I can't understand how the job is 10 months/year and 15 hrs/day when it is broadcast so infrequently. When I was growing up, new shows were on from Sept til May and from June through Aug we had to sit thru reruns. Seems each "season" was 20 - 24 weeks long (if not longer). Then suddenly, the seasons got to be 18 weeks and less. Some shows are so short, they have 8 weeks/season and after three years, they celebrate a 10 season run.

I heard that Patrick Dempsey was difficult to work with and the powers-that-be got tired of the controversy all the time.