The Importance of Ensembles Not Stars

It took the industry a long time to ‘get it’.   And although most have, some have not.  That is, the importance of having a long running television serial with an ensemble cast, not one or two stars.   This can not be over-emphasised.

There were many shows which could have gone on another few seasons if the ‘star’ hadn’t dropped out to do a movie or died, or got into a legal battle with the producers, causing the show to collapse.    Further, why make the audience focus on a specific character when the plots are often ‘farmed’.

When you watch some serials you’ll find a number of different writers.  Yes, some shows keep the same writers from first to last, perhaps a few ‘guest’ writers,  but some shows are the ‘baby’ of this writer or writers, and so they write for the actor playing the character.

In many serials, where there are different writers fitting the characters into the plot the actor him/herself is secondary.

There are cases where the head writer gets into conflict and leaves and is replaced by others, but very often, the show doesn’t last very long as the concept changes.

By having an ensemble, a show can continue for a decade because different actors can be featured, some left out.

Grey’s Anatomy, which I’ve written of often, as it is a long lasting series, has come up with the winning recipe. It premiered with Ellen Pompeo, as Meredith Grey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Isiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey.  During the run,  five of these left to be replaced by others filling different roles.

By the twelfth season there were sixteen actors,  four from the original cast.

In the last episode none of the original characters appeared,  which did not in any way detract.   None of the actors are irreplaceable; those that decide to leave will have someone else take their air time; that someone else will be a totally different character bringing in different dramatic potential.

Today, having a show with less than five ‘stars’ is not wise for a series one intend to go more than one or two seasons.

One of the most powerful proofs of the nature of ensembles is when C.S.I. had the demands of Gil Grissom and Gary Dourdan slapped aside, and replaced Grissom with Laurence Fishbourne, then Ted Danson.  The show did not suffer their absence.

When one is doing a short ‘special’ it is necessary that for the five or ten episodes that the actors perform as required. They can not be moved or replaced.   When one considers a serial with the expectations it will go at least five, hopefully ten or longer seasons, then the only way to ensure survival is to have the ensemble.