Why was it acceptable for Rhea/Woody/to be Divas but not Shelley?

[Junaid Aslam]

I'm noticing a hypocrisy wit the way Rhea Perlman and Shelley Long were treated by the cast and writers.

Shelley had her diva moments and was outcasted by the cast.

Rhea Perlman demands that Jay Thomas be removed or that she no longer becomes a grandmothe on the show and it happens.

The producers were annoyed with Woody who always turned up late on set yet when Shelley did it Ted was bursting into her.

Why did Kirstie feel she had to make sly digs at Shelley becuase if it wasn't for Shelley then Kirstie would still be a sturgglig actress with a coke addiction.

Bebe was also a DIva but she got away with it.

Cast members made digs at Shelley yet she kept quiet about them.

Shelley was not perfect but she was the most professional out of the lost when it came to public behaviour

[barwars]

It was acceptable because they stayed with the series. From what I understand, they didn't really start to "hate" Shelley until she announced that she would be leaving. The show could have bombed, and they all would have lost their jobs.

[CheersChild4life]

It seemed more like the rest of the cast was about having fun, Shelly wasn't. It's like bringing your parents to a kegger.

[Brian Damage]

I had no idea that Rhea demanded that Jay Thomas be fired. I wonder why?

[barwars]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

I had no idea that Rhea demanded that Jay Thomas be fired. I wonder why?

He and everyone else on the show expected him to be added to the perminent cast, but Rhea didn't like the idea of sharing storylines with other characters. She always thought she only got the job because Danny DeVito was her husband (she felt even stronger about her recurring role on Taxi). She wanted "Carla" episodes to revolve around Carla, not her entire family. I guess she always felt that she wasn't hired because she was needed.

It would have been interesting if Jay Thomas had been a full cast member.

[slackermonkey]

That would have terrible. Eddie was boring.

[barwars]

Originally Posted by slackermonkey

That would have terrible. Eddie was boring.

I agree. I meant interesting in a "how would it work? would it last just as long?" type of way.

[slackermonkey]

Originally Posted by barwars

I agree. I meant interesting in a "how would it work? would it last just as long?" type of way.

Yeah, I knew how you meant it, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who found Eddie dull.

Come to think of it, pretty much all their recurring love interests were either boring or unfunny... Kelly, Robin Colcord, Margaret...

[barwars]

I thought Kelly was pretty funny.... she was just so stupid you can't help but laugh.

[Junaid Aslam]

Basically all Shelley did was act more prematurely then the others regarding Diva behaviour.

Atleast Shelley can meet her maker knowing she wasn't a big hypocrite in public.

Kelsey Grammar had a lot of problems which were all self inflicted yet they all rushed around to help him. I don't mean to be insensitive about drug addicts but being a diva on set is no where near as bad. Atleast she was healthy enough to do her lines.

Also what annoyed me about this incident was Kirstie Alley who joined in the berating of Shelley with digs of her own. Kirstie seemed really nasty because if it wasn't for Shelley, Kirstie would be still doing bit parts on Star Trek movies or even back on Cocaine.


I notice that Ted now does regret some things especially in interviews and he credits her with being the only outstanding cast member in the earliest years.

and Shelley defintely gets on well with Kelsey. She appeared on Frasier 3 times Only Bebe out of the former cast did more and Kirstie didn't even bother.

I think Shelley and Ratzenberger are cool. She played his wife on 8 simple rules for one episode.

On Sex and the City both Kim Catrall and Sarah Jessica Parker hated each other but they got the job done for 6 years. Kim never felt she had to leave.

[Norm's Stool]

Oh, I loved Maggie, I think she was so sweet and funny. Cliff's perfect match, imo.
I also think "Please Mr. Postman" has one of the best endings ever, both writing and performances were just superb in that episode.

[barwars]

Originally Posted by Junaid Aslam

Basically all Shelley did was act more prematurely then the others regarding Diva behaviour.

Atleast Shelley can meet her maker knowing she wasn't a big hypocrite in public.

Kelsey Grammar had a lot of problems which were all self inflicted yet they all rushed around to help him. I don't mean to be insensitive about drug addicts but being a diva on set is no where near as bad. Atleast she was healthy enough to do her lines.

Also what annoyed me about this incident was Kirstie Alley who joined in the berating of Shelley with digs of her own. Kirstie seemed really nasty because if it wasn't for Shelley, Kirstie would be still doing bit parts on Star Trek movies or even back on Cocaine.


I notice that Ted now does regret some things especially in interviews and he credits her with being the only outstanding cast member in the earliest years.

and Shelley defintely gets on well with Kelsey. She appeared on Frasier 3 times Only Bebe out of the former cast did more and Kirstie didn't even bother.

I think Shelley and Ratzenberger are cool. She played his wife on 8 simple rules for one episode.

On Sex and the City both Kim Catrall and Sarah Jessica Parker hated each other but they got the job done for 6 years. Kim never felt she had to leave.

But that's the point, Shelley did. Shelley's decision to leave could have cost not only the jobs of the rest of the cast, but hundreds of people on crew. A new face could have been brought in for the sixth season and completely bombed (it didn't.... but she still screwed them over). Almost everyone on the show thought they were too big for it (aside from George, John and Rhea), but Shelley was the only one to act on it. Bebe did leave in Season 11, and to an extent so did Woody (he appeared in only half of the seasons episodes).... but they left because Season 10 was said to be the last, they had already made other commitments.

[Junaid Aslam]

Why is Shelley obliged to be responsible for other people's jobs.

When Michael J Fox ended Spin City was he attacked???

When Firends ended people lost their jobs?

Shelley was picked on immediately and segregated from the group well before Season 5.

The only people who spoke to her off set were Nicholas Collasanto and Jay Thomas.

Nicholas died in before Season 3 ended so there was a whole year before Shelley decided to leave.

and Kirstie's attitude was worst of all because it was years before they met.

Shelley wasn't required to be ebst firends with them but professional courtesy is required.

[barwars]

Originally Posted by Junaid Aslam

Why is Shelley obliged to be responsible for other people's jobs.

When Michael J Fox ended Spin City was he attacked???

When Firends ended people lost their jobs?

Shelley was picked on immediately and segregated from the group well before Season 5.

The only people who spoke to her off set were Nicholas Collasanto and Jay Thomas.

Nicholas died in before Season 3 ended so there was a whole year before Shelley decided to leave.

and Kirstie's attitude was worst of all because it was years before they met.

Shelley wasn't required to be ebst firends with them but professional courtesy is required.

This is nothing like Michael J. Fox leaving Spin City was due to Parkinson's disease not because he thought he was too big for the show.

Friends ended after a decade, people were more than ready to move on. And if not, they could stick around for Joey.

Although nothing official was made until later in the series, Shelley let it be known as early as the first season that she didn't plan to stay around past the fifth season.

[slackermonkey]

Most of the Friends crew ended up on Joey. A few writers and directors, but almost the entire (if not the entire) Friends stage crew was invited to join Joey.