When Casting Announcements for One Show Ruin Enjoyment of Another

In a piece for the Columbus Dispatch, writer Molly Willow advocates a little discretion in casting announcements:

Notices of casting often spoil surprises Even before I sat down for the season finale of PRISON BREAK, I knew things wouldn't turn out well for agent Paul Kellerman.

Not in an "Oh, I totally saw that coming" way (we all knew Meredith wasn't going to die on GREY'S ANATOMY). I mean, I actually knew because the actor who plays Kellerman, Paul Adelstein, has a new job.

This isn't insider TV critic stuff; I read it in The Hollywood Reporter almost a month ago. (Speaking of Grey's, Kellerman's fate rested on some doctors on ABC; Adelstein's new job is in the planned Grey's spinoff.) Casting announcements are the same reason I doubt that the Fox comedy The War at Home will be renewed: Its star, Michael Rapaport, has been cast as the male lead of the new CBS fall comedy Fugly.

<...>

Although I like knowing which of my favorite actors will be appearing where announcements can take the surprise out of television.

Read the full article here.