This just in from press tour: ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson is speaking out about Grey’s Anatomy‘s controversial ghost story involving Izzie and Denny. “[Denny] is not a ghost, which you will learn,” he says. “I actually think when you get to the end of the season and you see everything she had in mind, it might not be your cup of tea, but I think you’ll be surprised at how insightful and smart that storyline itself is in terms of the dynamics it’s creating for the characters involved and where we end up with those characters at the end… The viewers will be the judge. That’s the good and the bad about this business. I think shows ebb and flow. And when you talk about long-term serialized dramas, you’re going to have some stuff that people don’t respond to.”
Other highlights from the Alphabet’s exec session:
• On whether he’ll air the remaining episodes of Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money: “We’d like to air the end of those shows,” said McPherson. “I wish we had been [able to give] the producers series-ending notice so they could really have a finale. But because of the way the timing worked out, we weren’t able to. I really love those shows. They delivered what they promised. For us, it was a frustration that we couldn’t find a larger audience – or that Nielsen couldn’t find a larger audience. ” (Odd response considering producers of all three shows did have time to craft series-ending episodes. This demands a post-panel follow-up.)
• On getting Marc Cherry to reconsider ending Desperate Housewives after just seven seasons: “I think he finally realized that I would lock him up and not let him do that.”
• McPherson is satisfied with the creative direction of Private Practice, and has high hopes for the show’s upcoming crossover arc with Grey’s.
Coming up at 12:45 pm/PST: Live-blogging Team Darlton’s Lost panel!
Episode 22 of this season is Grey’s episode 100, so i guess something big will happen in that episode. Please tell me the awful Denny-storyline won’t go on until that
StOne – Eli StOne.
Maybe we will get a ‘this whole season is a dream’ like on Dallas!
and let the crazy pushing daisies whining begin ….
Greys is crap. End of.
As a humongous Grey’s fan since Day One, all I can say is: Oh. My. GAWD. ENOUGH w/the Izzie/Denny storyline already!!! I adore JDM, and cried my eyes out in Season 2 when Denny died, but I really can’t take this anymore, it’s just beyond ridiculous.
It’s probably grief induced psychosis. That will be $150 for the dx. You’re welcome.
Well that was a bunch of crap lol lie after lie.
At this point, I don’t even care if they air the rest of Daisies. As long as it is on the DVD, I will be a happy camper.
I’ve been waiting since season 1 for Alex/Izzie so Denny has to go into the light asap…Go back to supernatural I can handle him as a ghost there… Sloan and Lexie, SERIOUSLY!!!!! It really doesn’t work… On the other hand Cristina and Owen, Love It!!!!!!
thanks for the warning about the denny storyline. now i get an extra hour back on thursdays.
Oldest joke ever but I’ll take a hit for it anyway, “How do you know a [TV exec] is lying. His lips are moving.”
As to the Pushing Daisies whining. Since you asked for it, it’s only polite to oblige. Whine, whine, whine. Translation: Great show. Got no respect from the network OR it’s creator (way to show loyalty, BF). It was the last good thing on TV. With it’s demise I’ll finally end the addiction to TV as a whole. What shall I do with my time? So many wonderful opportunities.
Ya’ll, Ausiello said this weeks ago…. she has an aneurism. Which is wierd, but it explains everything that’s going on.
What I keep hearing is that they may not schedule these enders until The Summer which really is a kick in the face for fans.
And as for Desperate Housewives, dont pull an X-file and keep the show on longer than it should be. Desperate Housewives is already showing age with the Woman seeming more shallow and annoying then when the show started.
denny’s not a ghost. he’s vision that’s being projected through izzie’s illness. thank goodness that storyline will be ending next month.
Clearly the show and critics alike have not taken to this arc. I understand what the ABC president is saying, but there is something to be said about wrapping the storyline up in a timely manner that still leaves viewers captivated. Shonda has clearly done re-writes, edits, and story progressions in the past, given the press this awful Denny Disorder is getting, I think now would be one of those times she should wrap it up.