Dark Days for Grey's?

With the best, most popular show on TV one would assume there would be a lot of newly formed egoes on set just salivating for bigger scenes and bigger paychecks. Apparently, we've arrived, Popsters. One of my fave characters (although she's been really whiny lately -- perhaps that is her real life invading her on-screen persona?), Izzie iz lookin' for her just desserts. As reported on E! Online (not the most reliable but still a fun read, darlings):

Series star Katherine Heigl has bowed out of contract negotiations after reaching a stalemate with producers over a salary dispute. Sources told E! Online TV columnist Kristin Veitch that Heigl is angling for a salary bump that would put her on par with the show's other female stars, namely Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh, both of whom were better known before the ABC hit launched.

Heigl apparently feels that she has become an integral part of the show and her star is on the rise. According to sources, Heigl's camp believes that, come the June release of her Judd Apatow comedy, Knocked Up, Heigl will be one hot commodity. (Think Steve Carell post-The 40-Year-Old Virgin.)

While neither producer Touchstone Television nor Heigl has commented on the contractual posturing, ABC confirmed to E! News that, dispute or not, rising star or not, Heigl isn't going anywhere. She's currently signed for three more years, through the show's sixth season.
"Katherine is an integral part of Grey's Anatomy and its success," ABC said in a statement. "Fortunately, we have a long term contract to ensure she'll be with the show for several years to come."

"In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract. We were surprised to see this gesture reported negatively in the press, and want to reassure fans that she will continue as Izzie Stevens."

Last June, Touchstone rewarded each of the Grey's Anatomy principal cast members with a cool $200,000 one-time bonus for a time slot well done.

At the time, it was reported that the bonuses were an attempt to head off actors' requests for bigger paydays down the line. Apparently the powers that be wanted to avoid the inevitable salary battles that occur when relatively unknown stars are catapulted to fame via a monster hit show and try to renegotiate their original deals (see: Friends, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond).

Last week, Touchstone confirmed (and you heard it here first on TTGP, kiddies!!) that Kate Walsh, who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd on the series, could be departing for the show's first spinoff. A two-hour special episode of Grey's Anatomy, set to air during May sweeps, will act as the de facto pilot for the new, as yet untitled series, allowing ABC time to decide whether or not to pick up the show for its fall season. It's unlikely that any other regular cast members will join the new show, though Taye Diggs (yummy times hundred!) and Hector Elizondo have signed on to appear in the pilot.

So, izzie she worth it? Don't forget others have gone for the big payday and have lost, so make sure you're not negotiating yourself into cardiac arrest, my darling Katherine.