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Why was Jeri Ryan Blamed for the Demise of Boston Public?

posted 19 years ago by gregforttmags
24 replies | jump to latest

I do not understand why Jeri Ryan is far too often scapegoated for the decline of the series. Sure in some respects she was seen as a solid addition and she is still a very popular TV actress. But at the same time why do some people accuse her of "killing" the series, when looked at objectively this far from the case?

She is very attractive and a decent enough actress, yet she is unfairly maligned for "ruining" the show, when a more indepth review of Boston Public indicates that Jeri Ryan really had little or nothing to do with the declining quality of the series and all the problems associated with her all lead to the show runner, David E Kelly.

But I can understand why Jeri Ryan got so much undeserved flack; at the start of Season Two, Boston Public took a huge nose dive in terms of story and writing quality, the plotlines got too sensationalised and too "out there". I felt Jeri Ryan was sent in at the wrong place at the wrong time, plus I also thought she was badly miscasted and given a badly written character. And her addition was fanning the flames of disconetent since she had the impossible task of replacing Nicky Katt and her sudden casting also pushed aside a solid and popular cast member, Jessalyn Gilsig.

Then there even more absurd characters that were casted in the form of Kathy Baker (the Hook Lady) and Danny Hanson. It was just too many highly negative developments in Season Two, Jeri Ryan was seen as a problem and everything was stacked against her, which is a shame since she was a decent addition. But it's too bad that many Boston Public fans were waiting for Jeri Ryan to fail, since she was a new cast member so she would be first in line for all the criticism and heavy scrutiny.

[–] traptc 19 years ago

I think the problem was that as soon as she left Voyager, DEK was so eager to snatch her up that he didn't bother to think the decision completely through.

Jeri Ryan's character made no sense. A high class lawyer that gives it all up to teach kids? I don't buy it. Most of her storylines were terrible, and far-fetched. "I don't want you to pose nude, because I once posed nude!" "Here's a $2000 check, go help out your brother who doesn't exist!"

Worst of all, she made the show dissolve too much into the courtroom drama that DEK was used to, and unlike Guber, most of her cases sucked. For instance, defending kids who make money taping gang fights... because they watched too much TV? Suing Lipschitz? Lame.

Finally, I think the main question is... did DEK cast Jeri Ryan for the character of Ronnie Cooke, or did DEK create the character of Ronnie Cooke because he wanted to cast Jeri Ryan? Considering the ad campaigns and the gratuitous shower scenes that were associated with her character, I would have to say the second one. So yes, she did ruin the show.

[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

Finally, I think the main question is... did DEK cast Jeri Ryan for the character of Ronnie Cooke, or did DEK create the character of Ronnie Cooke because he wanted to cast Jeri Ryan? Considering the ad campaigns and the gratuitous shower scenes that were associated with her character, I would have to say the second one. So yes, she did ruin the show.

I think that she indirectly, rather than directly ruin, Boston Public. I thought Jeri Ryan was being rather naive here and was not aware of what a mysogenist dick David E Kelly is, so I don't think she had the character specially written for her, since any other attractive actress would be cast as Ronnie Cooke.

She signed up thinking she was joining the solid show she saw in Season One and not the ever growing farce the show was becoming by the time she arrived in Season Two with awful timing. She thought she was playing a meaningful character in an ensembled cast and not some stupid gimmick character cobbled together by David E Kelly.

I got the impression that David E Kelly had a perverse fixation with Jeri, which would explain why they put her in loads of tacky shower scenes when she was first introduced. I don't think Jeri Ryan ruined the show, since her Ronnie Cooke character still leads to David E Kelly.

Never the less, alot of people still liked her and were more willing to blame David E Kelly rather than see Jeri Ryan as a real problem. I think it's irrational to blame one actess for the downfall of a series that was already going down the crapper more or less before she was casted (it was certainly set in motion in Season One, when Kathy Baker's character was locked in the basement by her crazy son) and since when do a few cheesy shower scenes indicate that Jeri Ryan was ruining the show?

And the reason she was part of the promotional add campaign before the start of Season Two was because she was well known and was a major new cast member, so it's logical the PR would promte her. You made a few good points I agree with, traptc, but your final point seems a tad irrational if you blame her for the creation of the unbelievable Ronnie Cooke character and not David E Kelly who was much more directly responsible.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

The only reason Jeri Ryan is in a few shower scenes and is often dressed in an almost slutty fashion is because Jeri Ryan has both the fortune and misfortune of being absurdly sexy. Quite how that "ruins" a TV show I have no idea, Jeri Ryan did not cultivate the image that she has, the writers and producers did.

And I think it's hypocritical and obnoxious to single out just Jeri as eye candy, dozens of female students, Sharon Leal and even Jessalyn Gilsig were flouted by the show runners in a similar manner as eye candy.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

For instance, above, you trash Kathy Baker instead of Meredith Peters, the character. Peters may have been too much, but you can't (and probably dont mean to) blame Kathy Baker who is a great actress by just about everyone's standards...(it's especially interesting when you watch her scenes and think what DEK told her "you never know if she's lying or not.")

Oh, Kathy Baker, as an actress, was fine, but I disliked her character and I despised Meredith Peters when she turned into the Hook Lady. That's a text book example of a show "Jumping the Shark". Not that it was really Kathy Baker's fault.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

Posts that Allstoriesbeth2 deleated...

Why do I keep getting sucked into these discussions? LOL.

FYI, Kelley wasn't the showrunner in season 3, Jason Katims was. I blame him for the show sucking. (On a secondary level, I blame Kelley for leaving. Kelley returned in season 4 where you say the show got better.)

Actually, I liked Season 2& 3 better than Season 1 where the Harry-LAuren relationship was boring and there was way too much sex-with-students, real and imaginary. I mean, it was just an uneven show, and every season has it's value and the seasons one likes will always depend on what characters and actors one follow. I liked Guber and Harper and they had plenty of good moments in Seasons 2 & 3. Not at all liking the season 4 storylines with either, except, I guess it's okay Harper hooked up with Marilyn. And I totally like Hansen and Ronnie better than say, Milton (ICK!) and his ridiculous storyline.

But in answer to the ongoing question, I think one reason some people blame her is because they simply disagree with your opinion that she is a decent actress. Another reason might be they're blaming the actress but they really mean the character and just dont recall the name or care enough to differentiate. For instance, above, you trash Kathy Baker instead of Meredith Peters, the character. Peters may have been too much, but you can't (and probably dont mean to) blame Kathy Baker who is a great actress by just about everyone's standards...(it's especially interesting when you watch her scenes and think what DEK told her "you never know if she's lying or not.")

But as I often agree and then erase LOL, the worst thing about the show was the inconistent writing. Ive been watching S3 on WE Network and while there are some cool moments (Guber and his mom, Marilyn telling Harper she was abused-- who knew Sharon Leal could act!, Danny's realistic relationship with his niece and his flakey but likable girlfriend) the shows writers cannot sustain themselves. They did nothing of note with any of the characters or conflicts they set up. It's like watching people tread water some episodes. Also, they had continutiy and reality issues - and Im asking it to be too realistic- but the school was portrayed simultaneously as able to afford every expensive luxury program in the world (musical, tv station) while it was also broke and doing badly on tests. Whatever. They sucked. It's a shame. But it's also cancelled and I really need to let it go LOL.

yeah that's what Im saying - when some people say jeri ryan ruined the show (and I still dont know who all these people are youre talking about) they may just mean the character did.

We'll have to agree to disagree that Hooky was the shark jump, though. I think there were a lot of good episodes in S2, and some in S3. It kind of always recovered, I think, til it hit the point of no return when it started with all that contrived "school budget crises" stuff in the last four or five episodes. They just were so crappy and could have been really good., I dont think it went back to being good in S3. I havent seen S4 and I dont want to judging from some of the stories, not the school related ones, but all the personal stories. I guess for me it comes down to good and bad episodes.

I appreciate any guy who's willing to criticize mysogyny or even acknowledge its existence, but to say David Kelley had any special claim on it or special Hitchcock like facination with Ryan seems really weird to me. All he did with Ryan was what that Star Trek show and even Two & 1/2 men did, and that is use her partially as an object and partially as a real person. The trashy way he did the former was totally in keeping with how Fox runs many of its shows - its a young, male skewing network by design and that how they cater to their audience. It's so nasty. And actually, you see the same kind of crap on all the other networks, too. I find it hard to find a show these days without a "bikini babe" on it at least in passing. It's really annoying for those of us who arent male.

Anyhow, I disagree the kid in the basement was too much. I think since S1 Episode 1 with Cheryl Holts website, realism was clearly being sacrificed for farce in many subplots - and this wasnt farcial as much as creepy, like some of the murder plots in The Practice. I have more of a problem with how it played on with Jeremy who had like ten personalities.

as for being be ticked off, it's not just Ryan, but everyone who signed on thinking they'd work for DEK when in fact, they didnt exactly get his A game. I cant believe many of the people were glad with how their stories turned out. But you cant be totally hard on Kellet because he did create some great characters, he just tanked them in the end, as per usual.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

It was not Jeri Ryan's fault that Boston Public turned up the way it did in Season Three; Season Two was when the show "Jumped the Shark", but despite that it was nearly as good as Season One. I thought Boston Public was digging itself out of a hole in Season Four, but of course the morons then cancelled it.

People who claim Jeri Ryan "ruined" Boston Public are more often than not sociopathic and greasy f--k faces that used Jeri Ryan as a scapegoat.

[–] quildarener 19 years ago

I like Kathy Baker in (or out of) just about anything. A major MILF.

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[–] sevencrazydeflimproaches 19 years ago

Her character annoyed me.........dunno why. She just did.

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[–] scifin 19 years ago

I agree with the others above who blame the high-powered lawyer-turned-teacher aspects of her character, rather than Jeri's acting.

If any character deserves blame for the show's demise, it was the Danny Hanson character. That character just went in too many unfunny directions and got into too much trouble to have stayed emploed for as long as he did.

[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

I agree with the others above who blame the high-powered lawyer-turned-teacher aspects of her character, rather than Jeri's acting.

I though Jeri Ryan was Ok, in spite of David E. Kelly and the Ronnie Cooke character she played. But how come she got so much overblown flack, scifin?

If any character deserves blame for the show's demise, it was the Danny Hanson character. That character just went in too many unfunny directions and got into too much trouble to have stayed emploed for as long as he did.

I thought Michael Rapaport was not too bad, even though Danny Hanson got on my nerves on some occasions. And despite Danny Hanson's annoyances, I felt the Hook Lady and declining quality of the writing caused far more problems.

[–] scifin 19 years ago

I though Jeri Ryan was Ok, in spite of David E. Kelly and the Ronnie Cooke character she. But how come she got so much overblown flack, scifin?

The network promoted the heck out of everything she did that was remotely sexy in each episode. That made her a lightning rod for criticism, since she was the most visible character in the ensemble.

I think Jeri is a very intelligent woman with distracting physical features. The show promoted the latter, but her character was built on the former.

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[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

"Lightning rod for criticism", you mean scapegoating, scifin? I thought Jeri Ryan was used as a convenient scapegoat by malcontent Boston Public fans.

No matter what Jeri Ryan did, no matter what kind of performance she put in, she was subjected to bullying, hypocritical criticism by pi$$ed off people looking for someone to blame for the declining nature of the series.

[–] scifin 19 years ago

"Lightning rod for criticism", you mean scapegoating, scifin? I thought Jeri Ryan was used as a convenient scapegoat by malcontent Boston Public fans.

I'll go along with that. I wasn't on any TV message boards while the show aired in its first run, so I didn't really experience the extent of peoples' ire over Ms. Ryan.

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[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

Well you should see the ridiculous flack directed at Ms. Ryan at Jump the Shark (although that website is mostly crap anyway). Although Jeri attracted negative flack, most TV critics never saw her as problem and at worst they mostly saw her as a miscasted actress that had her talents misused, although there were exceptions, mainly that USA-Today block head Robert Bianco.

[–] agentpooper_rocksmyworld 19 years ago

No it wasn't her fault. She's really attractive and perhaps maybe because of that, they thought they could get their ratings up. So maybe that's why they shoved Ronnie in our faces by giving her a lot of storylines and screentime.

It looks like DEK lost interest. And I read somewhere that he had studied law prior to the business or something. He kept reverting to law instead of making this a show about teachers.

[–] gregforttmags 19 years ago

No it wasn't her fault. She's really attractive and perhaps maybe because of that, they thought they could get their ratings up. So maybe that's why they shoved Ronnie in our faces by giving her a lot of storylines and screentime.

Jeri Ryan became one of the most visible cast members in the series, taking up many of the sub-plots and she was overpromoted by Fox. Of course because of thise, her dtreactors accused her of turning Boston Public into the Jeri Ryan/Ronnie Cooke show, which is of course hypocritical nonsense since Boston Public still had a cast ensemble for the most part and Jeri (and Rapaport) were only filling in for Nicky Katt and Jessalyn Gilsig in the major casr shift.

And agentpooper rocksmyworld, could you remeber the hate generated agains Jeri Ryan on IMDb, when she was new to Boston Public?