From Zoanne Clack, writer of "Break on Through"

Original Airdate 1/29/06

I think some of you may not know that it usually takes about eight days to film a one hour show.  And that’s just the filming.  The whole process includes writing, rewriting, notes (from the studio, network, consultants, each other)… and that all takes a couple of months. 

Here’s a glimpse into what it was like on the set during the shooting of my episode:

Day 1:  Strike line.  It wasn’t as I imagined but it worked.  They used a crane to get the overhead shots, which was cool.  I played Sudoku with producer-extraordinaire Rob Corn’s son, Ethan.  That night we had some drama while filming our drama:  a bomb threat!  We actually had to shut down a few scenes early.  We were able to use the hospital where we film on a weekday because it was also Veteran’s Day so the clinics were closed.  So, a bomb threat, at 11 o’clock at night, on Veteran’s Day, at a public facility.  No small thing, right?  It took like a gazillion years for anyone besides the hospital security/police to show up.  Apparently there were all sorts of players involved:  do they call police or sheriff?  County or city?  FBI or bomb squad?  When it was clear that we weren’t going to be able to do anything else for the night, they slowly let people start going home.  A bunch of people had to come back to pick up their stuff the next day (all the cameras and equipment had to be left inside!!).  All’s well that ends well, no bomb was found, but it didn’t help our schedule much. 

Day 2:  Kali Rocha was a great pick for Sydney!  She’s funnier on the set than I think it even comes off in person.  There was a great idea circulating around that she come back as one of Bailey’s best friends.  But Kali is off to shoot her own show I think.  Good luck Kali!  Awesome job!  Don’t worry, Bailey’s just on maternity leave.  She’ll be back.  Oh yes, the bar fight.  There wasn’t enuf dialogue so the actors ad-libbed portions.  Funny stuff.

Day 3:  There was a lot of stuff with Addison and Derek in the airstream that got cut out.  Boy, was it fun, good stuff.  Wish I could tell you what it was but we might use it for another show sometime down the line.  Hmmm…

Day 4:  Kind of a hodgepodge of a day.  Lots of different scenes filming today, none that were especially riveting to film. 

Day 5:  USA Today and KABC local news was on set today.  The local news was there to do a story on Linda Klein, our on-set medical advisor.  Excuse me, our awesome on set advisor.  She was very busy orchestrating the EXIT surgery on Cheyenne’s baby and the surgery on poor Claire “flesh-eating-bacteria”-lady’s leg, so in the meantime, they interviewed some of the cast and yours truly.  My interview was about being the doctor-writer.  The marketing for the interview (to be shown after the show that aired the following Sunday) said that they were highlighting the behind-the-scenes medicine so a lot of my friends and co-workers in the ER were looking for me to be on TV (and thank God I didn’t tell anyone I was going to be on!).  As it turned out, they used a few of the cast members and the fabulous Peter Horton but the piece was about what they had initially come there for: Linda Klein.  I think people might think I’m actually lying about being on the show (sure you’re a “writer”).  Ha!  Anyway, I didn’t get my name in USA Today either.  Blah blah blah.  Such is the fate of the behind-the-scenes people…  Oh, what was filmed today, you ask?  The OR scenes.  Real baby, fake baby switch.  Good acting, long day.

Day 6:  Usually we’re saying “poor George” but this time I have to say “poor Izzie.”  She just can’t catch a break.  First her modeling career was outted by Alex.  Then the “psychic” patient outted her psychic-loving, trailer park-living, cupcake-baking mom.  Now she’s outing herself—she’s got a daughter!!  Somewhere out there is a little Izzie.  Wonder if we’ll be seeing her…  I also must give kudos to Regine Nehy (Cheyenne) who’s making her first network TV performance as Cheyenne.  She did a great job playing off of Katie (Heigl).  Some beautiful scenes of Cheyenne and Izzie together.  Barely a dry eye in the house.  Katie was a little under the weather and trying to get home for the holidays but you’d never know it.

Day 7:  It’s Monday again, had to be there at 6:45 am.  Always a pleasure.  Fortunately my commute is about 7 minutes.  Yahoo!  Grace’s friends were a hoot!  Robin, the actress that plays Patricia, was amazed when she walked in and saw that she’d be working with some of her true childhood idols.  She grew up watching these ladies on TV.  Some of you who are old enough might remember June Lockhart as the mom on both “Lassie” and “Lost in Space.”  She was also in Petticoat Junction.  Betty Garrett was the neighbor in “All in the Family” and the girlfriend of Laverne’s father in “Laverne and Shirley” (Edna Babbit!).  Rae Allen is herself a Tony award winning actress.  We were in the halls of greatness, watching how they worked it.  They were pretty great.  Still on their game, working hard after all these years.  Then there was the moment in the linen closet where Ellen/Meredith left us speechless.  And there was Derek (“P. Demp” as I like to call him).  There’s really nothing to say except that it was definitely a moment.  I’d venture to say it was an incredible moment.  Especially if you’re a MerDer fan.

Day 8:  There was more with the seasoned actresses today, a lot of Grace dying.  Solemn.  Long day.  Donna, the actress that played Grace, was looking for direction on how to die because she had never done it before.  Good point, I thought.  Word on the set was that she’s 90 years old, but imdb.com says she’s 81.  Who’s lying here?  Or was it just a vicious rumor?  Oh these TV people… Grace’s story was based on a case I had.  In the ER, you have to make decisions quick.  Once they’re made, it’s hard to go against the Hippocratic Oath (first, do harm doesn’t sound right). 
Usually, just one crew does everything, but today they called in a second unit to shoot some of Burktina’s scenes on another stage while the first unit filmed more scenes with Grace.  Efficiency.

Day 9:  Ahh!  The last day!  Yay!  Days on set are long – I don’t see how the crew does it day in and day out but I commend them.  They do a fantastic job.  My 8 or 9 days on set is nothing compared to the hours they put in.  Today is the day before Thanksgiving and we all got a lobster and steak meal for company lunch, complete with a lot of fixins.  Yum!!  Today we got to meet the newlyweds doing it in the ER.  All kinds of talk about how they should be positioned.  The actor that played Wade would literally pick up the actress that played Claire and move her around as we talked about different, ahem, “positions.”  And they had just met 10 minutes before.  Oh, the life of an actor.  It was a good feeling on set today, everybody for the most part had good spirits, the holiday started the next day, and this was the end of a long episode. 

Good night, and good luck.

Comments

[Erin]

I just have to tell you that I typically save all GA episodes on my Tivo and will begrudgingly delete them if need be but I don't think I will give this episode up until I own it on DVD. It was just so beautifully written and the cast was just incredible. I cry everytime I watch the scene of Meredith prouncing time of death and her scene with McDreamy in the closet. I can't get over how in love McDreamy looks when he is with her, it is just so touching and seems so genuine. It is hard to express how much I enjoyed this episode, from your script, the acting and even the music. I am on iTunes as we speak trying to download one of the songs. Keep up the great work!

[Barri]

I just found this blog, but I have been a faithful (almost obsessed!) fan since the very first episode!! Grey's Anatomy has become my alltime favorite show, and I never miss it!! I wanted to thank you for begging ABC to replay the episode! I was one of the millions of fans who got home from a superbowl party to find that my dvr cut off after 30 minutes!! You must have heard me screaming from the couch in my den! (I know my husband did - and since it was 1am, he wasn't thrilled!!)

I also want to put in my plug for a Mer/Der reunion. I think it's time Der/Addison faced the fact that their marriage is never going to work out - maybe send a love interest for Addison so it will be less icky. But Mer and Der really belong together. I know people always say that putting happy couples together isn't great for tv, and you need the stress of the triangle. But I disagree. I have come to love these characters, and I truly care about them, and I hate seeing how unhappy Mer is!!

Also - I'm praying really hard that you didn't decide to kill off either Baily's baby or her husband. I don't think Baily could be the same character if this kind of tragedy happens to her - and Dr. Baily is the most amazing character to hit tv in a long time!!! Chandra Wilson is fabulous - total perfection in ever scene she's in!!

Keep up the great work - GA is awesome!!!

-Barri, your #1 fan!!

[shondafan]

Thank you for all of your hard work and creative genius that makes this show so wonderful. You are all brilliant and your fans love you all for it!

[Effie]

Just to let you know....that scene with Mer/Der in the closet was one if not the most poignant scene I have ever seen on TV. I absolutely loved it! If only for 2 minutes, I felt how it is to love and be loved! Thank you.

[Effie]

Just to let you know....that scene with Mer/Der in the closet was one if not the most poignant scene I have ever seen on TV. I absolutely loved it! If only for 2 minutes, I felt how it is to love and be loved! Thank you.

[Effie]

Just to let you know....that scene with Mer/Der in the closet was one if not the most poignant scene I have ever seen on TV. I absolutely loved it! If only for 2 minutes, I felt how it is to love and be loved! Thank you.

[Tracey]

I watched the Super Bowl episode again last night and I knew what was going to happen and yet I was still on the edge of my seat! I love this show!!!! Keep up the great work.

[Kristie Sayl]

I only watch two tv shows a week and this is my favorite of them. The most recent episode was good but I thought the part with meredith in bed saying the mcdreamy, mcwhatever line was "mccheesy"!!!!

[Linda P]

Come on guys, you have a fantastic show, well written and with it and you are emotionally manipulating your (very, I taped 4 hours that night to be sure I got YOUR show) viewers. I HATE that! Please play fair! No more cliff hangers until the next episode please. Thanx and Keep up the Great work! So much junk on tv, please do keep up the good work!!

[jess]

it was such a good episode i've never missed a greys anatomy in both seasons!! i love the show.

But meredith and derek really need to get back together, i love them together!! u'll be my hero when they face the facts that they still love each other, and derek doesn't like his wife as much as meredith!! mer/der need to soo get back together!! haha i love them!

[Isabel]

Ok, let me just say, I love Grey's Anatomy. It's a great show. I love the plot. I love the set. I love the McDreamy. And while I don't usually comment on the episodes, I feel I must say, OH MY FREAKING GOD!!! That was awesome! I mean, seriously, I know Shonda Rhimes is all insecure on her message, but, let me just say, not necessary. Shonda Rhimes, you are awesome, and I may be a little bit in love with you for this episode (...in the platonic way of course). But in all seriousness, the Superbowl episode was ridiculously awesome. I mean, the plot, the music, and, of course, the guest stars (Cristina Ricci was really good by the way, and the bomb squad man was really hot), they all add up to make one kickass episode! I really, really want to know what happens next. Oh, there is just so much anticipation. Anyway, I just wanted to say great job by everybody on the episode, and, to Shonda Rhimes, you are a god, or, at the very least, you exhibit many godlike qualities.

[Crystal]

This was so neat to read. I just found this site. I'll be coming back. I love to read behind the scene stuff!

Thanks :)

[saravan1@hotmail.com]

I used to have the show on while cleaning up the kitchen, etc...multi-tasking. You can't do that with this show. You have to WATCH IT! What a concept with the linen closet the the women helping their friend to pass over! I love these characters...like my kids and respect them enough to wish they were my docs. I feel ambivalence about Merideth and Derek...I want them to find love but they have such a capacity to hurt each other so deeply. I was praying they would not kiss in the closet...not now...I'm not ready! Much healing has to happen before I can believe in them again and I just can't bear to see Merideth hurt anymore. These people are absolutely REAL to me...and I'm not insane. That's what I call great writing and acting and all the stuff that goes into making a great TV show. BRAVO!

[Emma]

Loved the song that was playing at the end of this eppi. What's the name of it and the artist? Keep up the good work.

[Emma]

Is it possible that Christina Ricci.. would stay as a permanent character and be George's love interest?

[Kris]

After this episode 'yesturday' I wanted to shoot myself. Not because it wasn't completely awesome, as always, but with how it ended with George and Meredith... please oh please don't let them be together.....

[Cyndy]

Seriously? George/Mer? What possible motivation on Mer's part? Or George's? He is not the kind to take advantage; and Mer wasn't drunk-no tequila at the bar-she drank something clear with a lime in it. Don't say it was her father...that doesn't fly...Seriously? I think this addict is cured.

[Georgia]

As you know the show is awesome. We all love it and can't live without it. For a large group of us, Hurricane Katrina survivors, it is one of the things we use to escape this hell on earth(if only for an hour each week) we continue to experience 6 months after the storm. We watch from tents, FEMA trailers (not nearly as nice as Dr. McDreamy's trailer) and any other place we can. PLEASE, do us all a favor and let Der/Mer kiss and have some real passion. We need to feel the love here!!!! It will give us hope for our own lives!!

[Colette]

I did not see this episode becauase at this point I was not watching this show (stupid mistake on my part). However, I feel that I have to say something and that is:
KALI ROCHA? I LOVE this show.