Here we are, two seasons removed since House disbanded his trio of cronies to find a new batch of talented doctors to humiliate, and some things haven't changed. Things like House's acerbic nature, his addiction to pain pills, the hospital he works at, Cuddy's very long legs (men, I'll give you a moment...okay) and the weekly patient who has a medical condition that can't be solved until the very last moment. Oh, there is one more thing that hasn't changed...the opening credits.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but Jennifer Morrison, Omar Epps and Jesse Spencer (Cameron, Foreman and Chase on the show) don't really have star status like they used to. Heck, sometimes they aren't even on the program. They have been replaced by Kal Penn, Olivia Wilde and Peter Jacobson, who now do the diagnosing. Yet, these three can't get a break. They just get an 'Also Starring' credit after the opening credits roll. Gosh, the original three members of House's team are still shown walking behind him as the credits end.
I can't understand why the producers of the show aren't able to make a simple change to swap out the old names, put in the new ones, and pull a clip from the show where Thirteen, Taub and Kutner are all walking behind House. I mean, they trail him like puppies all of the time! Opening credits are important to a show, especially in an era where there are so few of them (though FOX does tend to keep them more than the other networks). When they feature the names and images of the old cast members rather than the new ones it tells the viewers that the newest members may not be there on a permanent basis. What do you think?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-25-2008 @ 3:21PM
Christian H. said...
How about a statement to what happened to "TV Squad" already? Or will you keep ignoring your readers and pretend there is nothing wrong?!
Reply
9-25-2008 @ 4:02PM
Robert said...
I know, right!
9-25-2008 @ 3:35PM
xnifex said...
I second this! Where is the reviews from last week? & for last nights episode of Bones & hell, even your take on the new Knight Rider?
9-25-2008 @ 3:36PM
xnifex said...
Oh yeah, I wanted to add that this is reminiscent of their response to when Brigitte was no longer doing TVSquad Daily. There was no comment for a month or more.
9-25-2008 @ 3:38PM
Butters said...
+1
9-25-2008 @ 4:43PM
Digby said...
Going on two weeks now of no review...why?
9-25-2008 @ 4:45PM
scott said...
yeah... what's going on?
9-25-2008 @ 5:22PM
Islandaise said...
+1
9-25-2008 @ 5:40PM
0megapart!cle said...
I still miss Brigitte!
9-25-2008 @ 6:16PM
xnifex said...
@ 0megapart!cle : she still does videos. search for her on iTunes or go to http://brigittedale.com
9-25-2008 @ 9:42PM
StillBash said...
ditto
The Emperor is naked and everybody pretends there's other stuff to talk about...
9-25-2008 @ 10:55PM
Lenny said...
I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but over at SyFy Portal an article had this blurb:
"For years, McDuffee has been one of the faces of TV Squad, but now he's venturing out on his own with a brand new television site called CliqueClack TV. "
http://www.syfyportal.com/news425403.html
Maybe Keith's new site is drawing away some of the bloggers and we're seeing a few bumps in the transition? Even if this is so, you gotta love how these guys stay tight-lipped to all the readers as if we don't need to know. I feel all warm and fuzzy about the way tvsquad seems to consider their readers just a nuisance not worth the time to inform.
Thanks, guys.
9-25-2008 @ 3:24PM
brent said...
The same could be said about The Office... I guess I'll find out in about 7 hours or so....
Reply
9-25-2008 @ 3:25PM
ryan said...
Based on the persistence of the credits, I've just assumed that eventually Thirteen, Taub and Kutner will leave and the original cast members will regain their prominence again.
Reply
9-25-2008 @ 5:08PM
Jack said...
Bingo.
9-25-2008 @ 3:31PM
Johnzo said...
i think it's done on purpose. the overall story from season to season is about house, cameron, foreman and chase and the newbies are just temporary vehicles for diagnosing. it is clear that the show is not about them since we know very little about them personally. they never make the decisions or actions or statements that are character-building. the other four all do and that is who the show is truly about.
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9-25-2008 @ 3:36PM
01Zero said...
Opening credits are not so much about the characters prominence as they are about the prominence of the actors on the show. First position is the most important (and reserved for title/focus characters). Last follows, and the less important actors float in the middle. Placement has as much, if not more, to do with an actor's pay grade, previous career, and internal politics than the actor's role in the show. I think the best example of this is The West Wing. In the early years, Rob Lowe was listed first because he was the biggest name aside from Sheen (who got the "and Martin Sheen"). When Lowe left and others were added, they were added in the middle of the credits. When Alda and Smits were added to the cast in the later seasons, they outranked (and probably out-earned) the rest of the ensemble (Whitford, Molina, Maloney, Janney, Spencer, etc.) and Alda therefore earned first billing (most prominent), Smits got "with" (3rd most prominent), and Sheen retained his "and."
A more convoluted example was the recent Kidnapped. Jeremy Sisto got first billing but Delroy Lindo, Dana Delaney, and Timothy Hutton EACH got a variation of "with," "and," & "So-and-so as such-and-such."
I'm guessing House hasn't gone the Lost all-alphabetical route because of an agreement with the original cast.
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9-26-2008 @ 7:22AM
Lou said...
I'd like to know why Jennifer Morrison's credit is the only one that is over a pastural picture of a boat rowing on the river, while every one else's is over some graphic medical illustration or picture.
watch next time and see. it goes something like:
head
vein
chest x-ray
brain
BOAT
spinal column
Why?
Reply
9-25-2008 @ 3:45PM
Ryan said...
Or it's in their contracts. COuld be as simple as that.
Reply
9-25-2008 @ 4:12PM
Elf said...
Perhaps there's someone out there with specific knowledge of this, but I believe a lot of whether someone is in the opening credits or afterward is dictated by a combination of union rules and money. Being in the opening credits may not necessarily confer more money upon the actor but it does accord them some higher ranking status that studios may be loath to confer. I believe there is also some effect on the status of the actors' contracts, in that by being in the opening credits there is some kind of guiarantee that if the actor is dropped from the show then they must still be paid their entire contract, whereas a guest star is not afforded such protection.
If anyone out there is familiar with such union rules, please correct anything I got wrong.
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