I feel like knowing how guest star contracts work ruins a lot of TV

Submitted by xe36x t3_123zayu in television

"I like this character! They're so much fun! I can't wait to see their story and how it plays out"

"Oh, but they're not a main cast member..."

"And it's a 20 episode season..."

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It's just too predictable and often even nonsensical

You're a love interest and you're not a main cast member? 90% of the time you're doomed to fail.

You're a villain who's a major part of the story? You should be around in nearly every episode then? Too bad. You don't get to be in all the episodes.

Etc.

You're a good friend who should be around for the important events in your friends' lives? Well sucks to be you, because you can't exist onscreen for all those episodes.

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Anyone else feel this way?

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WeDriftEternal t1_jdx1gc1 wrote

No

Sometimes a person comes into your life or circle for a brief time and then goes in another direction. As is life. If anything this is a very real portrayal

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BoringAccount4Work t1_jdx6mbh wrote

There's also times where guest stars becoming cast members like Summer in The O.C or Amy and Bernadette in Big Bang Theory. If we get away from love interests and go with just friendships, the Arrowverse had a habit of never getting rid of most of their season long guest stars.

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ed_lv t1_jdx8k2o wrote

Dr Frasier Crane on Cheers was supposed to around for just a few episodes as Diane's love interest.

He was so liked that his role was expanded leading to one of the best TV characters ever, who appeared as Dr. Frasier Crane on 3 different shows.

Many guest starts make shows better, and I don't think they ruin the TV at all.

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yodimboi t1_jdxir1v wrote

What I don’t understand is why they announce whether someone is a guest star or series regular

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listyraesder t1_jdymi4k wrote

Union rules. Regular, recurring and guests are entitled to different guild minimums and credit levels.

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theyusedthelamppost t1_jdx2acf wrote

it's unfortunate spoiler material but it doesn't ruin it.

when a book is adapted into a series, it generally preserves most of the major plot points. Is it "ruined" by being an adaptation? No, because most of the audience hasn't read the source material. That's even more true in the case of cast lists, because even fewer fans would bother to dig out that info.

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xantub t1_jdxcdxw wrote

To me it's the opposite, knowing actors usually work for the whole season means they have "plot armor", i.e. they won't die until maybe the last episode of the season, so if it seems like something dangerous is going to happen, or if they get shot or something, I know the next scene is probably them in the hospital at worst. I hate plot armor.

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meowskywalker t1_jdxk3xp wrote

I love when a guest star character comes back a season or two later, so the main cast has to be like “hey, remember that person we’ve never mentioned again since the moment their episode ended, we talk about them all the time off screen, right? They’re good friends with us” and you’re like “gee I wonder who’s guest starring this week?”

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Delicious-Tachyons t1_jdxludh wrote

> You're a love interest and you're not a main cast member? 90% of the time you're doomed to fail.

Every TNG or DS9 episode with a guest star the someone falls hopelessly in love with (with one exception) it's like they get to the episode and "well it was fun later"

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dantemanjones t1_je3gbbp wrote

Urkel wasn't in the first 3 episodes of Family Matters and missed 3 of the next 6.

Topanga missed the first 3 episodes of Boy Meets World and 6 of the first 7. She wasn't supposed to be a regular and the actress who was originally cast was replaced shortly before it was shot.

The Janitor from Scrubs, Castiel in Supernatural, Gunther from Friends, Andy from The Office, and Andy from Parks & Rec are other examples. Maybe they won't be back immediately but there are lots of examples of guest cast becoming supporting or regular cast.

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VemberK t1_je5qj3i wrote

Berta from Two and a Half Men was only supposed to be in one episode. Ended up being a regular in all 12 seasons.

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