When I started this blog, I had two specific goals in mind. The first was to create a powerful army of television-addled zombies who would attack NBC honcho Ben Silverman on command. The second was to be the only entertainment blog in the history of the world to never include the names of any drunken, crotch-flashing, fame-addicted starlets of questionable intelligence. I am firm in my belief that they’ll only go away when we stop paying attention to them. While I still have some work to do on that first goal, I’ve been doing pretty well on the second one.
Lately, though, my favorite shows have not been making it easy for me. All of a sudden, there appears to be a stunt-casting free-for-all, as shows frantically raid the gossip columns for their guest stars. Casting directors seem to be reading DUI reports and mental health evaluations as much as they’re checking out head shots and resumes. Sure, these, ahem, actresses may be uninsurable on the big screen, but apparently TV shows are willing to risk that they’ll make it through an episode or two. So far, How I Met Your Mother and Ugly Betty have been bitten by the stunt-casting bug, and I’m worried that, as network ratings continue to drop in this post-strike world, more dubious casting choices will be foisted on the poor, innocent viewer.
Here’s the thing: by and large, stunt-casting is a terrible idea. It’s not just that the stars lending their wattage to the small screen can’t act, although that can certainly be true. It’s that it easily changes the dynamic of the show, if only for an episode or two. After all, writers construct their plots around the regular characters, based on previous actions and their eventual vision for the series. It should be — and please forgive me for using this term — an organic process. Stunt-casting, however, completely derails that process. Suddenly, the writers have a star they have to write around. They must find a way to shoehorn them into the program, and the series is no longer about characters and stories. It becomes a vehicle for some star of questionable merit.
We saw this on HIMYM with a certain young mother from Louisiana, who could not a) act or b) believably portray an actual human, and yet every time she was on screen, there might as well have had a neon sign around her, announcing, “Look at me! I am not on drugs or flashing any sexual organs! Prepare for my comeback, America! Mwah ha ha!” Okay, perhaps I added that last bit, but the basic idea is sound. She brought nothing to the show and yet still managed to steal attention away from its genuinely talented stars. And, I fear, she’s returning next week.
What about Ugly Betty? At the very least, the famous redheaded recovering alcoholic they’ve hired has turned in a few strong performances in her career, though I’m pretty sure that bubble skirts were still in fashion the last time she made a decent film. Perhaps if she was playing a version of herself, as the show has done in the past, I wouldn’t even mind. Unfortunately, she’s been written as a fast food employee that interacts directly with the show’s titular heroine. In other words, she’ll be acting, and though it’s entirely possible that she’ll do a credible job, it’s also likely that she’ll dominate the screen, and not in a good way. If viewers are watching for signs of a relapse, can they possibly get lost in the actual show? It turns out that she’s signed on for a six episode arc, beginning with the upcoming season finale, so we’ll find out soon enough.
It’s not that I’m against giving these woman a second chance. Hell, I’d love to see them out of the gossip columns and back at work, but that’s not what’s happening here. In both cases, these are characters created specifically to inspire buzz and to bring in those all-important ratings, creative integrity be damned.
Sometimes, high-powered guest stars do work. I recently wrote a post full of examples, in fact. In all of those cases, however, it was show first, showcase second. The series integrated their guest stars into the recurring plots, rather than adapting to fit them. Perhaps if the current shows did the same, I’d even consider writing out the actors’ full names.
Nah, probably not.
Your turn. How do you feel about celebrity guest stars turning up on your favorite shows?
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I’m generally not a fan of guest stars, although occasionally it works. I think Ugly Betty has managed so far because so many of their guest stars are playing heightened versions of themselves, but then, the show itself is rather over the top, so maybe it can support the diva moment.
HIMYM, though, that was just sad.
The guest-starring She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on HIMYM made me sad. And angry. And sad. The show doesn’t need guest casting to be funny and watchable! Sigh.
I applaud you for not adding to the pathetic coverage of starlets who are famous for their ability to embarass themselves in public! I wish everyone else would do the same.
As for the stunt casting, I am torn… Part of me is apalled that any respectable show would allow their good name to be sullied by these trashy girls. But part of me also thinks that if these shows can use these girls to up their ratings at such a crucial time (renewal time), then good for them.