Many fans and pundits alike have opined that in the past two years, Grey's Anatomy may have slipped a bit and lost its sense of balance.

With Season Five on the horizon, can it be recovered?

Grey's Anatomy became an instant and enormous hit because of its combination of several different elements into a wildly entertaining mixture: it was a medical show, a romantic soap opera and a comedy all at the same time.

What seemed to happen in Seasons Three and Four is that the show jettisoned everything except the romantic angst: comedic bits became harder to find, and the medical stories were limited to the occasional wacky patient.

Complaints about the writing on Grey's Anatomy became big news last month when one of its own stars, the outspoken Katherine Heigl, criticized the material her character, Izzie Stevens had been given over the past year.

She was ripped by critics and fans, but in some ways, Heigl was late to the party; fans of the show had been complaining long before she did.

Earlier this year, a petition was circulated to protest its transformation "from being something amazing to something we don't even recognize."

Grey's Anatomy is not alone in losing the fire. With so many shows starting out huge and then imploding, some critics are starting to worry that the very act of getting popular is the creative kiss of death in TV.

Continue reading this column about Grey's Anatomy by Jaime J. Weinman of MacLean's (Canada) by following the link here ...

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.