Is it true that Ethan Phillips.... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

BensonFan · 02-04-2008, 10:27 PM

....was mad at Didi Conn for leaving the show because it meant he had to leave the show? My niece was telling me she read somewhere that he didn't talk to her for a long time after that.

Does anyone know anything about this or is my niece just a good storyteller (she is 11)?

blink · 02-05-2008, 04:34 PM

I think you're niece probably just made that up to get a rise out of you, she's 11 you know.

I don't recall ever hearing any information on just why Didi and Ethan left the the show but the fact that they both left at the same time makes me think that they where simply removed from the series due to salary conflicts.
From what I understand, the way the system for determinig television actors pay works is that when the actors contract comes up for renewal, they bargain with the producers for more money. The problem on a long running series like Benson is that over the years the ratings usually decline somewhat but the producers have to keep paying the actors playing the essential characters (Guillaume, Noble, Auberjonois and Swenson) the salaries they are accustomed too.
If at some point the producers may deem a character to be non-essential. ( We're paying them more than we think their worth with the ratings the way they are.) Supporting actors like Conn and Phillips can be written off the series at that time.

BensonFan · 02-05-2008, 10:28 PM

Well I figured I'd ask since she does read up on celebrities a lot. Plus with Denise leaving, Pete would also have to leave so it makes sense in that way.

But I am inclined to think it was a contractual issue also. I did really miss those two after they left. They added a lot of character and fun to the show that was missing in the really late episodes although there were still some good episodes without them.

Scoobiedoo30 · 02-05-2008, 10:33 PM

and they were both married

blink · 02-07-2008, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BensonFan

Well I figured I'd ask since she does read up on celebrities a lot. Plus with Denise leaving, Pete would also have to leave so it makes sense in that way.

But I am inclined to think it was a contractual issue also. I did really miss those two after they left. They added a lot of character and fun to the show that was missing in the really late episodes although there were still some good episodes without them.

Let's see Ethan was on Benson a season before Didi ever showed up so I don't see why the writers couldn't of just said that Denise got a better paying job locally or she gave up work to take care of the baby. It would have been great if one or both could have stayed on the show.

Scoobiedoo30 · 02-07-2008, 12:58 PM

you know I forgot that Pete came on befor Denise

BensonFan · 02-07-2008, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blink

Let's see Ethan was on Benson a season before Didi ever showed up so I don't see why the writers couldn't of just said that Denise got a better paying job locally or she gave up work to take care of the baby. It would have been great if one or both could have stayed on the show.

That's true--I wouldn't have minded seeing Pete again without Denise. They could have made that happen, so it stands to reason it was a contract/money issue. They probably saved some money there because even though they added Billie Bird to the cast, she was probably not making anywhere near what one of them made, let alone both of them.

Scoobiedoo30 · 02-08-2008, 03:47 PM

I would also not mine seeing Pete with Densie.

blink · 02-08-2008, 09:35 PM

Yes I agree, they probably did save money because they would've only paid Billie Bird SAG (Screen Actors Guild) minimum wage for her first season on Benson.
On the other hand Missy Gold was being paid juvenile actor rate (usually half of what they pay adults in supporting roles). Plus if you noticed the last season her parts where cut back to usually one scene per episode, probably because she had started high school and was preparing for college.
Thank god they didn't send Katie off to stay with her aunt or something.

svt65 · 02-09-2008, 01:31 AM

I'm grateful some other little kid didn't get added to the show. ANnoying when that happens. I can just imagine the lame backstory:

The Governor's long-lost brother's long-lost wife dies or disappears or something and hey, why doesn't the child come live at the Mansion? Happy times!

Yuck.

Katie was one of the few children I could stand in a series, although as she got older, I must admit she seemed to be given less and less screen-time. Be nice if it was for educational reasons rather than she had become "less cute" or whatever.

Anyway, I really missed Pete and Denise when they left and didn't really get anything from Mrs. Cassidy coming in. SHe was just there for me. When she played Clayton's mom though, I thought she was excellent.

blink · 02-10-2008, 12:52 AM

I always wanted to think that the writers and producers really dropped the ball with Katie. In my opinion Benson was one of the best sitcoms ever made but the writers probably did one of the worst jobs ever dealing with a child becoming an adolescent. It's like when the series started they didn't realize that she was going to grow up some day.
As a teenager Missy Gold was even cuter and given the opportunity she could still be a very good actress. However there could have been a more sinister reason for the writers and producers actions. I do recall reading a long time ago and I really hate to bring this up on the board, but there was some talk about the network becoming uneasy because of the way the series portrayed such a close relationship between a black man and a young white girl and they worried that it may turn off some viewers.
Remember Benson first aired only 15 years after the civil rights act was passed. What a shame if that was the real reason for poor Katie's plight. It's sad that it takes so much time for change.

BensonFan · 02-10-2008, 01:02 AM

You guys make some interesting observations.....svt, I agree about not wanting some additional kid added to the series, but I don't think that would ever have happened, given the fact they already had one kid on the show they seemingly didn't know what to do with as she got older.

I used to think Missy's acting got worse as she got older but then I realized 1) she was becoming a teenager so the writers & producers made her less "cute" and more like the teeny-bopper rebellious type. This detracted from her acting because now there were no more little girl crying scenes and no more "Benson playing the missing mother" scenes; and 2) she seemed to get less and less exposure and almost none of the episodes centered on her. She almost became invisible, which was a shame.

Two other things: I always thought Katie's relationship with Benson was sweet; I don't think it was overdone or over the top. And finally, I wonder sometimes if the way Missy was treated towards the end of the series had anything to do with her decision to basically quit acting. Granted, she may have already found an interest in becoming a therapist but might not have pursued it so ardently had her acting prospects looked brighter.

Thoughts?

svt65 · 02-10-2008, 02:46 AM

I think they still could have had good scenes with her even if she had become a teenager. The one that sticks in my mind (though whether such things were getting rarer or just b/c it was so nicely done) was the one in "Katie’s Cousin" where she had just been grounded by her dad. Katie comes out of Benson's office and she and Benson have a follow-up talk. For some reason, it struck me as the last time that sort of closeness happened.

And on a different train of thought...

I was also thinking that Benson tended to interact better with females rather than men. To me, he seems more able to empathise, have more patience, and open up easier when with Marcy, Katie, Denise, etc. than with any of the guys. Or maybe it's part of the "guys don't do that" attitude, that he comes off more uncomfortable to me. I don't quite know how to put it.

blink · 02-10-2008, 06:05 PM

I totally agree that Benson and Katie's relationship was really sweet and I hated to bring up the part about ABC and their worries about it striking the wrong cord with some people but as I mentioned social change takes decades and like or not the story may have some merit.
So far as Missy's decision to give up acting. I'll start with a quote from her sister Tracey's book "Room to Grow".
Missy liked acting and she was having fun, but she always knew she wasn't going to stick with it for ever. Since she was little she wanted to be a doctor.
The fact that she made obtaining a good education her priority over a career in the entertainment industry shows just how intelligent and mature she was at such a young age. After all no matter how successful one might be as a child actress the odds of making the transition from juvenile roles to adult ones aren't that great.
And last but not least. In our celebrity crazed society there's still a lot of people like her who just don't care about being the center of attention and just want to live a normal productive life.

BensonFan · 02-10-2008, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svt65

I think they still could have had good scenes with her even if she had become a teenager. The one that sticks in my mind (though whether such things were getting rarer or just b/c it was so nicely done) was the one in "Katie’s Cousin" where she had just been grounded by her dad. Katie comes out of Benson's office and she and Benson have a follow-up talk. For some reason, it struck me as the last time that sort of closeness happened.

And on a different train of thought...

I was also thinking that Benson tended to interact better with females rather than men. To me, he seems more able to empathise, have more patience, and open up easier when with Marcy, Katie, Denise, etc. than with any of the guys. Or maybe it's part of the "guys don't do that" attitude, that he comes off more uncomfortable to me. I don't quite know how to put it.

That episode "Katie's Cousin" is the only one I can think of in the later seasons where you saw that closeness between Katie & Benson. Why did the writers suddenly feel the need to suppress it so much when we saw so much of it in early on? Maybe Benson didn't see her as that "cute little girl" anymore. Maybe too as he kept getting promoted he seemed to get busier and busier and just didn't have as much time for her anymore.

As far as the female/male thing, I would say Benson seemed to know how to relate to the women better than the other men on the show. Benson was the one to hug Marcy and Kraus when they got their hearts broken and he was the one to always give them those wise words of advice when they were down. Sometimes the other men almost seemed oblivious to the what was going on with the women from an emotional standpoint. It was really odd.

02-04-2008, 10:27 PM	#1
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	Is it true that Ethan Phillips.... ....was mad at Didi Conn for leaving the show because it meant he had to leave the show? My niece was telling me she read somewhere that he didn't talk to her for a long time after that. Does anyone know anything about this or is my niece just a good storyteller (she is 11)?
	__________________ HEY, SONY: Thank you for Benson, Season 2! Now can we get started on Season 3 plans?

02-05-2008, 04:34 PM	#2
blink Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 17, 2004 Location: Texarkana AR. Posts: 950	I think you're niece probably just made that up to get a rise out of you, she's 11 you know. I don't recall ever hearing any information on just why Didi and Ethan left the the show but the fact that they both left at the same time makes me think that they where simply removed from the series due to salary conflicts. From what I understand, the way the system for determinig television actors pay works is that when the actors contract comes up for renewal, they bargain with the producers for more money. The problem on a long running series like Benson is that over the years the ratings usually decline somewhat but the producers have to keep paying the actors playing the essential characters (Guillaume, Noble, Auberjonois and Swenson) the salaries they are accustomed too. If at some point the producers may deem a character to be non-essential. ( We're paying them more than we think their worth with the ratings the way they are.) Supporting actors like Conn and Phillips can be written off the series at that time.
	Last edited by blink; 02-05-2008 at 04:52 PM.

02-05-2008, 10:33 PM	#4
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	and they were both married
	__________________ Who Dat

02-05-2008, 10:28 PM	#3
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	Well I figured I'd ask since she does read up on celebrities a lot. Plus with Denise leaving, Pete would also have to leave so it makes sense in that way. But I am inclined to think it was a contractual issue also. I did really miss those two after they left. They added a lot of character and fun to the show that was missing in the really late episodes although there were still some good episodes without them.

02-07-2008, 12:58 PM	#6
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	you know I forgot that Pete came on befor Denise

02-08-2008, 03:47 PM	#8
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I would also not mine seeing Pete with Densie.

02-08-2008, 09:35 PM	#9
blink Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 17, 2004 Location: Texarkana AR. Posts: 950	Yes I agree, they probably did save money because they would've only paid Billie Bird SAG (Screen Actors Guild) minimum wage for her first season on Benson. On the other hand Missy Gold was being paid juvenile actor rate (usually half of what they pay adults in supporting roles). Plus if you noticed the last season her parts where cut back to usually one scene per episode, probably because she had started high school and was preparing for college. Thank god they didn't send Katie off to stay with her aunt or something.

02-09-2008, 01:31 AM	#10
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	I'm grateful some other little kid didn't get added to the show. ANnoying when that happens. I can just imagine the lame backstory: The Governor's long-lost brother's long-lost wife dies or disappears or something and hey, why doesn't the child come live at the Mansion? Happy times! Yuck. Katie was one of the few children I could stand in a series, although as she got older, I must admit she seemed to be given less and less screen-time. Be nice if it was for educational reasons rather than she had become "less cute" or whatever. Anyway, I really missed Pete and Denise when they left and didn't really get anything from Mrs. Cassidy coming in. SHe was just there for me. When she played Clayton's mom though, I thought she was excellent.

02-10-2008, 12:52 AM	#11
blink Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 17, 2004 Location: Texarkana AR. Posts: 950	I always wanted to think that the writers and producers really dropped the ball with Katie. In my opinion Benson was one of the best sitcoms ever made but the writers probably did one of the worst jobs ever dealing with a child becoming an adolescent. It's like when the series started they didn't realize that she was going to grow up some day. As a teenager Missy Gold was even cuter and given the opportunity she could still be a very good actress. However there could have been a more sinister reason for the writers and producers actions. I do recall reading a long time ago and I really hate to bring this up on the board, but there was some talk about the network becoming uneasy because of the way the series portrayed such a close relationship between a black man and a young white girl and they worried that it may turn off some viewers. Remember Benson first aired only 15 years after the civil rights act was passed. What a shame if that was the real reason for poor Katie's plight. It's sad that it takes so much time for change.

02-10-2008, 01:02 AM	#12
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	You guys make some interesting observations.....svt, I agree about not wanting some additional kid added to the series, but I don't think that would ever have happened, given the fact they already had one kid on the show they seemingly didn't know what to do with as she got older. I used to think Missy's acting got worse as she got older but then I realized 1) she was becoming a teenager so the writers & producers made her less "cute" and more like the teeny-bopper rebellious type. This detracted from her acting because now there were no more little girl crying scenes and no more "Benson playing the missing mother" scenes; and 2) she seemed to get less and less exposure and almost none of the episodes centered on her. She almost became invisible, which was a shame. Two other things: I always thought Katie's relationship with Benson was sweet; I don't think it was overdone or over the top. And finally, I wonder sometimes if the way Missy was treated towards the end of the series had anything to do with her decision to basically quit acting. Granted, she may have already found an interest in becoming a therapist but might not have pursued it so ardently had her acting prospects looked brighter. Thoughts?

02-10-2008, 02:46 AM	#13
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	I think they still could have had good scenes with her even if she had become a teenager. The one that sticks in my mind (though whether such things were getting rarer or just b/c it was so nicely done) was the one in "Katie’s Cousin" where she had just been grounded by her dad. Katie comes out of Benson's office and she and Benson have a follow-up talk. For some reason, it struck me as the last time that sort of closeness happened. And on a different train of thought... I was also thinking that Benson tended to interact better with females rather than men. To me, he seems more able to empathise, have more patience, and open up easier when with Marcy, Katie, Denise, etc. than with any of the guys. Or maybe it's part of the "guys don't do that" attitude, that he comes off more uncomfortable to me. I don't quite know how to put it.

02-10-2008, 06:05 PM	#14
blink Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 17, 2004 Location: Texarkana AR. Posts: 950	I totally agree that Benson and Katie's relationship was really sweet and I hated to bring up the part about ABC and their worries about it striking the wrong cord with some people but as I mentioned social change takes decades and like or not the story may have some merit. So far as Missy's decision to give up acting. I'll start with a quote from her sister Tracey's book "Room to Grow". Missy liked acting and she was having fun, but she always knew she wasn't going to stick with it for ever. Since she was little she wanted to be a doctor. The fact that she made obtaining a good education her priority over a career in the entertainment industry shows just how intelligent and mature she was at such a young age. After all no matter how successful one might be as a child actress the odds of making the transition from juvenile roles to adult ones aren't that great. And last but not least. In our celebrity crazed society there's still a lot of people like her who just don't care about being the center of attention and just want to live a normal productive life.