ABC: "Grey's" Spinning Off, Cherry Locked Down

These days, ABC is as white hot as it once was ice cold. Which is to say, pretty damn hot.

So we were at once both surprised that ABC was willing to gamble on a planned spin-off on "Grey's Anatomy" that will feature Kate Walsh (Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd) and not surprised that the network locked down "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry in a massive, eight-figure, four year deal with its in-house studio.

But resting on your laurels is the surest way to disaster: Just ask NBC, which is clawing its way back from a billion dollar loss of revenue after its prime-time ratings imploded two years ago.