Co-Executive Producer Mark Wilding on "Straight to the Heart"

Original Airdate 1/8/06

First of all, don’t worry.  The fact that we did a clip show – or, if you will, a highlights show -- doesn’t mean we’ve run out of ideas for episodes.  The writing staff still has a whole TON of ideas.  Funny ideas, dramatic ideas…  trust me, we’ve got it covered.  So why do a clip show?  For a couple of reasons... 

First, with this kind of show – that’s to say, semi-serialized – the thinking is that a possible NEW VIEWER might not want to watch the show because they figure, why bother, I’m already so far behind I’ll never figure out what’s going on.  So this is ABC’s way of throwing them a lifeline -- a tool for helping the uninitiated catch up with just about everything in the show up until now.  I only watched a couple episodes of “Lost” last season but, encouraged by what I saw on their clip show, I decided to take the plunge this year.  And I’m glad I did.  It’s a great show and a helluva lot of fun.

Also, a clip show is a chance for current fans to catch up on stories they may have missed in the early going.  Like, say… my mom.  Who has watched just about every episode this season (after all, she’s my mom) but missed several from last season (when I wasn’t on the show).  This way she can finally get a detailed history of, as she put it, “who jumped into bed with who and why they’re not jumping into bed with them anymore.” 

Obviously, the show’s essentially a giant recap.  It’s definitely NOT an episode.  The first thing you notice is that we didn’t even do Ellen’s voiceover.  We had it be Joe the bartender.  Just like our potential new viewers, he’s an outsider looking in.  Also, we had to leave out whole story lines.  And that’s where our job got difficult.  How do you whittle down more than 20 hours of first rate television into a single hour?  In fact, that hour is really only 42 minutes if you count the commercials.  Some of the story lines that we needed to show were pretty obvious.  The love triangle with Meredith, Derek and Addison.  Cristina’s pregnancy and relationship with Burke.  Meredith’s complicated relationship with her mom.  George’s season long crush on Meredith.  Izzie and Alex butting heads in a “will they or won’t they have sex” dance…

The result is that we lost some great story lines – Joe the bartender’s standstill operation, Bailey enduring the early stages of her pregnancy, the Chief’s brain tumor.  But all in all, I think we came up with something that gives the casual viewer a pretty thorough primer on where we’ve been and where we’re going.  And if we pick up a few more “Grey’s Anatomy” fans along the way, so much the better.  Not to mention, if it helps get my mom up to speed, then her son really will have done his job. 

Comments

[Jess]

I LOVED that you used Joe the Bartender for this recap eppy! At first, I couldn't figure out who was speaking... then I was like, "It's JOE!"

Very clever!

Yeah, a recap doesn't fully show how fabulous this show is... but, it does get people up to speed. I hounded like 5 different people to watch it because they'd never watched... "I won't get it... there's too much going on."

3 out of the 5 actually watched and are planning to watch, again!

Plus, I had fun reliving moments that I hadn't seen in a while.

So, mission accomplished!

[Baylink - http://baylink.pitas.com]

I'm so glad, though, that you decided to put up a commentary for it... since I had a few things to say. :-}

First, I wasn't all that pleased with the fact that (if you were in fact a newly arriving viewer) *you couldn't TELL it was a clip show*.

At least, I couldn't tell, and I'm pretty wired in. Regular viewers had a pretty good hint, of course, but it wasn't them you were aiming it at. So, if you were a new viewer, ask yourself, what impression did this *give* you about the series?

On details, the only thing I *really* missed was Joe pitching into the scene where Meredith meets Addison. I don't recall what I thought the VO line should have been, but it was pretty obvious to me at the time.

[gafan4life]

Thank you so much for the recap, there were a couple of things that I had forgotten about. I have never missed a show, so it is alot to keep up up.

[Jill]

Excellent re-cap episode! I'm sure it drew in a ton of new fans and was still fun for us diehards to watch, too! It was great to use Joe as the narrator, and you picked the perfect clips to re-tell the story of Grey's Anatomy thus far.

I got my Grey's fix for the week... but I CAN'T wait until the next Sunday's new episode! Keep up the great work!

[Liz]

Good job with the clip show. I have to admit that as a LOYAL viewer that has NEVER missed an episode, I was dissapointed that we had to wait another week for a new episode, but if this recap show adds more people to the "Grey's Anatomy" family, then that is a good thing.

It was fun watching the recap show and seeing things I haven't seen in awhile and some things I had forgotten.

Thanks for all the hardwork and I'm really looking forward to "Begin the Begin" next week!

[Audrey]

The recap episode was great. I loved the fact that it wasn't just clippy, but a clip episode with a story line that allowed the clips to flow.

It was definitely refreshing to see things that happened in the past that I forgot about, but were really great. It was nice to see Derek and Meredith back in the heyday being the fun, flirty couple that they were.

This show provided me with a much needed fix after the hiatus. Fabulous previews into next week's show only leaves loyal viewers starving for more and hoping the week goes by quickly, while luring new viewers in.

Great job. Keep up the fantastic work. You truly know your viewers. Can't wait to see next week's episode.

[ceejayoz]

Just discovered this blog, I think it's spectacular that you guys are blogging! Very interesting to read, I'll be checking back frequently. :-)

The show is phenomenal. I'm torn between it and Battlestar Galactica as the best show on right now. Thanks for keeping me entertained!

[JJ]

The recap couldn't have come at a better time for me. I just got into the show about 2 episodes ago after hearing rave reviews from friends and after hearing about all the recognition from the globes and guilds. (congrats!) I'm so glad I don't have to wait until the dvd comes out to catch up on everything I missed. Now, I'll definitely be watching every week. I just have one critique. I probably haven't seen enough of the show to question this, but doesn't it fit more into the category of a comedy than a drama?

[Betty]

I have gotten so many people hooked on Greys -- that I should work on commission. Two new viewers who are co-workers were so excited after the recap. They are hooked.

The other half of the department had not seen Season 1 and were so surprised that Meredith and Derek had such a FUN relationship. That relationship has been missing ALL YEAR. Meredith & Derek just light up a screen.

I worked for a large university...a copy of the One Night Stand Episode made the rounds of the whole department converting so many people.

It actually became a department joke......

I will let you know how many people I have converted to Greys so at the end of the year you can put the check in the mail.

Great Job...Good Episode

I am glad you have found your way back to your roots..........

Now that I have Biology hooked, I will work on Chemistry

[Melanie]

granted... i was bummed about it not being a new episode yet, but loved that you used joe to narrate. can't wait until next week. :)

Great "whittling down" job! I was really impressed at the choice of a lot of the clips you used, which kept a lot of themes innate to the show intact and really showed retained the magic of the show, if you'll pardon the overused cliche. For example the "will they or won't they" scenes with Alex and Izzy basically occurred over two episodes. The clips kept in place the running theme of the exclamation "Seriously!" which wouldn't have the impact to the viewer after Izzy said it after Alex's barroom buss if you didn't remember Izzy's prior exasperated use of the word. This show brought home how much you writers pour into GA.
This was one highlight show that really packed a punch and served to remind us longtime (?) fans showcase to new viewers what a great complex intriguing show this is. I actually was gonna skip it, and halfway through the show I almost wish I'd been taping it.

[Sylvie]

I think the recap was great. I watch and LOVE LOVE LOVE the show and have been telling people to watch it so I was able to call friends and tell them to watch the recap to catch up on details I may have left out, awesome.

[Carol]

Just started watching the show in November, so I missed enough that there were gaps for me. I was glad to be able to 'catch up' which was the point of the show. Thanks for the clip show and keep up the great work. I'm a new, devoted fan.

[JoAnn]

I am really looking forward to a new episode! The recap show was a great idea...helps new viewers catch up plus it was good to see snipets of the old shows instead of seeing another re-run. Excellent idea! In any event, it is good to get your mom totally up-to-date. She'll always be the #1 fan of your work! Keep up the good work...we want this show to stay around. It is about the only show I look forward to watching all week long. It makes me smile! By the way...It's Alex' turn! Can't wait to see what is in store for him.

[Cecelia]

I LOVED the recap show. I'd watched a few episodes in the past, but the recap was wonderful! I set my TiVo to record the new episodes so I won't miss any thing else! Great job!

[GreysGal]

FABULOUS JOB GUYS!
Nice twist with Joe narrating, what a brilliant idea! I mean honestly who better?! Kudos for that decision! Watching the re-cap, was just enough to curb my GA-DT's :) I have been JONESIN' so I wont complain! I was just happy to laugh AGAIN at lines I already have "Make the sheep stop screaming"...."Because thats what Jesus would FREAKIN'DO" and cry "She doesnt want to be touched...and then Burke holding Christina like a child,(I was still bawling in the second commercial after that scene!) to Merideth pouring out her heart..."so pick me, choose me, love me...." priceless stuff!And lets not forget the obvious first time we see Christina almost cry..."you know this constitutes hugging" and Mers reaction...."shut up-Im your person" PRICELESS STUFF. The wonderful part is that I have already seen this stuff, and yet it STILL moves me, brilliant writing, brilliant editing, and brilliant casting, and last but NOT least brilliant acting. From an actress located in Florida who has spent years acting in indies, and Florida State Film school films, taking Meisner classes for years, (and basically would give my left arm to be an extra on this show), THANK YOU ALL for creating such a wonderful piece of work!
Kim Sadler

[Tracie]

Hey, this show is getting to be a good excuse for my friends to get together, drink a beer and share a pizza. I wasn't crazy about the recap episode, but am glad to see we'll be back in the habit with new stuff next week! Great show, thanks for all your work!

[Cassie]

Thanks! I loved that Joe did the voice over. And that part at the end about "sometimes you get what you want...sometimes you don't...and sometimes it's something in between" was a thinker. I'm dying to see next week! It's been too long since a new one was on-like a month!!! AHHH...

[Kimberly]

FABULOUS JOB GUYS!
Nice twist with Joe narrating, what a brilliant idea! I mean honestly who better?! Kudos for that decision! Watching the re-cap, was just enough to curb my GA-DT's :) I have been JONESIN' so I wont complain! I was just happy to laugh AGAIN at lines I already have "Make the sheep stop screaming"...."Because thats what Jesus would FREAKIN'DO" and cry "She doesnt want to be touched...and then Burke holding Christina like a child,(I was still bawling in the second commercial after that scene!) to Merideth pouring out her heart..."so pick me, choose me, love me...." priceless stuff!And lets not forget the obvious first time we see Christina almost cry..."you know this constitutes hugging" and Mers reaction...."shut up-Im your person" PRICELESS STUFF. The wonderful part is that I have already seen this stuff, and yet it STILL moves me, brilliant writing, brilliant editing, and brilliant casting, and last but NOT least brilliant acting. From an actress located in Florida who has spent years acting in indies, and Florida State Film school films, taking Meisner classes for years, (and basically would give my left arm to be an extra on this show), THANK YOU ALL for creating such a wonderful piece of work!
Kim Sadler

[Betsy]

The recap was excellent for me because I only started watching half way through the season. It was amazing to see some of the clips of the Mer/Der beginning. Amazing job!

[Susan]

As Meredith would say "What were you thinking?" Waiting for a new episode and you give us a recap! I truly did think you had run out of ideas and I was very disappointed by this choice!

[Spring]

Sorry... but I have to say this was a pretty pointless exercise in garnering ratings.

It was difficult to watch and disappointing... it took me a minutew to figure out what was going on and when I did, I sounded just like Izzie, shouting "Seriously?!" at my television.

There are much better ways to draw new viewers into your show... for instance, good writing and believable characters. Since you already have that in spades, then please, for the love of Joss, stick with what works. Don't bore your loyal viewers with an edited rerun.

So, seriously. Please don't do this again. Seriously.

[Ahh]

Normally, I'm not a big fan of clip shows, but I'm glad you did this one since I didn't start watching until the end of the first season. It was good to know how they got to where they are.

But, I still can't wait for next week.

[Bretta]

Great recap. It was good to get a glimpse into the first season, since I didn't start watching right from the beginning. Also, thank you for re-playing THE kiss between Alex and Izzie at Joe's bar. I could watch that scene again and again.

[Kodi]

I loved the recap episode. I'll take whatever I can get of Grey's. I like that Joe was the voiceover. I'm so excited about Sunday's new episode. Can't wait!