Crossing Jordan: 2001-2007

It's over.

Kathy called me at 6:47 PM last night to tell me the news.  I was stuck in traffic on the 134.  I was on the phone with Moe.  We had just left the office less than an hour earlier.  "Well, we got the call.... we're canceled."

I think all I said was "okay."

I couldn't talk to anyone last night about it because the cast and crew had not been called yet.

Six years.  Wow.

I remember the day Momma Green called me to cast the show.  I remember walking onto the morgue set an hour later and I met everyone.  Everyone was so nice.  How long could this possibly last?

Six years.  I cast almost 100 episodes.  That's a lot of dead people.  Crew members came and went.

Skip Beaudine and Bruce Carter were the most amazing captains you could ever hope to have steering our boat.  In the long line of production managers I've worked with, they are the best.

When I left casting and decided I'm going to be a writer, I knew the only place I wanted to be was Building 5225.  I was on the short list to replace Tim Kring's assistant, but Kathy, Jon and Robert got to me first.  "So do you want to--" "YES!"  "You don't even know what we are offering you."  "I don't care.  I'll clean toilets."

My first day Jon, Robert and Kathy sat me down and said, "we're not exactly sure what it is you are supposed to do."  They were new to running the show.  They've never had an assistant in this position.

I sure didn't know what I was supposed to do.  It had been years since I had been an assistant to anyone.  And when I started to do certain things, I was told by someone in the office, "oh the PAs do that."  So I had no idea what I was supposed to do for the better part of the first month I was there.

My job eventually became setting schedules, dealing with the assistants to everyone else.  I chose when to interject my thoughts on casting.  "There is this chick from Silence of the Lambs.  Brooke Smith.  She's fantastic."

My job involved a little research, planning parties, making sure everyone is happy.

To be honest, I'm not sure what I did for the past year.  More than anything I just learned.  Everyday I learned something new.  And God love Jon and Robert, they tried to teach me tact... and I think by episode 17 it started to sink in.

Because of Jon, Robert and Kathy I learned about every aspect of production.  They listened to my notes on scripts and edits.  I got to sit in on post with Kathy.  Scottee, our post supervisor, taught me about ADR.

I guess I was the set cheerleader.  I tried to keep everyone happy.  I tried to be the positive one.  (I know many people will find this hard to believe.  I myself find it hard to believe.)

But I LOVED everyone I worked with.  "Jordan" was always my second family.  Even after I quit casting and was in a time of unemployment, the writers and producers, cast and crew still called, e-mailed, and invited me to hang out.

I guess I'm just numb right now.  For the better part of a month, I've had this feeling that we were going down for the count.   The network stopped promoting us.  The show went on for six years and the network needs newer hits.  From a production point of view, I get it.  I truly do.  There are so many factors that go into making a show.  I know for years I would watch a show and scream, "I can't believe they canceled that!" but there are factors of advertisers, marketing, demo scores... all of these things factor.

We had a great run.  IF we did get a season seven, things would have been very different.  Older shows have to cut their budgets.  So at least we get to go out with some grace.

I'm going to miss everyone.  I already do.  I'm sad.  I'm mourning the loss of the show, but I do know that something HUGE is around the corner for me.  HUGE.  MASSIVE.  I don't know what it is, but a really big f-ing door just closed.  So another big door is about to open.

And to all the fans of the show, thank you for being on the ride.  We appreciate it.

xoxo

-C