It's rare that they pull it off. Lost? Unlikely they'll gang up. ER - same deal, because certain actors were making more than others. Also they proved that they could exchange the entire cast. The cast of Firefly for instance probably couldn't have done it. And CSI? It didn't work.
More likely the lead can up his salary. And when he/she does it can hurt the supporting players potential for raises. It was one of the problems on Buffy.
Overall? If I were creating a TV series or were buying one? I'd go with ensemble. They work better for a much longer period of time. ER, Hill Street Blues, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue, La Law, Law & Order, CSI, and St. Elsewhere are just a few examples. It's just harder to maintain a one or two person series for a long period of time, cost wise and creatively.
Re: Seven reasons for ensemble cast
More likely the lead can up his salary. And when he/she does it can hurt the supporting players potential for raises. It was one of the problems on Buffy.
Overall? If I were creating a TV series or were buying one? I'd go with ensemble. They work better for a much longer period of time. ER, Hill Street Blues, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue, La Law, Law & Order, CSI, and St. Elsewhere are just a few examples.
It's just harder to maintain a one or two person series for a long period of time, cost wise and creatively.