Vijnic all-but
leaving the show,

What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing
anything about him leaving the show. In fact, at one point, I think they
were gonna do one of their "field trip" episodes with Luka and Abby in
Croatia. They should have gone ahead with that.

Wells and NBC should negotiate a per-ep fee based on the ratings... a 3.4
rating would equal 3.4 million for that episode.

[Sable Basilisk]

Post by Tony Calguire

Post by Rob Jensen
they could not figure out what to do with Maura Tierney in light of
Goran Vijnic's reduced number of appearances on the show. Clearly
they want to keep Abby and Luka together despite Vijnic all-but
leaving the show,

What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing
anything about him leaving the show. In fact, at one point, I think they
were gonna do one of their "field trip" episodes with Luka and Abby in
Croatia. They should have gone ahead with that.
Wells and NBC should negotiate a per-ep fee based on the ratings... a 3.4
rating would equal 3.4 million for that episode.

Vijnic is the villain in the next Bond movie, so he could only do a
few episodes this year.

[Sharon Too]

Post by Sable Basilisk
Vijnic is the villain in the next Bond movie, so he could only do a
few episodes this year.

That's not set in stone. Lots of talk, not much action. Right now he's
dealing with a paternity issue in Croatia with a fling he had. Can't imagine
his wife, Ivana, thinks much of this given they adopted a baby boy here in
the US last spring.

I believe he's doing an independant project sometime this year. Other than
that, ER announced last year that he'd be leaving and only doing pop-ups
this season.

[Rob Jensen]

On Tue, 6 Nov 2007 08:22:28 -0500, "Sharon Too"

Post by Sharon Too

Post by Sable Basilisk
Vijnic is the villain in the next Bond movie, so he could only do a
few episodes this year.

That's not set in stone. Lots of talk, not much action. Right now he's
dealing with a paternity issue in Croatia with a fling he had. Can't imagine
his wife, Ivana, thinks much of this given they adopted a baby boy here in
the US last spring.
I believe he's doing an independant project sometime this year. Other than
that, ER announced last year that he'd be leaving and only doing pop-ups
this season.

Vijnic was going to be leaving the show even before the paternity
issue came up. Vijnic is doing the brief appearances more or less as
a favor to the show in order to not have Abby and Luka break up -- the
show broke Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway up when Clooney left and
Marguiles still had a year left on her contract (OMG! So long ago!)
and the show clearly didn't want to make the same mistake this time.

-- Rob
--
LORELAI: I am so done with plans. I am never, ever making one again.
It never works. I spend the day obsessing over why it didn't work
and what I could've done differently. I'm analyzing all my shortcomings
when all I really need to be doing is vowing to never, ever make a plan
ever again, which I'm doing now, having once again been the innocent
victim of my own stupid plans. God, I need some coffee.

[Sharon Too]

Post by Rob Jensen
Vijnic was going to be leaving the show even before the paternity
issue came up.

Yep.

Vijnic is doing the brief appearances more or less as

Post by Rob Jensen
a favor to the show in order to not have Abby and Luka break up --

I've yet to see official word that that's the reason for his appearances. As
far as I've seen, either from him or TPTB, he was only returning so he could
be in the last season and as a favor to Wells. I'm sure the $$ isn't poo
either :-)

[Obveeus]

Post by Sharon Too
I've yet to see official word that that's the reason for his appearances.

I think he agreed to come back for a half dozen episodes so that they could
finish up *her* storyline properly. She will be gone by/before the end of
the season.

[sharon]

Post by Obveeus

Post by Sharon Too
I've yet to see official word that that's the reason for his appearances.

I think he agreed to come back for a half dozen episodes so that they
could finish up *her* storyline properly. She will be gone by/before the
end of the season.

MT said in an interview that GV will be doing 4 episodes this season. He's
already appeared once and the rest of them will be seen before the first of
the year.

I haven't heard anywhere that MT will leave before the end of the season,
although, I supposed that if JW really does think he can keep the show
going, he could cut her loose so he can get geared up with a cheaper cast in
hopes of getting renewed.

Sharon

[B***@fractious.net]

Post by Tony Calguire
What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing

He's gone on to a movie career, launched by such
critical success as playing some guy in Elektra
and the ground-breaknig tv-remake of Sparticus.

[Ellen K Hursh]

Post by B***@fractious.net

Post by Tony Calguire
What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing

He's gone on to a movie career, launched by such
critical success as playing some guy in Elektra
and the ground-breaknig tv-remake of Sparticus.

I heard he was going to do a movie with Jorja Fox. <snicker>

[David]

Post by B***@fractious.net

Post by Tony Calguire
What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing

He's gone on to a movie career, launched by such
critical success as playing some guy in Elektra
and the ground-breaknig tv-remake of Sparticus.

Could be worse. He could be The Librarian.

[Rob Jensen]

Post by B***@fractious.net

Post by Tony Calguire
What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing

He's gone on to a movie career, launched by such
critical success as playing some guy in Elektra
and the ground-breaknig tv-remake of Sparticus.

Both were released long before Vijnic left ER.

-- Rob
--
LORELAI: I am so done with plans. I am never, ever making one again.
It never works. I spend the day obsessing over why it didn't work
and what I could've done differently. I'm analyzing all my shortcomings
when all I really need to be doing is vowing to never, ever make a plan
ever again, which I'm doing now, having once again been the innocent
victim of my own stupid plans. God, I need some coffee.

[B***@fractious.net]

Post by Rob Jensen

Post by B***@fractious.net

Post by Tony Calguire
What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing

He's gone on to a movie career, launched by such
critical success as playing some guy in Elektra
and the ground-breaknig tv-remake of Sparticus.

Both were released long before Vijnic left ER.

Well, of course! He had to test the waters to see
how well he and his movies would do before he left.
Having seen how phenomenal his big(ger) screen
success was, he proceeded to leave!

Meanwhile, I'm not quite certain that my eyes have
fully grown back from the day I watched Elektra and
found myself tearing them out in order to try to
make it stop. He owes me.

[Rob Jensen]

Post by B***@fractious.net

Post by Rob Jensen

Post by B***@fractious.net

Post by Tony Calguire
What happened with Vijnic, anyway? I don't recall reading or hearing

He's gone on to a movie career, launched by such
critical success as playing some guy in Elektra
and the ground-breaknig tv-remake of Sparticus.

Both were released long before Vijnic left ER.

Well, of course! He had to test the waters to see
how well he and his movies would do before he left.
Having seen how phenomenal his big(ger) screen
success was, he proceeded to leave!
Meanwhile, I'm not quite certain that my eyes have
fully grown back from the day I watched Elektra and
found myself tearing them out in order to try to
make it stop. He owes me.

He doesn't owe you -- Daredevil director Steven Johnson owes you for
miscasting Jennifer Garner in the role of Elektra in the first place.
IMO, despite the miscasting of Garner as Elektra, the Elektra movie,
directed by X-Files's Rob Bowman (also the director of the movie Reign
of Fire) is a gorgeous movie that simply demonstrates how *one* key,
critical miscasting can ruin a movie that works in virtually every
other respect. I'm not saying that Elektra would have been a classic
if it had been cast correctly, I'm just saying that it's a good movie
despite Garner's miscasting -- and if you ignore the Daredevil
references (Stick, oblique references to Matt), Garner kinda works in
a "Sydney Bristow (new codename: Elektra, due to Daddy's Death) gets
caught up with mystic ninja bullshit" sort of way.

-- Rob
--
LORELAI: I am so done with plans. I am never, ever making one again.
It never works. I spend the day obsessing over why it didn't work
and what I could've done differently. I'm analyzing all my shortcomings
when all I really need to be doing is vowing to never, ever make a plan
ever again, which I'm doing now, having once again been the innocent
victim of my own stupid plans. God, I need some coffee.

[e***@yahoo.com]

Post by sharon
I supposed that if JW really does think he can keep the show
going, he could cut her loose so he can get geared up with a cheaper cast in
hopes of getting renewed.

Maybe Maura Tierney's salary is swallowing up the $8 mil an ep NBC is
paying for this show. I'm sure if the show goes on for another year
NBC won't be willing to pay that much.

I don't keep up because the ER-bashing forums I used to visit
frequently shut down quite some time ago, but from what I recall
Visnjic hadn't worked outside the show for about two years when he
quit last year. I was very surprised when I read in TV Guide that he
actually was working on a movie. He's been claiming to the media for
the past two years that ER was going to give him Very Special episodes
in Croatia (and he even claimed it was still going to happen after he
quit) so I highly suspect he started the Bond rumors himself.

[Marlene Blanshay]

i'm not very impressed with some of the stories so far...sloppy writing.
What, abby can't hack being alone with her child? she needs a man to
hold her hand or she drinks? and that goober intern with his female
anatomy. Gross! and i'm so tired of the storyline of "little genius kid
who talks like an encyclopedia"...the terminally ill boy. Why is it
little white kids talk like encyclopedias, but when they have black or
hispanic kids, they seem to always be in trouble? They never talk like
encyclopedias...they talk like coolio or something. I'm not hyper-pc or
anything...it's something i've noticed over the years. I have yet to see
any kid anywhere who talks like a 50 year old, black or
white....anyways, for the most part, the stories have no dramatic
tension.The story with dr moretti and his son...what's up with that? And
then they have musical interludes so they don't have to tell us
anything...so far this season it's like the writers are in a coma, not
on strike.

Post by Rob Jensen

"I hope so," he said, adding he and the show's producers still have
some stories to tell.

Abby falling off the wagon yet *again* is not a story that needed to
be told. It only exposes the failure of creativity in the show that
they could not figure out what to do with Maura Tierney in light of
Goran Vijnic's reduced number of appearances on the show. Clearly
they want to keep Abby and Luka together despite Vijnic all-but
leaving the show, but geez, the writers are falling back into their
lazy rut like, say, a sluggish alcoholic by having Abby fall back into
alcoholism. A lot of people at the show seem to have forgotten that
Tierney is a greaet comedic actress and thus they should have turned
Abby toward more comedic personal storylines rather than trying to
stripmine depths of bad storytelling that almost caused the collapse
of the show three years ago.