TV Stars Who Detested Their Shows

David Caruso - NYPD Blue

Constance Wu - Fresh off the Boat

Rock Hudson - McMillan and Wife (he stuck with it, unlike Susan St. James, but he was always bitching about it privately).

Pamela Sue Martin - Nancy Drew, and then Dynasty

Lionel Stander - HART TO HART

Lisa Ling -- The View

Sherry Stringfield - everything she was ever in

Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy

Doris Day - The Doris Day Show

Doris never wanted a TV show. After her sleazy husband died, she learned that he had arranged it without her knowledge.

Mandy Patinkin - Criminal Minds

Robert Reed

r6 and she needed the money.

Very true, R9.

He also left her broke. So the money, at least, was probably welcome.

Frederick Gwynne - Munsters.

R10 how could her husband leave her broke? Wasn't she the breadwinner?

Rob Lowe doesn't seem to stick around long on the shows he's been on...

Richard Dawson detested his last two years on Match Game because they wouldn't let him out of his contract when Family Feud became a hit. It was so obvious he wouldn't smile or engage, only effort he put forth was for the contestant one on one for the big money.

R14 he did Match Game and Family Feud at the same time?

Yes r15, Richard did Match Game 1973-78 and Family Feud 1976-85.

R12 Doris put Marty in charge of her career and finances. Women did stuff like that back then. He made a lot of bad investments and signed her on to do the sitcom without saying a thing to her. Then he died. Doris discovered she was in debt and legally committed to doing a show, and she carried through with the show, which helped her pay off the debt.

[quote]how could her husband leave her broke? Wasn't she the breadwinner?

Hi, R12. Yes, Doris Day was definitely the breadwinner, but her husband (Martin Melcher) managed her career and finances. She trusted him completely, but shouldn't have. He and his lawyer (Jerome Rosenthal) managed to lose the $20 million or so she had made from movies and recordings.

Here's an article about it.

No mention yet of General Hospital's non-dynamic, most unhappiest duo BM and KM?

You're slipping DL, fer shame.

Thanks R17/R18!

Harry Shearer and The Simpsons

Evidently Constance Wu and Fresh Off The Boat

Nora Dunn - Saturday Night Live.

R4 I really liked her during the early years of er.

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy

I'm pretty sure that Tom Selleck resented doing MAGNUM PI when he missed out on RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK due to scheduling conflicts. The part made Harrison Ford an even bigger star and gave him another successful movie franchise.

Kate Jackson = Charlie’s Angels

Farrah Fawcett = Charlie’s Angels

Susan St James = Kate & Allie

Kathleen Turner -The Doctors

Meg Ryan : As The World Turns

Well done R6 (etc, etc).

A Dorkus Day fan + a Luciaphile.

Be still my beating ventricles......

Barbara Stanwyck and The Colbys.

Sally Field didn't like being The Flying Nun, she really couldn't deny it, didn't like her.

I've never seen anyone have more success and completely throw it away like Sherry Stringfield but did she hate her shows? Or did she just hate the hours? She went from super long hours on Guiding Light to long hours on NYPD Blue to really long hours on ER. Granted, no one forced her to.

[quote]A Dorkus Day fan + a Luciaphile. Be still my beating ventricles. —All Tilling would be agog!

Oh my goodness, thank you for your kind comment, R29!

In contrast to the current topic, I assume we could include Geraldine McEwan on a list of those who DID NOT detest their shows. She was born to play Lucia.

Sherry sure liked craft services when she returned to ER in Season 8, r32.

R34 how do you mean?

Pretty sure Jason Alexander hated the last two seasons of Seinfeld. Roseanne hated the first year of her show.

I thought Eve Plumb didn't object to "The Brady Bunch" until after she left it.

Andy Dick did not the "Get Smart" re-boot he did.

Fred MacMurray liked the money he got from "My Three Sons" and was okay working with the adults, but he hated working with the kids on "My Three Sons." he really was a pretty lazy guy who really just wanted to golf. He insisted he and the four who played his boys had to film as many of their scenes separately as possible.

Peter Krause, Alicia Witt, and Christine Baranski did not like doing "Cybill" because they disliked Cybill Shepherd (most people dislike her because she is demanding and paranoid--she sounds like she has BPD).

She gained a of weight, r35.

A lot of people have hated being on SNL: Janeane Garofalo, Jay Mohr... usually it's because they don't like the hypercompetitive atmosphere and having to get into Lorne's good graces in order to have him use you on the show.

Speaking of SNL, Catherine O'Hara became a cast member right after SCTV was cancelled. She never appeared on it, though, because she quit after the first meeting (led by Michael O'Donoghue).

Why did she quit?

Janet Hubert - The Fresh Prince

In the oral history that came out years ago, it was said that O'Donoghue scared her off by being super weird. She disputes that, though.

In the oral history that came out years ago, it was said that O'Donoghue scared her off by being super weird. She disputes that, though.

R21 honestly fuck Harry Shearer. Yeah, he's probably bored but the show has made him a millionaire many times over, built him a studio in his house so he can work without even putting on pants, and every time he makes a public comment, he acts like he's a slave in the fields.

Alexandra Moltke Isles - Dark Shadows

Issac Hayes as Jerome "Chef" McElroy on South Park. He quit over the who's portrayal of the Church of Scientology of which Hayes was a member.

^show's, not who's

I never heard that before, R2. Interesting.

I remember reading that Robert Urich absolutely despised when he was on "Vegas." I do think he liked doing "Spencer: For Hire," however.

I never heard Susan St. James disliked being on 'Kate and Allie', though I can believe it since Jane Curtin got all the laughs...and the Emmys...

Simon Cowell - American Idol

The entire supporting cast of Grace Under Fire.

I could never understand why Lisa Ling bitched and moaned about being on The View. The women at the time (Barbara, Meredith, Joy, even Star) were all generally nice and pleasant. They never fought. It seemed like a positive atmosphere, not at all like it became once Elizabeth replaced Ling and Rosie took over for Meredith.

The entire cast of Star Trek: Next Generation.

[quote] I'm pretty sure that Tom Selleck resented doing MAGNUM PI when he missed out on RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK due to scheduling conflicts. The part made Harrison Ford an even bigger star and gave him another successful movie franchise.

I've always doubted this story. Perhaps Selleck auditioned in some sort of a cattle call, but Raiders was already well into filming before Magnum PI aired its first episode and Selleck was a nobody. Considering Harrison Ford was a star and part of the Lucas stable, it's doubtful anyone else was seriously considered after he signed on, and he would have signed on before Magnum even had a green light.

But let's just say it's true. Magnum made Selleck a HUGE star (which he was NOT if/when he was reading for Raiders), possibly a bigger star at the time than Harrison Ford (or at least on par) and Selleck also was able to do several movies throughout the run of the series.

June Lockhart “Lost in Space”

[quote] Pretty sure Jason Alexander hated the last two seasons of Seinfeld. Roseanne hated the first year of her show.

I was watching Seinfeld bloopers on YouTube and noticed that Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) caused most of the re-takes (laughing, etc.). Michael Richards (Kramer) seemed the most professional (could do things in one take, didn't laugh, and seemed a bit impatient when JLD caused a retake). I never noticed Jason Alexander (George) being surly or unhappy. Maybe that's just part of being professional.

R46 - if this is true, it wounds me. I loved Dark Shadows!

R56, I also remember reading about Guy Williams hating the show after it was overtaken by Dr. Smith.

Beverley Owen was so miserable being Marilyn Munster they actually released her from her contract after 13 episodes— other cast members have said she sobbed between takes and wanted to go back to the East Coast.

Julia Sweeney asked to be let go from SNL one year early because she couldn't stand it any more.

And of course Paul Schneider on Parks and Rec.

Tony Geary, GH.

[quote]Peter Krause, Alicia Witt, and Christine Baranski did not like doing "Cybill" because they disliked Cybill Shepherd

You can add Alan Rosenberg to that list. He's said it's the worst job he ever had.

Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall hated Laverne & Shirley

Polly Holliday hated Alice

Jackee Harry hated 227

Bea Arthur hated Golden Girls

Delta Burke and Jean Smart hated Designing Women

Did JTT hate Home Improvement?

R64 Doubt it. He worked with Tim Allen on Last Man Standing, and Tim even said he regards him as a son.

[quote]Alexandra Moltke Isles - Dark Shadows

That's not quite true. She was going to return after her maternity leave, but only if she could play an evil character or someone not as stupid as Victoria. When Dan Curtis said no, she decided not to return.

R65 nevertheless, I remember reading at the time about tension on the set and JTT having had enough with Home Improvement. It's why he left the show early.

r67, wasn't he struggling with his sexuality?

[quote]Bea Arthur hated Golden Girls

That was because a) Bea wasn't the indisputable star of the show (there were two others and one scene-stealer), and b) her mother, with whom she was very close, died a month after GG premiered.

The ladies of Will and Grace at the moment.

Something is happening over there.

There is something odd about Rob Lowe always leaving shows early. It could only have been his ego that let him walk away from The West Wing, one of the best written and performed dramas in history (in my humble opinion).

[quote] (there were two others and one scene-stealer),

Which would you consider the scene-stealer?

Diana Muldaur didn't like doing "ST: TNG"--she felt everyone in the cast resented her for replacing Gates McFadden (which was true). And of course Denise Crosby didn't like playing Tasha Yar.

The mother on "The Wonder Years" didn't like not having enough to do. She wanted then show's finale to be all about her character. The writers thought she was insane.

R72 at the time, Sophia was considered the scene-stealing sidekick.

Considered by whom? I [italic]never[/italic] found Sophia funny. I always found Rose by far the funniest, with Dorothy second and Blanche third.

Didn't the two stars of that tv show Castle despise each other?

Marica Strassman owns this thread. Read her People Magazine interview where she trashes everything about Welcome Back Kotter except the Sweathogs.

Everyone behind the scenes of Laverne and Shirley hated Penny and Cindy.

Priscilla Barnes hated doing Three's Company and said it was a miserable experience.

R75 Estelle Getty had the highest likeability ratings of any actor or actress on TV during the shows run.

Marcia Strassman - Welcome Back Kotter

Robin Wright - Santa Barbara

Kathleen Turner - The Doctors

Meg Ryan - As The World Turns

Pernell Roberts hated working on Bonanza.

Lassie was miserable!

Tiger Brady clearly wasn't into the whole blended family thing and took off early in the series, no one ever mentioned he again. Sad.

Debbie Reynolds - "The Debbie Reynolds Show".

[quote][R75] Estelle Getty had the highest likeability ratings of any actor or actress on TV during the shows run.

I don't think 'Rose' was that popular, except with TV personnel, which explains how she won the Emmy first and was nominated for all 7 seasons. But 'Sophia' was the most popular GG at large, with 'Dorothy' and 'Blanche' being popular in the gay community. 'Rose' definitely had her fans, but I think the others overshadowed her.

John Amos complained about Good Times in a magazine article. Next thing you know, James is dead and there's glass all over the kitchen floor.

Shelley Long -- Cheers

Angus T. Jones who played Jake on Two and a Half Men once he became a born again Christian.

[quote] “I’m on Two and a Half Men and I don’t want to be on it. Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your head with filth.”

It gave him a net worth of $15 million and all he did was complain and trash the show, but you notice he didn't give the money back or donate it to charity.

R87 what are you implying?

Eve Plum?

Alan Ball was a writer on both Grace Under Fire and Cybill and he detested Brett Butler and Cybill Shepherd. The insane bitch character Catherine O'Hara played on Six Feet Under was based on both.

Boo Boo Kitty: "Laverne & Shirley."

John Amos and Esther Rolle in Good Times

Lisa Bonet in the Cosby Show

Shelley Long in Cheers

Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in Moonlighting

Susan Dey in L.A. Law and Love and War

Is it true that Cybil Shepherd became insanely envious of Willis' rising film career.

I wonder if Shelley Long has ever reflected on her antagonism with Cheers given that her most famous films would turn out to be Troop Beverly Hills and The Brady Bunch Movie?

Did Penny Marshall ever mend fences with Cindy Williams before she died? Was Cindy even at her funeral?

Penny and Cindy made up and became friends again. They did several interviews together.

Suzanne Somers on "Three's Company"

Carlton the doorman - "Rhoda".

R92 I think you're mistaken on 3 counts:

Shelley Long didn't detest Cheers. THEY detested her.

Susan Dey was fine on LA Law. She was given an opportunity to star in how own show from a renowned director, but she wasn't very good in it. LA Law was happy to take her back, and vice versa. After a couple more seasons they just really didn't know what else to do with her character, and she wanted to take a long break which she never came back from.

Lisa Bonet was happy enough on Cosby, (probably stoned most of the time so she didn't care). She just didnt care for "Mr. Cosby" himself, and he kind of knew she was on to him.

[quote]I thought Eve Plumb didn't object to "The Brady Bunch" until after she left it.

That is absolutely correct, and corroborated by numerous interviews and the E! Hollywood Story.

There was the Summer of 73, when all the kids went on a concert tour successfully, got ideas out in their heads by a greedy manager, demanded a bigger chunk of the pie when they got back to the studio, and we’re promptly told they signed a contract and to get back to work (to be fair, the Brady Bunch show didn’t become a cash cow until reruns -for which the kids got next to nothing by the way - so there was no big money to dole out during the actual run of the series).

Got ideas PUT in their heads

Were

[quote]Is it true that Cybil Shepherd became insanely envious of Willis' rising film career.

Not at all. Cybill quite famously roots for her co-stars' success.

Christina Applegate pretty much hated MARRIED WITH CHILDREN for most of the show's run. Katey Sagal wasn't a huge fan either.

Elizabeth Montgomery in the last two seasons of BEWITCHED.

Rod Serling in the last season of NIGHT GALLERY.

Very happy in the show's initial season, he detested what the show he had slowly built from the ground-up as a smart follow-up to THE TWILIGHT ZONE had become in during most of the second and third seasons. He would stay outside the studio chain-smoking and only come in to do his opening and closing monologues, and would sometimes disappear from the studio for weeks on speaking tours and other creative activities, bitching about the show to anyone who asked and finding any excuse to stay away.

Gil Gerard - “Buck Rodgers”

^ “Buck Rogers”

Harry Shearer has bad-mouthed every project he’s ever worked on, R45

Pierce Brosnan, during the final season of Remington Steele. He should have been 007....but was forced back by NBC to play Steelen, off fucking Jack Scalia.

When "A Gifted Man" was not renewed for a second season, Patrick Wilson said he was elated.

Patrick Wilson hated being on that show and hated CBS.

^^^^^

Andy Rooney at 60 minutes. Claimed Lesley Stahl bitch slapped his face in the elevator all the time.

These guys

R107 except his Christopher Guest films.

Marla Gibbs got so jealous that Jackee was garnering more laughs and praise on 227 that she made life miserable for her on the set. Jackee ended up detesting being on the set.

R115 how did Gibbs react after Jackee won the Emmy?

Which is ironic r115 because Marla was the scene stealer in the Jeffersons.

Paul Schneider's career really took off once he left Parks and Rec.

Then again, to be fair, his character was a nothing straight man.

Oh, I don’t know, when I think of an actor whose career took off after his stint in Parks and Recreations, Paul Schneider is not the name that comes to mind.

I was being sarcastic, R118.

Wasn't he on for just one season? Why did he leave? Another David Caruso/Shelley Long scenario?

[quote]Marla Gibbs got so jealous that Jackee was garnering more laughs and praise on 227 that she made life miserable for her on the set. Jackee ended up detesting being on the set.

There was discord on both sides. Jackee has said that she became the diva of all divas after winning the Emmy, as she now thought she was A list and a big star. It took her a few years between 227 and Sister Sister and a lack of big jobs for her to come back down to earth. She admits she could have been a lot more humble.

All of that's water under the bridge now. The whole cast has remained very close to one another throughout the years. Jackee had Marla and Hal play a recurring role on her recent TV Show, and she was gushing over Regina King's Oscar win on twitter. Regina has shouted out Marla and the others many times on her Twitter page.

Schneider was on for the first two seasons of Parks and Rec although the first season was only 6 episodes.

As I understand it, Paul Schneider was deeply unhappy and wanted to go back to movies (which he never really was able to). He was never really in synch with that style of comedy. He and Poehler had zero chemistry.

You have to give Bea Arthur a lot of credit, . As much as she probably didn't like doing an ensemble show, she knew the value GG had, and became a team player. Even her alleged dislike of Betty was kept under wraps as the show was on the air. No one knew about it until years later.

Now compare that to the ego driven mess SJP made SATC

Hadn't Patty Duke had enough of her show after the third season?

Nancy McKeon on TFOL. Pamela Sue Martin on Dynasty Melissa Sue Anderson on LHOTP

According to "Call Me Anna," the reason "Patty Duke" was canceled was the refusal to go to color. But Duke didn't really care for her characters. And a year after cancellation, she's playing Neely O'Hara.

Alaina Reed and Helen Martin helped fan the flames between the discord between Jackee and Marla. They would go to Marla and tell her Jackee was talking shit about her behind her back.

But Jackee wasn't blameless but they were cold to her and basically got her phased off the show and the show would crash and burn without her. It probably would've lasted a few more seasons if not for the big egos and in fighting.

Of course Helen Martin did that. She just sat in her window all day listening to the gossip.

R128, I'm old enough to remember when it was a big deal for a B&W show to go to color.

When was the last time NBC used the peacock to open a show?

Television going color in the mid-sixties must've been like when movies went from silent to sound in the late twenties.

Incidentally, how come film and photography in general remained b&w until the mid sixties?

R130 That reminds me of a funny story Jackee told about Helen. They were sitting around on set in between takes an annoyed Helen, sitting in the window, told Jackee "You think you're the star of this show, don't you?" to which she responded with "Yes, you old bitch, I am!"

Too bad they didn't get along during the filming of the show. They were the best things about the show.

[quote]A lot of people have hated being on SNL: Janeane Garofalo, Jay Mohr... usually it's because they don't like the hypercompetitive atmosphere and having to get into Lorne's good graces in order to have him use you on the show.

I read Jay Mohr's book about his two seasons at SNL. I sort of felt bad for him because he wrote about a few incidents of how sketches he pitched and wrote were axed at the last minute by the guests hosts and Lorne. But, Jay ended up plagiarizing a sketch from a comedian's stand up routine. He owns up to it in the book and regretted it.

Didn't Patti Lupone have issues with Life Goes On?

Reginald Vel Johnson started hating Family Matters when Urkel became popular. More than once he asked to leave the show and the producers enforced his contract.

Willam - RuPaul's Drag Race

R136 She didn't get along with Bill Smitrovich.

I heard she smacked both Corky and Becca in the FACE, R139.

Skyler Samuels hated being on Scream Queens because of Emma Roberts and Lea Michele.

R141 and not the terrible scripts?

R141 what about them?

I wonder how many times a day the phrase, 'How Dare You?' could be heard all across the lot where Life Goes On was shot...

Every non-contestant cast member on RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE. Especially the host.

Long overdue.

David Soul hated doing Starsky & Hutch.

^^^ Oh, no! Don't Give Up on Us Baby!

Jean Hagen grew dissatisfied playing Danny Thomas' wife after three seasons, so the writers killed off her character and had Danny remarry Marjorie Lord.

Julie Kavner - The Simpsons

Has it in her contract stating that she doesn't have to promote the show or give interviews about it. Also, she refuses to participate in live script readings at fan events and walks off the stage.

John Forsythe hated doing the last season of Dynasty without Linda Evans (who only appeared in 6 of the episodes) and was ready to bolt.

What about the original mom from the fresh prince of bel-air. I wonder why she left?

I don’t think Elizabeth Montgomery was that unhappy during the last two years of Bewitched. ABC offered her and her hubby producer William Asher more money including increased ownership in the show. Even though she knew the shows best days were over, she skated until it was over in 1972 with a nice wad of cash.

R150 Joan Collins was the real unhappy camper the last season. They cut her episode count down and she was going to leave if it wasn’t canceled.

R149 what's her problem?

R150 were he and Evans close or something?

Chris Potter hated doing Kung-Fu The Legend Continues. Apparently he thought it was going to be filmed in Los Angeles but it was filmed in downtown Toronto.

R156 isn't he Canadian?

Yes he is R157. He thought working in LA would get him closer to American TV but he was stuck in TO.

R151 IIRC, she didn't get along with Will Smith.

Why would they cut Linda and Joan's screen time on Dynasty? Weren't THEY the show along with John and Diahann?

Lucille Ball - Life With Lucy

They were, r160, and as a result were the most expensive. Cutting their appearances was an attempt to save money, but it simply drove more of the dwindling audience away.

And r155, Forsythe had known Evans since she was a teenager and had appeared on his earlier show Bachelor Father (1957-62).

Bea loved Golden Girls and loved doing it for most of its run. Although it’s clear from interviews that she loved Maude more. But she was tired of doing GG after season 5, which is where some are getting “She hated GG” from. She absolutely did not.

Linda left Dynasty voluntarily midway through the last season anyway, so they had her gone and Joan working less. I think it worked out well to have them gone creatively. It breathed some new life into the show. But by that point no one was watching.

Kate Jackson hated poor Cheryl Ladd. She should have been happy that Cheryl was able to quickly replace Farrah and keep the show in the top 10

[quote] Bea Arthur hated Golden Girls

She was reluctant to take it on in the first place and, I think, immediately regretted it.

She was OK for a while with it, but when Dorothy became a bit of a punching bag for the writers, she started hating it.

Bea also was of the mind that three or four seasons was enough.

[quote]She was OK for a while with it, but when Dorothy became a bit of a punching bag for the writers, she started hating it.

How do you mean?

[quote] Harry Shearer has bad-mouthed every project he’s ever worked on

Not so. He did the Jack Benny RADIO show in the early 1950s and he has fond memories of Jack and the cast.

R167 Such as this...

R132, well not quite. It didn’t require a different acting style or different voice, and most actors look better – or, anyway, younger – in color. It was more expensive to shoot and of course required different costuming and set decoration, but those factors largely affected the producers and the networks, not the stars.

What would be the disadvantage to an actor to going color? (Asking sincerely – it never occurred to me that they would object, except perhaps in artistic terms).

R133, one factor was cost. It was more expensive to shoot in color.

Outside the industry, for individual photographers, color film was more expensive to purchase and to develop.

I have a special dislike for The Simpsons divas. So much money for doing so little and bitching about it.

Julie Kavner lives as a semi-recluse on Long Island and does her lines over the phone.

She has all that money and lives on Long Island??????

She has all that money and still has that face??????

New thread perhaps, Julie Kavner has all that money and still....

. . . hasn't given a dime to Valerie Harper.

Yeah, Montgomery regretted the last couple seasons, but couldn’t pass up the money.

Donna Reed tired of her show but kept it going for the money. Despite having an ownership role, she had to deal with sponsor and network interference as well as general sexism.

Color was not that big a deal. It was a cost issue and networks had to question whether they wanted to spend the money when they went 100% color. In Patty Dukes case, I think it was an issue of whether United Artists wanted to absorb the difference between cost and what ABC would pay. Her show’s audience initially nosedived until it had a stronger leadin and ABC probably didn’t want to spend as much as it did for shows that were stronger or new.

R170 I meant for the audience. The wonder of color programming must've been like when silent films got sound. I remember watching Wonder Years on Netflix several years ago and there was an episode devoted to them purchasing a new color TV. It seemed like a state of the art change.

Bruce Willis - Moonlighting

Just like most of the others, he wanted out when it looked like he had a film career. It had little to do with Cybill or any of his other self-serving complaints. Moonlighting was one of the greats and narcissist Bruce could only think, "me me me." One hour TV shows are hard, there are always issues...he should have kept his mouth shut and not acted like a pima donna, imho. If it wasn't for Cybill, there never would have been Moonlighting, and he wouldn't have been David Addison. Don't accuse me of being a Cybill worshipper, I only watched her sitcom once because I couldn't stand her or it.

So many tv actors thought movie stardom was their true calling, and burned their bridges when they left their hit shows.

Frances Bavier thought the Andy Griffith Show was beneath her talents.

R179, A family purchasing a color television in the mid-1960s was, indeed, a big deal.

Unfortunately, the quality of the color compared to today was deficient, but it was still a major step up from B&W.

R184 It was a big deal for us to go see the moon landing in color on her TV at my grandmother's house in 1969, it was one of my earliest memorizes as a 4 year old. When I got my own TV for my room as a teen it was black and white as they were still more costly at that time.

r167, Bea hated jokes about her femininity--her deep voice, her height, her air of command.

The writers of GG thought they were hilarious, and kept putting them in. She was really unhappy and let them know. She was very insecure her entire life about her femininity.

Pamela Anderson longed to leave Baywatch and return to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Elizabeth Montgomery was fucking the new director on Bewitched during the final season. She and Asher divorced and she lived with the new cock for 2 years.

Mr Ed got tired of running his mouth. He also hated peanut butter

But as unhappy as Bea was, she wound up doing the jokes. She was a team player up until she had finally had enough of doing the show. She never tried to monopolize it at the expense of the other three, never tried to force the writers to make Dorothy out to be the hottest piece of ass in Miami. She knew the value of the show, and how good the ensemble was working together, even if being part of an ensemble wasn't her cup of tea.

Some actors don't realize that, and they let their vanity and ego get in the way of everything else, often ruining the show.

[quote] Frances Bavier thought the Andy Griffith Show was beneath her talents.

Frank Bavier's cunt stunk like a three week old corpse.

Well it seemed neither Gunilla Hutton nor Jeannine Riley were happy playing Billie Jo Bradley on Petticoat Junction, each only lasted a year or two. Then Meredith MacRae came along and apparently appreciated a steady paycheck and settled down in Hooterville for good.

I recall reading that Patrick Stewart hated most of the first season of Star Trek TNG. There were all sorts of production problems, script problems, "differences of opinion" between producers and directors, etc. Plus, the actors didn't really know each other very well at that point, and he was also convinced that it would be cancelled before the end of the first season (he didn't even unpack his suitcase for several weeks). He came around eventually of course, and now tells everyone how much he loved it.

There’s a documentary about he various ST shows where Patrick Stewart says pretty much that. His story is sort of the opposite of the others; he came to love his job.

[quote]She has all that money and lives on Long Island??????

Who the hell do you think was the sole contributor to the Valerie Harper Go Fund Me Death Charity Website thingy.

How could Bea Arthur love Maude more? She had to contend with Adrienne Barbeau's big knockers.

David Caruso abruptly left NYPD Blue shortly after the second season started. Of course he thought he was going to be a big leading man in movies, but apparently he never looked in a mirror because actors who look like David Caruso never become leading men in movies. He did two movies that flopped and disappeared for several years until CSI:Miami came along. He was very, very lucky to get a second chance with another series because he burned a lot of bridges.

Gary Burghoff hated MASH because they turned his character into a man child.

^^^ Was it the Teddy Bear?

I didn't know this:

The teddy bear, which never officially had a name on MASH, but was secretly named "Tiger" according to Mr. Burghoff, does live on through the children's show Sesame Street. Big Bird's teddy bear is named Radar in homage to Radar O'Reilly's teddy bear.

R186 to add to your point, I watched an episode the other night where Blanche has a dream about her dead husband and is shaken up by it. Dorothy comes in and blanche asks her to lie down with her so Dorothy gets into bed with her. Sophia and Rose walk in and after seeing them in bed together, Sophia quips, "she takes one tennis lesson and now this!" I thought it was hilarious. Too bad Bea wasn't a good sport about it.

R200 apparently she was, since she did the scenes any way and didn't cause much trouble.

Color TVs were very expensive in the early 1960s, so television producers kept filming in black and white. Only when the price went down for a color TV in the mid-60s did the producers start to film in color. More viewers had them every year. We got ours in 1968 when I was eight years old. We were the first in the neighborhood to have one, so all of our friends came to watch TV with us.

Wasn't very popular "Bonanza" being one of the first prime time shows in color credited for the sales of color televisions in the 1960s?

Still waiting to have more content to watch on my 3D tv purchased around 2010...

Bea Arthur didn't dislike Betty White, she just disagreed with Betty's approach to filming. Bea was a Broadway actress for many years, she took rehearsals very seriously. It was all business. Betty liked to crack jokes and expand upon bloopers while filming. It was not Bea's style.

Bea would wait for Betty to finish what she was doing, and then they walked to the filming studio together every Friday.

Bea also caused some retakes because she would laugh so loudly at the dialogue between Betty/Rue/Estelle when she was backstage. She loved the writers of Golden Girls. She thought they were brilliant.

Michael Shanks disliked Stargate SG1, and left the series briefly. No one else would hire him, so he returned to the show. He's a bit of an egomaniac.

R203 here's an article about the transition from b&w to color in the mid-sixties.

[quote] Wasn't very popular "Bonanza" being one of the first prime time shows in color credited for the sales of color televisions in the 1960s?

"Bonanza" usually gets the credit for it, but it shares it with "Disney's Wonderful World of Color".

So the black-and-white era was essentially over by 1970. From then on, photography, film, and TV would be in color save for a few artistic choices. Though I remember People magazine being black-and-white (the cover and ads were always in color) until the mid-1990s. I got a subscription for my 11th birthday in 1991 and by '95 the magazine was fully in color.

[quote]David Caruso abruptly left NYPD Blue shortly after the second season started. Of course he thought he was going to be a big leading man in movies

Same with Rob Morrow, though I do think he at least stayed with "Northern Exposure" for the first four of its five years.

Yes, Rob Morrow was another one. He basically disappeared.

In the 2000s Rob Morrow was the lead of the CBS crime drama NUMB3RS. It lasted six seasons.

Half a vote for William Petersen (Gil Grissom) of CSI Las Vegas. He grew bored real quick of the show. Apparently he talked about wanting out as early as season 4 (he stayed till mid season 9).

But guess he stayed professional and only phoned in his performances in his final season and a half.

Rob Morrow seemed to disappear for several years after Northern Exposure. For someone who was sure he was going to be big in movies, that was a big comedown.

Rob Morrow got a job playing Richard Goodwin in Robert Redford's horribly cast Quiz Show (1994). He played the part as if he was doing an impression of a George Burns impression.

I think "Northern Exposure" was still on the air when "Quiz Show" was released in theaters. I always assumed its success was the reason why Morrow became convinced that he had outgrown television and could make the leap to films.

r216 that's how I remember it. He had one hit movie, of which he wasn't even the star, and thought he'd just be a movie star.

Captain Kangaroo from the sounds of it.

[quote]Yes, Rob Morrow was another one. He basically disappeared.

You'd disappear too if Maggie O'Connell happened to you.

For Corrie fans, Michelle Keegan as Tina didn't hate the show, but saw it as a stepping stone to bigger things. Towards the end she was desperate to leave the show and was actually happy that her character was killed off.

For Canadians, Fiona Reid hated, hated, hated King Of Kensington.

Years later she said in an interview she regretted her feelings about the show and leaving. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Except, r216, Quiz Show was a flop; its 4 Oscar nominations were pity votes.

There were a lot of articles around 1987 about how much Meredith Baxter Birney hated that Michael J. Fox had become the breakout star of "Family Ties" and it sounded serious.

But then she played his mom on "Spin City" too and on the final episode of "Family Ties," at the curtain call, Fox is weeping in her arms so I am not sure what was going on there.

R222 all of its nominations (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Screenplay) were top categories and very deserving of them. Do you think only movies that were box office hits deserve nominations?

[quote]There were a lot of articles around 1987 about how much Meredith Baxter Birney hated that Michael J. Fox had become the breakout star of "Family Ties" and it sounded serious.

Her problem was the same as Esther Rolle's on Good Times. Family Ties was about two hippie parents raising their children in the 80s. When Fox became the break out star, the writers lessened MBB's scenes and of course she was mad. The story was supposed to be built around her.

The same thing happened with Valerie Harper and Jason Bateman on VALERIE. The show was supposed to be about the struggles of a working mom whose pilot husband was often absent, but then Bateman became a teen heartthrob and the writers wanted to focus on his characters social/love life instead.

Also, QUIZ SHOW was very well-received by critics.

Wow, how did Meredith Baxter ever think that she would be funny enough to be the primary focus of a successful sitcom...

Unlike most DLers, I don't begrudge people for being wealthy and successful-particularly those who earned it. That being said, these little whiny babies need to stop complaining. They earned good money at the time, and it is unlikely that they would have been able to have as high an earning potential if they weren't on a tv show.

Also happened with Growing Pains. The show was supposed to revolve around Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns, then Kirk Cameron became a huge teen idol and the show focused on him.

I think all these examples were cautionary tales. If the actors on a family sitcom who are playing the parents have any clout, the young actors who are cast as the son or sons are not all that attractive. They learned a valuable lesson from 80s sitcoms.

I didn't have a problem with my beautiful stepson (no less) stealing/hogging the spotlight on my show.

[quote]Wow, how did Meredith Baxter ever think that she would be funny enough to be the primary focus of a successful sitcom...

I actually think in the back of their heads, they had the idea of trying to reboot Bridget Loves Bernie but 10 years later with kids.

r230, I watched Growing Pains many times growing up and that show never evolved into the Kirk Cameron show the way MJF took over Family Ties. Though i'll admit I'm less familiar with Ties. There is also always a breakout star of family sitcoms, and sometimes the star is so charismatic and it essentially becomes their show.

[quote]I didn't have a problem with my beautiful stepson (no less) stealing/hogging the spotlight on my show. —Shirley Jones

Of course you didn't because it revived your dead career. You would have played his grandmother if it meant getting a paycheck.

Bette Midler - Bette

[quote]Bette Midler - Bette

I don't think she detested the show. I think she just didn't realize how much hard work went into a weekly sitcom. It's not like a concert where she could sing the same tired songs she had sung since the 1970s. She actually had to learn a whole new show each week.

Betty Hutton - The Betty Hutton Show

Jesse Metcalfe was unhappy during his short tenure on "Desperate Housewives." What he really wanted was to be on the hit teen show "The O.C." and had auditioned for DJ, the yard boy, which eventually went to Nicholas Gonzalez. Instead, Jesse got a similar role on "DW," but he hated being surrounded by old(er) people.

[quote]Wow, how did Meredith Baxter ever think that she would be funny enough to be the primary focus of a successful sitcom..

The same way Meredith was mad at her mother for not starring her in One Day At a Time. The original plan was her mother, Whitney Blake had conceived the idea for ODAAT with her partner and she would play Ann and Meredith would be Julie, and this was to happen after she was through with Hazel. But this was still the 60s and no one would buy that idea. Her idea was reworked with Norman Lear in the 70s and Meredith still had it in her head, her mother could be Ann (or an Ann like character) but both actresses were too old. And Meredith was too young to be Ann (or an Ann like character).

[quote]Frederick Gwynne - Munsters.

No, Fred loved doing the Munsters, he got along famously with everyone in the cast, though he and Al Lewis (Grandpa) didn't like the quality of the scripts toward the end, that was no big deal to them. Fred was an extremely shy man and didn't like to give interviews or talk about it.

Unlike Al Lewis who loved being Grandpa (the same way Alan Hale loved being the Skipper) and he would love to shows, fairs, radio, anything where he could dress up and be Grandpa

[quote]Mr Ed got tired of running his mouth. He also hated peanut butter

Actually Mr Ed and Wilbur liked each other and the horse eventually liked Alan Young so much, he would move his mouth on his own without peanut butter, relying on cues by Young.

R239 I didn't know Meredith Baxter came from Hollywood royalty. I thought she was a local girl who'd made good.

R239 And that, ladies and gentleman, is how Bonnie Franklin ended up as an Ann like character!

It worked out for the best. Nobody would have believed Whitney Blake as a working class mother of two.

Has anyone mentioned Tina Louise on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND yet?

Has she ever come forward in her later years on record and said she regretted any of her cold-shoulder behavior to the show?

Cloris Leachman - "Raising Hope"/ She thought it was humor directed at 9 year olds. I loved the show EXCEPT what they would do to her, lots of mean old lady jokes and shots of her on the toilet. puke.

The Judy Garland Show hated Judy Garland

Funnily enough, Eve Plumb (with Susan Olsen) and Tina Louise (with Dawn Wells) both did TV spots for Jeopardy which referenced their shows. Eve Plumb even said "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" I wonder how much they were paid.

Tina Louise and Dawn Wells commercial.

R247, No, James Aubrey hated The Judy Garland Show.

R245 I think it depends what day you get Tina on. She’s always has been ambivalent about it. Probably slanted a bit more towards hating it. Now that she hardly acts anymore and there’s no career to hurt, she’s probably more amenable to talking about it.

[quote] I watched Growing Pains many times growing up and that show never evolved into the Kirk Cameron show the way MJF took over Family Ties

They tried but I forbade it. It wasn’t very Christian.

Now let us pray.

[quote]No, James Aubrey hated The Judy Garland Show.

Mel Torme hated The Judy Garland Show. He tried to sue Judy and he wrote a book about how awful it was.

[quote] Mel Torme hated The Judy Garland Show. He tried to sue Judy and he wrote a book about how awful it was.

Lorna Luft, you know, the one who was molested, she said in the late 1970s if she ever ran into Mel Torme she hoped it was with a truck. Sister Liza later made a similar comment.

From all reports, it was a horrible environment. Judy would be late, reluctant to go on stage, etc. They tried differet formats with different kinds of guest stars and it just didn't work.

Did Judy Garland just hate Judy Garland?

She loved Judy but hated her life. Torme was dumb and ambitious enough to grab the money and potential fame of being adjacent to her.

What happened with that long lipped moper, Ruth Wilson, and The Affair? No one will say why she really left. Was she fucking Maura Tierney and they had a nasty breakup?

[quote]Lorna Luft, you know, the one who was molested, she said in the late 1970s if she ever ran into Mel Torme she hoped it was with a truck. Sister Liza later made a similar comment.

Don't know why. Their mother, one Judy Garland, didn't honor Torme's contract. He was contracted to do a specific number of shows and Judy was too far gone towards the end to complete the contract.

I'm surprised Mort Lindsey never wrote a book. He was Judy's conductor for years and then Merv Griffin's.

There was much change and interference. Judy was probably too loaded to care what was done with Torme or anyone else. The network and the producer would have been responsible for this stuff. It's doubtful that he would have had a personal contract with Judy. Whatever production company that was set-up to run the show would have had very little autonomy from CBS or the sponsor.

She would have made more sense as an occasional headliner for variety specials, but she was desperate for money and did the show.

Mort Linsey's daughter was married to Burt Ward (Batman's Robin) , which was a mess (Ward was a mess--thinking he could become a millionaire by age 30 rather than a has been). he probably had a lot of drama around him.

Someone mentioned Patti LuPone on Life Goes On. It's true she hated Bill Smitrovitch and whoever the second Paige was. She got along with Kelly Martin. But she couldn't hack doing scenes with Corky. I think most of the time for those they'd use her stand-in while they were shooting Corky, and then she'd step in when they would film her. The two-shots would get dicey. I do believe she slapped him at some point out of frustration. I don't KNOW this, but I've heard it many, many times.

It was a bad scene. She hated Los Angeles. And, it kept her away from Broadway for 5 years.

I like this scene- she's quite good going off on a director at an audition.

R205, I think what you're saying may have been true for the first couple of years.

But Bea DID grow to dislike Betty. At this point, it's been too well documented not to be true. What you say is true- Bea wanted to treat each Golden Girls performance like a theater piece. She hated that Betty would break character, and chat with the studio audience. There's a tape of Bea flubbing a line and Betty going "Bea screwed up!" and you can tell Bea is not amused.

As I said, Bea likely rolled with it for the first few years. But by year five you can bet she was super fucking annoyed by Betty White. Betty herself admits this. And Rue said she called Betty a cunt. Behind her back.

The Mel Torme book about Judy is self serving and cruel. But it also has the ring of truth to it. I'm going through a Judy investigation because I met Lorna Luft recently- (in passing, didn't realize who she was until later) I read Lorna's book, and then Torme. I had no idea Judy was in such sad, pathetic shape for years and years. 100mgs of Ritalin a day!!

[quote]And Rue said she called Betty a cunt. Behind her back.

I heard that from someone who worked with Elaine Stritch. ES told this person that Bea told ES that Betty was a cunt. ES also said that the animal charity thing was all a hoax. Betty needed a charity so she just chose animals because it was easy.

[quote] I had no idea Judy was in such sad, pathetic shape for years and years. 100mgs of Ritalin a day!!

Unfortunately, my new movie will gloss over the truth. It will show Judy as a wounded warrior.

Yes, they all detested their shows, but they stayed and collected a paycheck nonetheless. Beggars can't be choosers!

Bea probably wanted GG to be like "Maude," which, like many Norman Lear shows of the time, was basically shot like a two-act play. But GG wasn't, it was a Susan Harris vehicle and her shows were known for musical interludes after two-minute scenes and endless establishing shots, etc. See "Soap," "Benson," "I'm a Big Girl Now" which all seemed to use the same orchestra.

FFS all you old queens crapping on about the Golden Girls, it wrapped 27 years ago, they're three quarters dead, almost 100% dead, get over it!

R270 Three quarters dead is a great phrase! Designing Women- one quarter dead!

[quote]Bea probably wanted GG to be like "Maude," which, like many Norman Lear shows of the time, was basically shot like a two-act play. But GG wasn't, it was a Susan Harris vehicle and her shows were known for musical interludes after two-minute scenes and endless establishing shots, etc. See "Soap," "Benson," "I'm a Big Girl Now" which all seemed to use the same orchestra.

Very interesting point.

But Maude had its crap episodes. There is one where Bea does a monologue for the entire episode. It's just her and a therapist and it's boring as hell.

And they had a couple of "Let's put on a show--variety act" where the writers got lazy and didn't want to do a full episode and so everyone in the cast sang a song. In one, Maude is in charge of putting on a show to raise money for some charity.

R272, is that the Statue of Liberty one?

There used to be a clip on Youtube of Bea as Maude singing Hard Hearted Hannah and she was fabulous. Of course, the clip was taken down like so many other good clips.

Is this one of you sadfucks?

And what a sad little place it is

I wouldn't be caught dead in that fuckin dump!

But you are dead Bea, you are!

[quote]But you are dead Bea, you are! —Betty White

Well, Betty, only the good die young. Obviously even Satan doesn't want you.

[quote]What happened with that long lipped moper, Ruth Wilson, and The Affair? No one will say why she really left

Wilson claims she's "not allowed to talk about why" she left, which is odd in the era of #TimesUp and #MeToo and outrage over NDAs.

[quote]Wilson claims she's "not allowed to talk about why" she left, which is odd in the era of #TimesUp and #MeToo and outrage over NDAs.

She left because she had to do that silly miniseries where she played her grandmother. It takes time to turn an interesting tidbit into a 3 hour miniseries.

r280, maybe she means she "can't" as in it's too difficult for her to talk about rather than she is forbidden from doing so.

Here’s an article that came out today for the Ruth Wilson posters.

R264, Wasn't Betty the first of the four to win an Emmy for The Golden Girls and Bea the last?

Yes, r284 -- Betty won in 1986, Rue in 1987, Bea in 1988.

Betty was obviously more popular within the TV industry. She was also the only one of the three to get nominated for all 7 seasons. (Estelle did, too, but in Supporting.) But in the general public, 'Sophia' was the most popular, with 'Dorothy' and 'Blanche' being gay favorites.

I never really cared that much for The Golden Girls. It was too cutsy, predictable, and hacky. Maude is much more my speed. Much more substance. Maude tended to be about something.

With Ruth Wilson, it seems like there was a settlement of some kind, and she's not allowed to discuss the incident in question.

What I don't understand about the pay disparity argument is how do they know for sure how much the other actor is paid?

r270: Eat dirt and die, trash.

[quote]Designing Women- one quarter dead!

Two fifths, if you include Anthony. As you should, since he was a headliner.

R290 I'm dead too ya know!

I know Sherman Hemsley was nothing like his character and had difficulty with the role. - The Jeffersons

I hope I’m not dating myself...

So do they stay on these programs because of the contract they signed or for the money?

[quote]Pretty sure Jason Alexander hated the last two seasons of Seinfeld

We all did.

Warren Beatty couldn't wait to escape "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" after Elia Kazan (and Natalie Wood) came calling for "Splendor in the Grass" halfway into the first season.

When CBS produced a reunion movie in 1988, producers figured they'd give it a shot and reach out to Beatty (he didn't return their calls). Dwayne Hickman said Beatty was "in denial" about ever having been a part of the show.

I detest my show now so does that count?

Yes, that does count.

[quote]I hope I’m not dating myself

Well, since no one else will ...

R298 Lmao, love it.

I've posted about the original "V" on other threads, but the short version is that Marc Singer thought he should be the star of the show, not part of an ensemble, and he was particularly mean to Faye Grant, who was a sweetie. That got the rest of the cast pissed off at him.

Oh, r300 please spill on V! Loved that show back in the day.

Not much else to tell you other than the rest of the cast was tight, everyone adored Michael Ironside, and they all hated it when the weekly show went way down in quality and became "Dynasty in Space."

The network was switching up the approach to the material every week. Diana in particular went from a haughty Faye Dunaway type with long straight hair to a ridiculous 80s-perm rock video look because that's what they thought people wanted to see.

Oh, and Jeff Yagher was very handsome, funny and gay-friendly.

R302 Why do you describe Jeff Y. as gay-friendly?

Hard to say, r303. He was very good-looking, but not stuck-up about it and just down to earth with everyone. The opposite of Marc Singer.

The original V miniseries was excellent, the second miniseries was still good but definitely had some cheesy 80s moments, and the weekly series that only lasted one season was awful. I'm sure the downturn in quality had an effect on the cast.

[quote] Jeff Yagher was very handsome, funny and gay-friendly.

How friendly? He looks like an 80s Falcon model

R306 I’ve seen better.

Shelly Long...and apparently the rest of the show detested her, too.

Debra Messing.

Shelley Long was apparently a real pill to work with. She acted like she was doing Shakespeare when it was just a silly sitcom.

R310 reminds me of Robert Reed with the Brady Bunch. Robert was too good for the BB. Too bad, he could not enjoy the time. He was a miserable SOB.

[R37]: Have y'all seen how good Peter Krause looks in his uniform on, "9-1-1"??

Don't forget Jeff Yaghar was in the pilot of "21 Jump Street", then fired and replaced by Johnny Depp and the rest is history. He kind of disappeared after that. Great abs, not a star.

Jeff Yaghar now.

Squidward Tentacles.

Yes, I've heard that about Shelley Long too. I believe one or two cast members from THE GOOD WIFE would qualify for this thread and Katherine Heigl.

r310 Long was brilliant in that "silly sitcom", as Ted Danson said - Shelley Long put Cheers on the map.

After all these years it's other members of the cast who come across as petty and bitchy in their attitudes towards Shelley, just my two cents

Yeah, it seems that Shelley was professional on CHEERS while everyone else was goofing off and wasting time. People forget that these are jobs. Imagine if your colleagues were not taking their work seriously and you had to stay later longer because of them.

*THIS MESSAGE IS FOR GEORGIE PILLSON. NOBODY ELSE WILL MAKE ANY SENSE OF IT* Joe-jay! How have you been? Major Benjy's been looking mighty red in the face after you, you naughty, naughty boy, got him tiddly and dressed him up in one of Mapp's fugliest frocks and made him sing "The Boy Stood On the Burning Deck"!

I'm sure you've heard about poor Lulu's fraud indictment. Evidently (& I have this on the best knowledge), she was spending a leetle too much time at a certain Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue's Long Island Sound cottage, and discovered a box labeled "John Galliano - Keep Your Fucking Hands off My Stash!" Well, as it was, Lulu was three sheets to the wind on Anna's daughter Bee's pre lunch cocktails (Anna hasn't had one since she drank her first and last and got up on the dining room table in front of Si Newhouse, Naomi, Kate, Gerry, Mick AND Bianca, and sang "Somebody to Love" in Serbo Croatian - SIX TIMES! By the time she'd finished the soufflé was beyond repair, and the only person left in the room was a former member of Bob Marley's band who decided to drop in to wet the vibe)...

Anyhoo, Lulu thought 'Stash' was Lee Radziwill's husband Stas. So, she opened the box, put the jewel encrusted silver straw in her nose and inhaled the entire 8 ball! She left the house and went around telling people she was Happy Rockefeller. That got her into big trub.

So, put away the Mozartino, Georgino mio. The way things are looking just now, the only ivory Lulu will be tickling will be the toy baby piano Cadman smuggled in with Foljambe, she pretending to be with child.

It's been dull as fucking ditchwater in Tilling. We all wish you'd just get over your fling and get the hell back here. You know how bad it is when Irene's hosting albino Karaoke night at the Wyse's!