Some folks might say that Jason Gedrick (pictured, with costar Sarah Wynter) is to network TV what Zippy Chippy is to horse racing: The dude just can’t seem to find the winner’s circle. Still, despite the fact that Gedrick is the veteran of seven short-lived series, there’s one difference between him and the 0 for 100 gelding: The actor, whose Windfall premieres on NBC tonight (our Gillian Flynn gives it a B), actually has talent (as anyone who’s seen his work in Boomtown or EZ Streets can attest).
Unfortunately, though, Gedrick’s lack of ratings success puts him in a group of actors known as ‘’show killers,” or as EW’s Josh Wolk more optimistically — and perhaps more fairly — refers to them, ”itinerant stars.” After all, formerly cursed thespians like George Clooney and Lauren Graham (anyone recall her brilliant but cancelled M.Y.O.B.?) managed to escape the club, and someday I’m hoping my favorite current member, the lovely and amusing Paula Marshall (late of Cupid, Out of Practice, Snoops, etc.), will do the same.
How about you, PopWatchers? If you could give one unlucky actor a winning ticket to a hit series, who would it be, and why?
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Bonnie Hunt deserves to have a hugely successful show that will run for years and years and years.
Gonna have to go with the PopWatch standard answer of “Anyone from Arrested Development.”
This is THE most retarded concept ever shown on the small screen. Can we please have a sitcom about a female public librarian dealing with dysfunctional customers, querky staffers, and her wisecracking family? I live it every day. Title:”Overdue”. It’s a sure fire hit.
MYG, I loved MYOB and Cupid (and thankfully, Lauren Graham and Jeremy Piven finally found their living shows in Gilmore Girls and Entourage). I think my next vote goes to Bonnie Hunt, Paget Brewster or Chris Gorham.
Carla Gugino (did I spell that right?) from Threshold, Karen Sisco and numerous other things.
She has so much appeal but doenst seem to have a show.
Whats up with that?
I am so suprised the article did not mention poor Chyler Leigh…she can’t seem to catch a break…”Reunion,” “That 80s Show”, “Girl’s Club”, “Safe Harbor”, and “The Practice” which was cancelled the season after she came on…poor girl!
Chris Gorham from “Popular”, “Out of Practice”, “Odyssey 5″, “Jake 2.0″ He’s a great actor and easy on the eyes. I would watch him in a show where he just mows the lawn.
I still curse CBS for cancelling EZ Streets; that was one of the best shows ever. According to IMDB, Bonnie’s doing another pilot. Fingers crossed!
Bonnie Hunt, definitely! I’ve always watched her shows and must be the only one who does because they always get cancelled! Paget Brewster is in “Huff” (one of the best shows on nowadays) on Showtime.
Jason Gedrick’s work in “Murder One” was friggin brilliant. The fact that they put it up against MAMMOTH ‘ER’ in it’s prime was the reason it was “D.O.A”, not Jason’s career. Seriously, if you all are in 24 withdrawl, order up the first season of Murder One and try and figure out who the killer is… I dare ya!
Caroline Dhavernas of “Wonderfalls”. I think she did an awesome job on that show, and I would love to see her in something else well-written.
I know this is so not the topic…
Can we get some love for Big Love on PopWatch? The finale was so heartbreaking.
Have you seen Paula Marshall on Veronica Mars? She’s only a guest star but hey it’s something. She must have stayed friends with Rob Thomas from the Cupid days.
Also, I also choose the entire AD cast. Still can’t believe the show was cancelled. Can you taste the sadness?
I came to write down Bonnie Hunt, she is so sensitive, she needs a one hour dramedy, cause she can make me cry and laugh at the same time… come on networks… take a chance on BONNIE.
Eric Balfour. He’s guest starred on Buffy, Six Feet Under, 24 and The O.C. But all his shows that he’s been on regularly have failed. Hawaii; Sex, Love and Secrets; Conviction. Also, Fearless, though that never made it on tv.
FYI, Gedrick will stay a show killer since Windfall is only a summer show, and then bye-bye. There are only 13 eps shot I believe, and there are not gonna be any more unless, by some miracle, there are insanely good ratings (which I doubt will happen).
First, Brett, the murderer’s identity on “Murder One” was SO out of left field. The way the writers/producers set it up either you or I could have been the killer. Second, Lisa, Eric Balfour needs to shave. He has the skeeziest facial hair with that pencil-thin moustache and soul patch; he looks like central casting’s idea of a drug dealer or porno actor. And third and finally, Michael Slezak, we must all acknowledge the patron saint of show killers, Ted McGinley, the man who is counted as one of the many factors when a show jumps the shark.
Top 5 people that deserve a hit show:
1. Bonnie Hunt
2. Carla Gugino
3. Jason Bateman
4. Anyone else from “Arrested Development”
5. Me (And why not? If an unfunny guy like Ray Romano can make millions off of an unfunny show, I think I deserve a shot).
Watched ‘Windfall’ tonight. Curious to check it out because EW gave it a ‘B’ and the concept of the show was mildly interesting. THIS SHOW STANK. I hope it gets cancelled. Bad acting, bad writing…LAME-O.
That is all.
Paula Marshall, Carla Gugino, and Christopher Gorham are all great and deserve good shows that last beyond a season.
I would say Tim Daly is due for another long-running series. For a while there, I thought he might have struck gold with “Eyes,” but ABC hasn’t had much luck with series that follow “Lost” on Wednesday nights.
Oh, no! I just realized that “The Nine,” Daly’s upcoming fall series on ABC, follows “Lost” on Wednesday nights!
Carla Gugino and Paula Marshall. I’d watch them sitting on a bench for an hour, and I’d have Bonnie Hunt write it.
Just realized that Carla is gonna have a recurring part on Entourage this year – hope she doesn’t put that on the slab (I’m sure she’ll be great, but that hasn’t helped on her last two shows).
Sorry Kary, but Bonnie’s pilot did not pick up (unless it’s still in contention for midseason, but it was not among the midseason entries already announced). I agree though — she needs a long-lasting role in a great series. I’ve been a fan of Jason Gedrick for a long time, though don’t think ‘Windfall’ is the show for him. I hope Greg Grunberg in ‘Heroes’ does well – sure he’s had success, but only in J.J. Abrams series, his other attempts haven’t made it.
The Bonnie Hunt show was a great program, and the cast was really together. However when you put a comedy show on a Friday, you might as well cancel it. Hope and Faith are the exception because the show was bad from the get go. ABC’s TGIF is not the same as it was in the 90’s. Now it’s “There Goes Its Failure”.
Ah, Bonnie Hunt, who doens’t love her? She definitely deserves a great series, a hit series. Another person I would say that I would watch anything in is Sara Rue from “Less Than Perfect.” Although the show sometimes has its slumps in quality, just watching Rue is pratically worth it.
Bonnie Hunt, Sarah Rue and Carla Guiglioni are all worthy of having their own (commercially successful) shows. I’d also love to see Nicole Parker, Deborah Wilson and Will Sasso (all formerly of MadTV) get their own sitcoms. Poor Deborah is stuck doing Sierra Mist commercials, Nicole’s killed 2 sitcoms and Will killed one.
Well it was Jeremy Piven, but he’s safely set on Entourage, so now it’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan. After numerous guest roles and three notable guest turns on three hit series — Gray’s Anatomy, Supernatural and Weeds — Morgan deserves to be part of the regular cast of a hit show, IMO.
I guess sometimes, it’s just luck. Unfortunately, fame and recognition isn’t always synonymous with talent.
I mean, Lauren Graham is as talented (if not more talented) than those big sitcom stars who earn fat(ter) paychecks. Though she has found her nitche, I still think that she’s underrated.
P.S. Bonnie Hunt rocks!
Word association – Jason Gedrick is to TV shows what Robert Davi is to films. Still, he is a pretty good actor.