Was Michele Lee Right?

[MarkSinacori]

Yes, I would have done the same thing had that been me and my character was a big part of the show. She was the only one left of the original cast still on the show aside from Gary for the final season. The show was a lot about Karen, Sid, Val and Gary, then after Sid died, Mack. The rest of the characters not as much except maybe Greg. Karen was always there, never moved out of the Cul-De-Sac or her house. Gary left the house and the Cul-De-Sac for a while before returning back to it. Val also never left, but then she was gone in the last season.

 

[mrpitkin]

How much did she normally get paid per episode in earlier seasons?

 

[Julia's Gun]

$50, lunch and taxi home. Plus a free hairdo.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I don't know if she was right or not, but the show
was not going to continue, no matter how many episodes
she worked in the final season(s)
Karen was a strong character, and the show needed her, but
it was not the same as JR in Dallas, or the Fonz in Happy Days

 

[Soaplover]

Karen was the least layered of the original female characters past season 5. She also became insufferable and once Abby left in season 10.. no one was around to put her back in her place.

 

[Laura Avery-Sumner]

Karen was the least layered of the original female characters past season 5. She also became insufferable and once Abby left in season 10.. no one was around to put her back in her place.

I always say I liked Karen Fairgate but no so much Karen McKenzie. It also got to be that you knew that no matter what Karen was going through, she would be alright. Karen was at her most interesting when she was dealing with the fallout of Sid's death. It also made Richard a lot more interesting too.

 

[micmic]

I always say I liked Karen Fairgate but no so much Karen McKenzie. It also got to be that you knew that no matter what Karen was going through, she would be alright. Karen was at her most interesting when she was dealing with the fallout of Sid's death. It also made Richard a lot more interesting too.

Love it. So true.

 

[shaqattaq32]

Karen was the least layered of the original female characters past season 5. She also became insufferable and once Abby left in season 10.. no one was around to put her back in her place.

The writing for her was certainly lacking in some of the middle seasons, but I thought season 14 was a wonderful return to form for Karen -- strengths, flaws, and all.

 

[Stillwitty]

I got the sense that Lee thought it would be a source of pride that she appeared in every single episode, that since she'd already managed to keep up her streak through the thirteen seasons, it would be a shame for the streak to end when she was this close to completing it. One of my aunts completed her entire school career (back then, grades one through eleven) without missing a single day. It barely mattered to anyone else, but she often worked it into conversation as if it meant a lot to her. I'm guessing such an "honor" mattered to Lee more so than Ted Shackelford (the only other one who could approach "every episode" status by then). Lee obviously did not need the money, so agreeing to work at Union Scale (basically, the "minimum wage" for TV actors) was not too much of a loss financially. She likely got paid more "typical" dollars for the two episodes she directed in Season 14, too.

The ironic thing is that Karen's presence wasn't really needed in every single episode of season 14. I'm sure her salary agreement encouraged the writers to use Karen more, or to plug her into a scene where another actor might have originally been planned. When Karen left town with Meg "to visit Diana in New York," it was likely originally written as ML's "time out" period. Gary left to look for Val, Mack went to jail for a bit, and Claudia and Kate ran off to a spa in similar "time outs". But when ML offered to take Union Scale, it allowed them to "follow" Karen and Meg to New York and to actually see Diana on-screen. The show's storylines would not have been affected at all if ML's scenes with Claudia Lonow never happened. All they did was talk about Karen's tiff with Mack, and Diana ultimately told Karen what she already knew--that she needed to go back to KL and forgive Mack for his recent stupidity in the Mary Robeson fiasco.

So I checked and union scale in 1993 was about $1500/wk

 

[Seaviewer]

I wonder how much Claudia Lonow was paid. It's all very well to say that Michele's wage was already accounted for but Claudia's would have been extra.

 

[Svengali]

I wonder how much Claudia Lonow was paid. It's all very well to say that Michele's wage was already accounted for but Claudia's would have been extra.

she wasn't paid, they offered her unlimited acting lessons, but unfortunately she never showed up.

 

[Stillwitty]

Yes, it seemed "My Kingdom For a Horse" (ep. 341) was the most 'budget-minded' episode (to be kind), since it only featured Devane, Phillips, and (briefly) Lee. Noone, Galina, Shackelford, Sheridan, and Dobson are all excluded. It was the most obvious instance of an episode being run by the recurring players (in this case, Caccialanza, Waterman, and Gian).

It wasn't even much of a horse - looked more like a nag headed for the glue factory than a 15 million stud...

she wasn't paid, they offered her unlimited acting lessons, but unfortunately she never showed up.

Touche!

 

[Stillwitty]

Yes, it seemed "My Kingdom For a Horse" (ep. 341) was the most 'budget-minded' episode (to be kind), since it only featured Devane, Phillips, and (briefly) Lee. Noone, Galina, Shackelford, Sheridan, and Dobson are all excluded. It was the most obvious instance of an episode being run by the recurring players (in this case, Caccialanza, Waterman, and Gian).

And the one episode I'm most likely to skip over on a re-watch every time...

How much did she normally get paid per episode in earlier seasons?

One of the few shows that didn't release cast salaries, although the reason for non-renewal was said to be cost. Definitely curious what Cul-de-Sac salaries were...

 

[micmic]

So I checked and union scale in 1993 was about $1500/wkI don’t think they used her for more than a day for these episodes. She had like a minute scene with Claudia Lonow. Even on coke it shouldn’t require that many takes.

They probably used her for one day at most for these 1 minutes scenes with Claudia Lonow. Even on coke they shouldn’t require more than a few takes.

The $300 a day or $1500 a week wasn’t really the issue. That’s Craftie budget (or however you spell it). The big issue was cast salaries crossing the 6 figures mark. Knots wasn’t Friends or Seinfeld and let’s be honest the last 2 seasons really sucked (minus the ending which I personally liked).

 

[shaqattaq32]

And the one episode I'm most likely to skip over on a re-watch every time...

Really, not The Three Sisters or Letting Go (Season 13)?

All three are basically filler episodes.

 

[Stillwitty]

Really, not The Three Sisters or Letting Go (Season 13)?

All three are basically filler episodes.

But...But...Letting Go had Mary Lou Retton!!! LMAO

 

[Seaviewer]

Really, not The Three Sisters or Letting Go (Season 13)?

All three are basically filler episodes.

I wouldn't characterise Three Sisters as filler. Unusual, controversial, but definitely not filler.

 

[ClassyCo]

I'm terribly late to this discussion, but....

I suppose whether or not you find Michele Lee "right" in her assumption that KNOTS just wasn't KNOTS without Karen will rely on whether or not you like Karen and find her essential to the show and its storylines. I know Karen has her fans, and by extension so does Michele Lee, but as with any actor or character on a show, Karen also has her detractors. I can't remember where, maybe it was in one of these forums or perhaps on another one, but I specifically recall a fan writing about how they didn't like Karen at all. Their argument was she was too goody-goody, too nosy, and that her storylines seemed "fitted into" storylines already written. I can sort of see their argument, but then I can't at the same time.

I'll go on the record as a fan of Michele Lee and of Karen, but I can admit that I would've been perfectly fine had she missed some episodes along the way, especially in Season 14. Maybe I'm not as big of a fan as some, but the rotating cast method they used for budgetary reasons in the final season didn't really bother me. The show still flowed -- for the most part -- and I still felt like every story and character had adequate time. You can almost see how the writers go out of their way to make sure they include Karen in all nineteen episodes for the final season. Karen's side-plot of going to visit Diana wasn't necessary and it provided absolutely nothing other than a unwanted cameo from Claudia Lonow.

But, to each their own.

 

[Daniel Avery]

They probably originally wrote Karen's visit with Diana occurring off-camera (as ML's "non-appearing" episodes) but once ML offered to appear at the cut rate, they decided not to rewrite, but instead to just "follow Karen to New York" and have CL do a guest-star gig to make it meaningful.

 

[ClassyCo]

They probably originally wrote Karen's visit with Diana occurring off-camera (as ML's "non-appearing" episodes) but once ML offered to appear at the cut rate, they decided not to rewrite, but instead to just "follow Karen to New York" and have CL do a guest-star gig to make it meaningful.

I'm sure you're right about that. The writers and producers took advantage of Michele Lee agreeing to work for a reduced salary. But, as for me, I could've done without Diana coming back.