Why Big Stars Are Flocking to TV

[Janice]

http://entertainment.excite.com/cele...28_2005_2.html

TV GUIDE INSIDER

Why Big Stars Are Flocking to TV
by Stephen Battaglio


Pity the struggling young actor. The competition this year for a big break on network TV is stiffer than ever, as pilots angling for spots in the fall lineup have enough familiar faces to pack an I Love the '90s (or even the '80s) marathon on VH1.

Lara Flynn Boyle, Kristin Davis, David Boreanaz, Brooke Shields, Peri Gilpin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Fred Savage, Don Johnson, Benjamin Bratt and Dylan McDermott are among the dozens of prime-time favorites cast in prospective shows that network execs hope will turn into the next Desperate Housewives or Lost.

And they're being joined by other stars better known for their work outside of TV — including Chris O'Donnell, Dennis Hopper, Ellen Burstyn, Tom Berenger and Aidan Quinn.

Networks desperate for a ratings hit are more willing to pay up for stars who can give a show an edge, but that's no guarantee of success. (Remember NBC's LAX with Heather Locklear and Blair Underwood?) "It's not like they want a 'so-and-so' type," one TV studio executive says. "They want that person in every role."

And in many cases, they can get what they want. The reason? Right now, TV is where the jobs are. "The movie business is shrinking," says former Fox entertainment president Gail Berman. These days, big-screen opportunities tend to be high-budget blockbusters for A-list stars, or independent films with salaries that barely pay the bills, with not much in between.

"There just aren't as many mid-level movies being made," says NBC entertainment chief Kevin Reilly. "It's forced a lot of the acting pool to say, 'If I want to work, TV is a viable alternative.'" The current quality of TV drama has made the move to prime time an easier sell to stars, according to Scott Henderson of the William Morris Agency. "The writing now on series television is better than ever," he says.

So much for the old industry adage that stars don't make hit TV shows, it's TV that makes stars. Says one veteran network executive, "It makes you wonder what Friends would have looked like if they cast it today."

[TJL]

I was going to post this article the other day. Great minds think alike.

They are right: the movie business is shrinking. If you're not Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts, the movie studios aren't going to be banging down your doors with offers.

Heather Graham is a recent example of a film actress making good on TV.

[Janice]

James Spader too although I do love seeing him on the big screen.

[James"Thunder"Early]

Television is mote steady. if you land a series you can be set for few years and then there are guest appearences on other shows. you get paid by the episode which can ad up to big dollars. these people are smart for coming to TV.

[TripperFan]

Plus they don't have to go away for weeks or months at a stretch on location. Plus, I think more people in general will see you on t.v. than in the movies.

The only problem is that its the same stars over and over again in the big movies. I don't want to see the same faces all the time. This may last for a little while, but I can see a point where other stars will get opportunities too (hopefully)!

[TJL]

Originally Posted by TripperFan

Plus they don't have to go away for weeks or months at a stretch on location.

Actually, some stars have a hard time making the transition from film to TV, because many dramas have long shooting days.

Movie actress Geneviève Bujold was originally cast to play Capt. Janeway on Star Trek Voyager, but she quit after the first week of filming. Insiders believed she just couldn't handle the 12 to 18 hour days she had to put in as the star of a hour long TV show.