Hollywood is a weird, weird place. Case in point -- USA Today is reporting that NBC has hired former Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington to appear in at least five episodes of their new fall series Bionic Woman.
Is there anyone out there who doesn't think Washington has made a total ass of himself in the last several weeks? Forget the incident that took place on the set of Grey's Anatomy last year -- in my opinion, Washington's "publicity tour," in which he blames his firing on his race, ranted against former co-stars and his former network, and alleged that TR Knight orchestrated the entire series of events in an attempt to beef up his role on the show, has been nothing short of embarrassing, and I am really quite surprised that NBC would want to be in business with this guy. And it seems like they really want to be in business with him -- in addition to the Bionic Woman appearances, USA Today reports that the actor has also signed a development deal with the network "to star in a potential action drama he pitched to the network for the 2008-09 TV season."
Katherine Pope, president of NBC's Universal Media Studios, is quoted as saying, "Washington is a brilliant actor...I think people watch characters on TV, not personalities." That may be true, and I am not suggesting that Washington should be blacklisted from ever working in Hollywood again. But what kind of message does the timing of all of this mean? It almost seems as though he is being rewarded for being a total ass who doesn't know when to shut up, and that leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I'm surprised NBC would want to get involved in all of this mess.
I guess it's true what they say -- no publicity is bad publicity.
What are your thoughts? Is NBC shooting themselves in the foot by working with Washington, or does the hiring make sense?
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Monday, July 16, 2007
What is NBC Thinking? Isaiah Washington To Appear on The Bionic Woman
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2 comments:
i believe it makes great sense for nbc to make this move. their gain, abc's loss. it would not surprise me one bit if abc begins to experience a sudden drop in viewership as a result of their latest decision. i love the cast, i just won't watch the show anymore. call it what you will, it's your right to do so. it's also my right to watch what i want. all asses aside.
I agree, the man is a great actor, I don't particularly care about his personality, I enjoy his work. This whole thing has been blown out of proportion in my opinion.
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