Here's one of the big problems with airing your "pilot" episode as part of the run of the series from which it spins off: if you decide to make any cast changes, those changes will be pretty obvious.Case in point: The millions of people who watched the Private Practice spin-off episode of Grey's Anatomy saw Merrin Dungey playing Dr. Naomi Bennett, the friend and fertility expert that Addison Montgomery visited in L.A. because she was looking to have a baby. However, come fall, Dr. Bennett will be played by noted Broadway actress Audra McDonald (pictured), according to the Show Tracker blog on the LA Times' web site. There was no word on why the role was recast.
As far as I was concerned, Dungey was one of the better parts of the mediocre spin-off portion of that episode. For some reason, Show Tracker cited ABC President Steve McPherson's assertion at the upfronts that the pilot did more character introduction than was needed, but that doesn't seem to be a good reason to let Dungey go. Anyway, it's not like McDonald is chopped liver -- she's won four Tonys and was nominated for an Emmy six years ago -- so maybe it was just a matter of bringing in a more versatile actress.
[Thanks to Danyal for the tip.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-02-2007 @ 8:18AM
Mel said...
Wow.
This was one of the bigger television news pieces in the last week and it took some time to get to TVSQUAD, didn't it?
Way to earn the big bucks.
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7-02-2007 @ 8:48AM
Josh said...
Wow, Mel. Way to be an ass. Does that pay as much as TVSquad?
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7-02-2007 @ 9:27AM
Tim_A said...
Merrin Dungey seems to have gotten dumped from every show she's been on since her stint as the evil Francie on Alias which was concurrent with her role as Kitty Kenarban on Malcolm in the Middle and some stupid soap opera. She must have spectacularly bad luck. At least she got several episodes in on Private Practice, perhaps she'll land something else.
Unless she's been difficult to work with and thats why she keeps getting her gigs cut short...
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7-02-2007 @ 10:13AM
ac said...
Her and Bradley Cooper should have never been written off Alias in the 1st place. There were a very noticeable absense after season 2.
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7-02-2007 @ 11:23AM
David said...
I hate when they do this, I'm looking at you Stargate SG-1 "writers".
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7-02-2007 @ 12:24PM
George said...
So let me get this straight -- they replaced Merrin Dungey but they're keeping Amy Brenneman? That's like fixing a broken window by putting up new wallpaper.
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7-02-2007 @ 1:02PM
Televinita said...
Okay...NOW I'm not watching the new series. She was the best part of it after Addison herself; taking out something that good when there's so much crap left behind suddenly makes it sound not worth the effort.
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9-27-2007 @ 4:43AM
lisa said...
I can't believe they dumped dungey for mcdonald! dungey was soooo much better!!!! way hotter and better actress, more likeable. mcdonald is so bland and ordinary
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