Lost, Fringe suffer from Grey's Disease; shows with supporting casts more interesting than stars

Here's what I thought while struggling to get through the two-hour season debut of Grey's Anatomy a few weeks ago: Why don't I care more about the stars?

Ostensibly, this super-popular series is focused on Ellen Pompeo's fumbling Dr. Meredith Grey and her affair with (and later marriage to) Patrick Dempsey's Derek "Dr. McDreamy" Shepherd. But co-stars such as Sandra Oh, Isaiah Washington, Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight kept stealing the spotlight.

Here's a list of other shows that suffer from Grey's Disease, where you care about everyone on screen but the supposed stars.

Lost: Let's be honest: Ben Linus, John Locke, Sayid Jarrah and Sun Hwa Kwon have always been more compelling than the super-mopey characters at the show's center: Jack Sheppard, Kate Austen and James "Sawyer" Ford.

How I Met Your Mother: Neil Patrick Harris' charismatic womanizer Barney Stinson steals every scene he's in, but the show is supposedly centered on how Josh Radnor's Ted Mosby he met his wife.

Fringe: Forget about Anna Torv's tortured FBI agent Olivia Dunham. I'm always waiting for any scene featuring oddball scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and the Icky Villain of the Week.

American Idol: Opened Entertainment Weekly and saw a story on the guy who didn't win the show this year, Adam Lambert, along with a nice blurb on another nonwinner, Alison Iraheta.

Ditto with reports about Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry and former judge Paula Abdul. When's the last time you heard something about winners Ruben Studdard or Taylor Hicks?

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: He's a charming guy who does the best Philbin this side of Dana Carvey. But let's be honest: From house band the Roots to his cheeky reality TV satire 7th Floor West, everything surrounding Fallon on this show is more interesting than he is.

Comments

[Kay]

agreed - the author of this article definitly doesn't watch the shows or care. without Torv, Fringe wouldn't be where it is. given Josh Jackson and John Noble are also central, but if you watch Fringe, you'd see that Torv's character Olivia is pivotal, seeing as she's a wonderful lead role. she also is at the epicenter of the plot and mythological arc.

[DoctorDoom]

brady,

Apparently reading comprehension is not your strongest subject. Read this again and focus on the work "kept" - that is past tense - thus the reference to IW is appropriate.

"Ostensibly, this super-popular series is focused on Ellen Pompeo's fumbling Dr. Meredith Grey and her affair with (and later marriage to) Patrick Dempsey's Derek "Dr. McDreamy" Shepherd. But co-stars such as Sandra Oh, Isaiah Washington, Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight KEPT stealing the spotlight."

Other than that, I really don't know anything about these shows - so I will assume Eric is correct since he is a professional journalist.

[Pennywise]

Eric: don't let the haters get you down, lol. This article is spot-on. Hubby and & wouldn't miss Anna Torv (well, I would) if she left Fringe but John Noble? He and Josh Jackson MAKE that show. And I have always despised Jack & Kate on Lost. My favorite character from go was John Locke and still is. And on How I Met Your Mother, if Neil Patrick Harris left the show, it would fold like a cheap suit.

[missy]

i stopped watching grey's because i could not stand meredith. i have to totally agree with this article; as far as fringe, i could care less if anna torv left as long as josh jackson is there and on lost, i hate kate

[BSsniffer]

Eric, I'm not feeling the love here. Obviously, there's no respect even when it couldn't matter less. So sorry.

[Jamie]

Of course this writer doesn't watch these shows. Takes a total cheap shot at Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey who has been a strong lead no Grey's Anatomy since it's first season, and then thinks that he speaks for everyone that watches these shows. Don't agree with Grey's, don't agree with Fringe, and don't agree with LOST either. What a shame that this so called writer took an easy, cheap shot with this piece and dog piled on the leads who are always the "easy targets" when someone really has nothing interesting to write about a show to begin with. Truly sad.

[Super Scribbler]

I don't know about Grey's Anatomy, but Desperate Housewives is a little slow without Edie. Last season her serial killer husband strangled her, forcing Edie to flee in her shiny new Lexus which crashed into a power pole and she was electrocuted in the street.

[Denny]

I beg to differ.
Meredith Grey aka Ellen Pompeo IS the main attraction on the show. Her almost missing a couple of episodes for a maternity leave this season left several board and sites down due to the amount of fans fearing what would happen without it's star. As they put it.

Thus they preshot her scenes, she worked over time while 9 months pregnant so she wouldn't miss any episodes... dude get your facts straight... if you lost interest in the main star on those shows.. 20 million fans didn't. plus Grey's is an ensamble show.. there is someone for everybody..

[Denny]

I beg to differ.
Meredith Grey aka Ellen Pompeo IS the main attraction on the show. Her almost missing a couple of episodes for a maternity leave this season left several board and sites down due to the amount of fans fearing what would happen without it's star. As they put it.

Thus they preshot her scenes, she worked over time while 9 months pregnant so she wouldn't miss any episodes... dude get your facts straight... if you lost interest in the main star on those shows.. 20 million fans didn't. plus Grey's is an ensamble show.. there is someone for everybody..

[Mike]

Do you even watch the shows you are talking about...

Grey's name sake star Meredith is still the core center and the main attraction for the show for the biggest number of fans. it's an ensamble show but she remains as the core of it and to a lot the main attraction. you should read the fan boards and the numbers and so on.. and really get a new picture.

[Eric Deggans]

the supporting cast has outshone the supposed stars on Grey's since the series started.

The basic point is this has been gonig on a long time. Hence the old school picture.

Guess the truth hurts....

[brady]

IW hasn't been on Grey's for two seasons. Geeze. Could you at least update your picture? And do you even watch the show?