Just got a tip into TV Squad HQ; there is scuttlebutt that NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly is going to be fired sometime later this afternoon. Apparently, Reilly's failure to create a hit for NBC during his tenure is going to cost him his job.If you recall, Reilly programmed a number of expensive, lavishly-done pilots for this fall season, like Kidnapped, Friday Night Lights, and Studio 60, all of which are tanking in the ratings. That along with a history of tentative decision-making was his undoing. The announcement will be made this afternoon; expect to see it in the trades tomorrow.
(Update 11:49 ET: No announcement tonight, as our tipster told us would happen. We contacted NBC for a response to this rumor and they didn't confirm or deny it. Guess we'll just keep waiting.)
(Update 10/19 8:23 PM: Well, folks, looks like the rumor -- as with all the past rumors of Reilly's firing -- didn't pan out, since he spoke at a panel of network heads earlier today. Our tipster has been thrown into TVS HQ's moat. Let's hope said tipster can avoid the crocs and piranha...)












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-18-2006 @ 5:53PM
Josh said...
What about Deal Or No Deal, 1 vs. 100, and Heroes? Those are hits on NBC. Or did he not have much to do with those like he did with the ones you listed? Either way, it's disappointing. From the start I thought NBC had the best looking fall ineup. It's too bad they're still not getting good ratings.
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10-18-2006 @ 6:29PM
Bob Sassone said...
Reilly was the guy who fought for Heroes, as well as The Office and My Name Is Earl, according to LA Weekly.
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10-18-2006 @ 6:41PM
Karen said...
If that's true, Bob, then this firing makes no sense. He brought in three certifiable hits, something NBC hadn't seen in a while.
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10-18-2006 @ 6:49PM
Brett said...
That all depends on how you are defining hits Karen. I think much more telling is this weeks Top 20 list. NBC has fallen to only two shows in the top 20, in the 15th and 18th spots. And one of those is ER, which was around long before Reilly.
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10-18-2006 @ 7:04PM
Porchland said...
Karen, The Office and My Name Is Earl are not hits, certifiable or otherwise. They're great shows with not-so-great ratings.
They are, however, good shows. It's frustrating to see NBC put out a decent lineup of shows that nobody watches.
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10-18-2006 @ 7:14PM
joe said...
I think this is a false rumor.
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10-18-2006 @ 7:15PM
Marc Sorel said...
This rumor has been popping up every few months for almost a year now. I'm curious to see who else is reporting this (so far, no one, near as I can tell). I'm betting Kevin still has his job come tomorrow.
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10-18-2006 @ 7:28PM
Brent McKee said...
TV is all about what you've done for me today. The sick fact is that I like all three of the shows that he's allegedly being fired for. Then again he did pick up "20 Good Years" and is responsible for the massive shake up of the NBC line up after he found that "Studio 60" would be facing "Grey's Anatomy".
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10-18-2006 @ 7:31PM
RevJonathan said...
Well, as Studio 60 has taught us, no one cares about network presidents. Ironic, isn't it?
By the way I've never heard of a "Kind" Napping, spelling is funny.
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10-18-2006 @ 7:36PM
Daniel said...
Can something really be a "breaking rumor"? Particularly if it has, as several people noted, been rumored a dozen times in the past year?
So far, the trades have nothing on this and they wouldn't wait til tomorrow to get something up online. They'd get it up the second any reporter felt they had something credible confirmed.
So either this is a HECK of a scoop for you guys and you look like journalistic whizes, or else this is a HECK of a reckless rumor to run into print with if you actually want to be taken even vaguely seriously in the future.
I reckon we'll see in the next couple hours...
Dan
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10-18-2006 @ 7:37PM
Tom Patterson said...
Shouldn't Jeff Zucker be fired before Kevin Reilly? What is going on with NBC Universal where shows on their cable channels are developing good shows while NBC network can't get that kind of magic. SciFi, USA, and Bravo are raking in the shows.
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10-18-2006 @ 8:23PM
SJ said...
What NBC lacked during his time was a hit like Lost, Grey's Anatomy, DH or CSI something. Even crap like The Unit and Criminal Minds do extremely well in the ratings.
Heroes took a ratings hit this week and I have a feeling it'll keep dropping.
As for The Office, the show does really well among 18-49 year olds. Plus combine that with how well the show does on iTunes (and DVD I guess) I think it's a great show to keep.
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10-18-2006 @ 8:54PM
Sheila said...
If my theory is correct, it's all part of a big rebranding shakeup at NBC as it becomes the Reality and Gameshow Network. All Reality, All Game Shows, All The Time!
Kidnapped was shafted by having a lousy lead-in: The Biggest Loser.
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10-18-2006 @ 9:00PM
ALLISON said...
Kevin Reilly is a fall guy for Jeff Zucker's failures. What has Zucker ever done to run NBC/Universal? He's failed upward, while others get their heads chopped off.
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10-18-2006 @ 11:08PM
Daniel said...
Oh, so was this meant as a joke? Your posting on Defamer seems to indicate that.
Unless you're Andy Kaufman, jokes work best when they make people chuckle.
Otherwise, readers might start to wonder what percentage of other TV Squad stories are made up...
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10-18-2006 @ 11:12PM
Joel Keller said...
Defamer was making fun of our headline and the use of the words "TV Squad HQ". I was pointing out that those two things were meant as humor, that we're not taking ourselves seriously. It doesn't mean that we made up the story.
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10-18-2006 @ 11:22PM
Daniel. said...
But you can see where the confusion might be?
In any case, 8:15 PST. The trades and the LA Times seem clueless about this rumored bloodletting at the top of the NBC foodchain, keeping the "Brilliant Scoop or Crying Wolf?" game alive...
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10-18-2006 @ 11:39PM
J-Spot said...
NBC had the best new shows of any network this season. For whatever reason, people are just refusing to watch them. I can understand why Studio 60 is tanking, but people really should have checked out FNL, 30 Rock, and Kidnapped.
I guess next year we can kiss original series goodbye and welcome another hundred procedurals, since the top 20 is currently filled with them.
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10-18-2006 @ 11:43PM
tiffany said...
This should come as no surprise. The other day I actually read the headline "NBC Weighs Down Profit at GE" on the business section of the LA Times. Both NBC Universal film and television haven't been going well for the past year, something like this was bound to happen.
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10-19-2006 @ 1:44AM
Justin said...
Hope nothing comes of it. Would love to see some egg on your faces. "Breaking Rumor" indeed....
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