▁be ▁gay . ▁At ▁least ▁not ▁on ▁network ▁TV . ▁Some ▁ground , ▁it ▁would ▁appear , ▁is ▁too ▁calc ified ▁to ▁be ▁broken ." ▁After ▁Ellen ' s ▁Dor othy ▁Sn ark er ▁was ▁similarly ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁decision , ▁explaining ▁that : ▁" Smith ' s ▁dismiss al ▁means ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁American ▁broadcast ▁TV ' s ▁only ▁les bian / bis ex ual ▁couple ▁in ▁prim etime . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁significant ▁gay ▁relationship ▁port rayed ▁on ▁the ▁hit ▁ABC ▁series . ▁The ▁hand ful ▁of ▁remaining ▁les bian / bis ex ual ▁relationships ▁on ▁TV ▁are ▁on ▁cable , ▁prem ium ▁channels ▁and ▁day time ▁television ." ▁Det ail ing ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁also ▁change ▁a ▁new ▁character ' s ▁orientation ▁from ▁bis ex ual ▁to ▁heter osex ual , ▁Sn ark er ▁added : ▁" B es ides ▁striking ▁a ▁serious ▁blow ▁for ▁que er ▁women ' s ▁visibility ▁on ▁the ▁small ▁screen , ▁the ▁moves ▁seem ▁to ▁signal ▁a ▁significant ▁set back ▁in ▁the ▁industry ' s ▁accept ance ▁of ▁main stream ▁gay ▁and ▁les bian ▁story lines ." ▁She ▁concluded ▁that : ▁" Wh ile ▁Call ie ▁had ▁fle eting ▁moments ▁of ▁gay ▁pan ic ▁where ▁she ▁sle pt ▁with ▁friend ▁and ▁fellow ▁sur geon ▁Mark ▁Slo an ▁( Er ic ▁D ane ), ▁the ▁interaction ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁women ▁was ▁both ▁organ ic ▁and ▁rom antic . ▁Call ie ▁and ▁Er ica ' s ▁relationship ▁stood ▁out ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁bright