It's no secret that being on TV can be a very well-paying gig, but do you know just how much some of your favorite actors are making?

Forbes has released its annual list of the Top 10 highest paid actors on TV and the usual suspects -- Charlie Sheen, Hugh Laurie, Ray Romano -- are still present. However, some of these actors have already left their TV homes, and others might not have shows to pay them after this year.

Sheen's off 'Two and a Half Men' and production on his new sitcom has yet to begin, Romano's 'Men of a Certain Age' was canceled and it's looking like this could possibly be the last seasons for 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'House.'

Now in its eighth season, 'Grey's Anatomy' seems like the Shonda Rhimes engine that could, but have fans had enough of the drama at Seattle Grace?

Last night's ratings were the series' lowest ever, with 8.5 million viewers and a 3.0 rating, down 17 percent, leaving the show in third place for the hour behind 'Person of Interest' on CBS and Fox's 'The X Factor.'

So what gives? Is it just general fatigue, or are there certain storylines that fans aren't on board with? Was this a fluke, or a sign of the end? And can we just keep blaming it all on that musical episode?

With speculation about cast departures still in the air (Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo have both waffled about whether or not they'll return after this season), it's possible that fans are giving up on the show before their favorite stars do. But it's also just as likely the the MerDer relationship has just gone back and forth one too many times.

So I took to Twitter to hear the reasons straight from 'Grey's' fans ...

It seems as though behind-the-scenes contract wrangling is continuing to dog ABC medical drama 'Grey's Anatomy.'

Earlier this summer Patrick Dempsey seemed confused as to whether McDreamy's coming or going, and now Ellen Pompeo says she could be persuaded to stay on after the upcoming season 8.

Pompeo told TV Guide that she's open to the idea of continuing to play Meredith, but that her contract will soon expire and no one's actually asked her to stay on. "I would love the opportunity to discuss it," she says.

"I would never turn up my nose at 'Grey's.' ... If I hear from the fans that they want us to keep going, then I would continue because we owe them everything."

Patrick Dempsey was apparently new to the Michael Bay experience when he started working on 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.' He told David Letterman on 'Late Show' (Weeknights, 11:35PM ET on CBS) that he was given pointers by Shia LaBeouf on how to avoid getting yelled at by the director.

"Shia told me never get in his eyeline, always stay behind him," Dempsey said. "So I always put my chair right behind his, so I could see what he was up to and be one step ahead of him."

This worked out pretty well, until one day Dempsey rounded a corner after lunch and got right into Bay's eyeline. "He went off on me for a few minutes," Dempsey admitted, before quickly qualifying his statements by adding, "it's not a bad thing."

The OR can be a stressful place for Dr. Derek Shepherd, given his stormy relationship with Meredith Grey on 'Grey's Anatomy.' It's also stressful for Patrick Dempsey, who plays Shepherd. Dempsey said Monday on 'Live With Regis and Kelly' (weekdays, syndicated) that the change of scenery while shooting 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' provided a nice stress release from the day-to-day grind of 'Grey's.'

Dempsey appeared glad that 'Grey's Anatomy' will be coming back for an eighth season, but shed light on some of the job's challenges. "It's very intense because the hours are long and there's so much drama going on each week -- we're together, we're not together, what's happening?" For 'Transformers,' Dempsey got to get outside and play action hero on-set in Chicago, where he said ten city blocks were shut down for filming. "It was a complete rush," he said. "It was a lot of fun."

Reports of McDreamy's demise may have been premature. Yesterday we reported that Patrick Dempsey said he's leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' at the end of the upcoming Season 8.

Now it seems that he may have to put away those golf clubs and get out the stethoscope again. According to E! Online, McDreamy misspoke. Kind of.

His rep. told E! News that when Dempsey told Italian 'Vanity Fair' that "It's gonna be my last. ... For me it's done," what he really meant was: "He was referring to the fact that his contract is up at the end of next season and we have no idea what the future holds."

So that's all cleared up then. Several members of the 'Grey's' cast -- including Ellen Pompeo -- have contracts expiring at the end of Season 8 and right now it's all up in the air. It's possible that there could be a mass exodus, but it's also possible that some of them will be renewed.

Patrick Dempsey is hanging up his scrubs. Yep, McDreamy is leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' after this coming season.

Dempsey spilled the beans to Italian Vogue, according to TVLine.

"It's gonna be my last," Dempsey said. "I do not know what's going to happen to the other characters, but for me it's done."

Dempsey's deal is up at the end of Season 8, as is Ellen Pompeo's. Both Dempsey and Pompeo have been with the series since the start. Pompeo has also gone on record saying she's probably not going to renew her contract.

['Grey's Anatomy' - 'Superfreak']

'Grey's Anatomy' may be making strides toward improving, but this episode was imbalanced. The last five minutes had everything you needed to watch: Derek tried to heal any animosity with Amelia (his sister from 'Private Practice'), April called out Alex, Jackson, Meredith and Lexie on their problems, Mark slept with Amelia to the horror of Lexie, and Callie and Arizona found an interesting way to tell Cristina to move out.

The patients are traditionally the theme of the episode and there wasn't anything strong about the two we met this week. One swallowed a condom and the other had monstrous warts growing out of him. All we got from the characters was that they paralleled April being a virgin and Mark needing to move on.

Ellen DeGeneres is a big fan of frightening her guests. Her favorite technique is to sit a celebrity down in a chair, then have someone dressed up as an enormous creepy animal sneak up behind them. Hilarity then ensues. But no celeb has ever been scared twice by Ellen. Well ... until today.

'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo was the guest on 'Ellen' (weekdays, syndicated). During her previous appearance on the show, DeGeneres freaked the actress out by having a "giant panda dressed as a doctor" come up and shout "Boo!" at her. But could she be surprised again? Nah. Pompeo couldn't be that gullible, right? Let's find out!

We all know that 'Grey's Anatomy' star Patrick Dempsey has the ability to make women swoon. But if your heart isn't aflutter for "Dr. McDreamy" already, then maybe the latest episode of 'Ellen' (weekdays, syndicated) will change your mind. While talking to host Ellen DeGeneres, Dempsey reveals one of his little hobbies -- rescuing abandoned animals. Aw!

Yes, just recently, Patrick and his family have adopted a kitten (cute!), two adorable puppies (even cuter!), and a 82-pound turtle (okay, that's somewhat less cute).

Usually, Patrick "Dr. McDreamy" Dempsey stays away from all real-life medical practice, he said on 'The Tonight Show' (weeknights, 11:35PM ET on NBC). On planes, when a request is made for a doc, other passengers look at him with expressions of 'Is he gonna get up?' and "you pray to God someone else is there, and usually it's the [real] doctor next to you."

But there have been occasions when he's used medical knowledge learned on the show in his daily life. For example, his daughter cut her chin open while the family was in a small Texas town. At the hospital, Dempsey noticed that the doctor about to stitch her up had slightly shaky hands.

There's a man with a gun on 'Grey's Anatomy' (Thu., 9PM ET on ABC). Could this be the end for some of the characters on the show?

[Spoiler alert.]

Dr. Derek Shepherd's savior complex caught up with him once again on 'Grey's Anatomy' (Thu., 9PM ET on ABC). Coming face to face with a former patient's husband in a wrongful death deposition, the neurosurgeon had to humbly admit that while he's fixed so many brains, he can't save everyone.

Sometimes his swift decisions are the difference between life and death. "How long did it take you to decide to recommend that she should die?" asked the lawyer. "Less than a minute," responded Shepherd.

"Allison and I were married for 32 years," said the plaintiff. "I loved her for more than half my life, and you decide to kill her in less than a minute." Ouch. Another apology from McDreamy just wasn't good enough.

With the sixth season of 'Desperate Housewives' winding down, how much longer can the series stay on the air? Depends on the players and how long ABC can get them to stick around.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the network would like another two seasons. Creator Marc Cherry has spoken of a nine-season run. But the core cast - Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, and Eva Longoria Parker - are contracted for only one more season, and so far, says Deadline, there's been little negotiation between the network and the stars about an eighth season.

Ooh, remember when Derek Shepherd was just another hot doctor at Seattle Grace, making eyes at a certain intern and going about his neurological business?

Now he's the big, bad chief who has to make the hard decisions, whether it's ordering a patient to abide by his wishes or telling the former chief that he'll do that surgery, gosh darnit, and Bailey will assist.

It's ok, though. We know that underneath that snarly business persona beats the heart of a hot doc with great hair on 'Grey's Anatomy' (Thu., 9PM ET on ABC).

Watch the video after the jump.