Fox Entertainment Pres. Kevin Reilly Steps Down - 11 Questionable Things He's Done

[JamesG]

Kevin Reilly's 11 Questionable Choices at Fox
5/30/14
by Lesley Goldberg, Michael O'Connell


Fox broadcasting's top executive will exit in June after nine years at the network. The Hollywood Reporter looks back at 11 questionable decisions he has made for the network.







1. "Glee's" Two-Season Renewal

The musical received a rare two-season renewal during its fourth run. At the time, the series was down only slightly year-over-year as the Ryan Murphy dramedy started to shift its focus between its Ohio high school setting and New York, a daunting split-location challenge that ultimately resulted in a complete shift in season five to New York.

Following the death of star Cory Monteith, season five was trimmed and "Glee's" ratings plummeted to multiple series lows in the key adults 18-49 demographic.

The show is the lowest-rated broadcast series returning to the schedule in 2014-15, and may see its 22-episode season reduced after being held for a midseason bow.









2. Saying "Yes" to Seth

Seth MacFarlane, long the golden boy at Fox, has seen his profile bruised by several high-profile failures. After Fox quietly snuffed out "Family Guy" spinoff "The Cleveland Show", rights to toon "American Dad!" soon shifted over to TBS.

"Dads", the most controversial new series of the last season, was largely viewed as a make-good for the showrunner who wanted to get a live-action show on the network. Critics hated it, viewers were tepid and it didn't last.

Now MacFarlane's four series on the network shrink to only two, including rookie animated entry "Bordertown", which remains unscheduled.









3. Not Making Stronger Plays on Friday

Friday has become a bragging point for the Big Four. Once a death slot, it now thrives, in one way or another, on ABC, NBC and CBS. Fox remains the lone exception.

Although 8 p.m. still often houses successes -- "MasterChef Junior", a brief run of "Bones" -- it's still a burial ground for flat-lining projects (Rake).

And 9 p.m. proved to be a non-vote of confidence for comedy this season, where "Enlisted" and "Raising Hope" made quiet exits.









4. RIP, Pilot Season

Reilly declared pilot season dead in January 2014 at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour and called the process in which the broadcast networks compete with cable and streaming services alike for top talent in a race to cast and film more than 100 pilots in a tiny window.

Instead, he spent months focused on straight-to-series development including pickups for "Backstrom", "Hieroglyph", "The Last Man on Earth", "Weird Loners" and "Mulaney".









5. Investing in Niche Comedy

Finding new hit comedies has proven to a challenge for all of the broadcast networks -- and, with the exception of NBC, Fox has struggled the most.

"New Girl" is still a solid performer, but "Brooklyn Nine-Nine's" critical success has not been matched by viewers. And "The Mindy Project", after two very modest seasons, stands as one of the lowest-rated shows that will return to the 2014-15 schedule.

Broader efforts "Dads", "Enlisted" and "Raising Hope" all met their demise in 2014.









6. "The Mob Doctor" and an Empty Bench

The critically panned drama opened to an unfortunate 1.5 adults 18-49 demo and dropped below a 1.0 during its run on Mondays in the fall of 2012.

Despite negative reviews and terrible ratings, the medical drama starring Jordana Spiro aired its entire 13-episode run -- with the final four buried on Saturdays -- largely because the network didn't have anything to fill its place on the bench to replace it with.

That season, Fox only ordered two dramas -- including "The Following" -- and three comedies. Of those five, only "Following" and "The Mindy Project" remain.









7. "Terra Nova's" Big, Expensive Swing

The pricey time-traveling series from exec producer Steven Spielberg was delayed twice and carried a price tag of between $10 million and $20 million for its two-hour premiere alone.

Launching day-and-date across international territories, the network and studio 20th Century Fox Television hoped the show that featured futuristic technology and CG dinosaurs would fill a big-event genre programming void left by the departures of series including "Lost" and the recently revived "24".

The drama starring Jason O'Mara was canceled after 13 episodes, finishing with a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49 -- a series low.









8. Letting "American Idol" Slide

No one can stall the sands of time, but "American Idol's" massive ratings hemorrhage happened on Reilly's watch. And doubling up on music competitions by ordering the ultimately ill-fated U.S. version of "The X Factor" didn't help matters.

Reilly pulled the plug on "X Factor" in January and announced that the 2015 installment of "American Idol" would be curtailed, leaving a once dominant reality brand a shadow of its former self.

(Unscripted czar Mike Darnell was the first to concede to the missteps, leaving the network one year before Reilly.)









9. Avoiding Alternative and Late-Night

Late-night remains a huge arena where Fox does not participate. Its 8-10 p.m. schedule makes any potential foray difficult for affiliates, but Reilly oversaw the network's complete exit from the space his first years after joining.

He canceled (admittedly lackluster) SNL rival "MadTV" in 2008 and pulled the plug on talker "The Wanda Sykes Show" after just one season a year later.

Fox has been quiet on the front ever since, while Jimmy Kimmel has been a boon to ABC, Jimmy Fallon has revitalized an already dominant NBC and the 2015 CBS arrival of David Letterman heir Stephen Colbert is already earning big buzz.









10. "Lone Star" and the Cable Push

The well-reviewed drama about a con man leading a double life was a big bet for Fox and marked the network's big push into more cable-type programming. The series, from creator Kyle Killen, was canceled after only two episodes.

It launched to a paltry 4.1 million total viewers and a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49, a dismal performance by 2010 standards. The hook came after episode two sank to 3.2 million viewers and a 1.0 in the demo.









11. Missing a "Modern" Opportunity

Reilly made unfortunate foes out of the co-creators of one of the 21st century's biggest TV hits. Steve Levitan -- who, along with Christopher Lloyd, created ABC Emmy darling and ratings behemoth "Modern Family" -- has been vocal about his anger over Reilly's cancellation of their former Fox comedy "Back to You".

"I’ve done about four to five shows in a row on Fox," Levitan said in 2009. "I have sworn off the Fox network. I'm done." (That obviously left Fox out of the running when Levitan and Lloyd started shopping their "Modern Family" pilot script.)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gal...season-renewal

[irehtman]

There is a 12th questionable concern on FOX:

12. Another concern is the "The Mindy Project" ruining its romantic comedy style.

That show should never get rid of these three romantic comedy actresses, Zoe Jarman, Anna Camp and Amanda Setton for that unnecessary creative difference incident. They should have been reduced as guests instead.

Beth is an old actress and is considered more of a pure comedy actress type rather than a romantic comedy actress type. There is a creative difference incident between Beth and The Mindy Project.

Finally, the focus on Mindy's men situation has to slow down along the way.

[MrCleveland]

Here's the 13th...

13-"The Simpsons"!

This show should've been taken-off during Reilly's watch, but it seems that it's the only show that will stay on until Cleveland wins a Championship!

The show is a cash cow, it hasn't been funny since 2002, and yet...Reilly keeps renewing "The Simpsons" year after year after year!

[TMC]

http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/kevin...aving-fox.html

Reilly’s exit as head of Fox Entertainment shouldn’t come as a surprise his boss, the head of Fox, vetoed his decision to renew those two struggling first-year shows. PLUS: Reilly tried to fix broadcast TV, and was fired.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#RLomOFUXIpslkMF4.99

[noveel]

Will "Bob's Burgers" get another seson, it's ratings aren't any higher than "The Cleveland Show"?

[EmoJoe]

Originally Posted by noveel

Will "Bob's Burgers" get another seson, it's ratings aren't any higher than "The Cleveland Show"?

It's been renewed for a fifth season already.

[waqas850]

I think,Criticize is the main reason of his gone.

[irehtman]

Originally Posted by waqas850

I think,Criticize is the main reason of his gone.

...Kevin Reilly is lousy FOX member?

[noveel]

Originally Posted by EmoJoe

It's been renewed for a fifth season already.

what about a sixth season, it was renewed even with low ratings because Fox execs liked it but now they're gone, it's ratings aren't any higher than The Cleveland Show?

[EmoJoe]

Originally Posted by noveel

what about a sixth season, it was renewed even with low ratings because Fox execs liked it but now they're gone, it's ratings aren't any higher than The Cleveland Show?

They haven't renewed any of the animated shows for additional production cycles beyond their next ones yet. But presumably there will at least be enough episodes of Bob's for a sixth broadcast season even if they don't order any more episodes. (They're not even halfway through the fourth season right now in terms of production order.)

I wouldn't really make any judgement about what the new guard will or won't support yet, being the new guard hasn't even been selected. I would also assume that some of the fate of Bob's Burgers depends on how Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mulaney and Bordentown do on Sundays. If those shows are worse options than Bob's, then Bob's will be renewed.

Anyway, about the topic at hand: I always liked Kevin Reilly because he seemed to care more about quality than a lot of other network heads. He backed 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights while he was at NBC and he's done a lot to coddle the acclaimed but struggling sitcoms on FOX. His main problem was that he had a cable-esque mindset which, right now, isn't really applicable on broadcast TV (though it may be in 5 years).

[James28]

I told you FOX-TV was trying to sabotage the youngest animated show they have. Bordertown is not gonna be all that great and I think it will be a failure and won't get past the initial 13 episodes. I kinda want Bob's Burgers to get eight to nine seasons.

I think the FOX Network is trying to downplay animated shows because they're putting B99 and the new Mulaney on Sunday nights. Never trust an "evil cash cow" like The Simpsons.

[Will and Grace Fanatic]

Fox's problem is they keep the lowest rated show on the air, even shows that aren't in the top 100 are left on air. They relied way to much on American Idol and never really scheduled anything around it. I mean if they actually scheduled a good show on or after American Idol it would have helped.

[noveel]

Originally Posted by EmoJoe

They haven't renewed any of the animated shows for additional production cycles beyond their next ones yet. But presumably there will at least be enough episodes of Bob's for a sixth broadcast season even if they don't order any more episodes. (They're not even halfway through the fourth season right now in terms of production order.)

I wouldn't really make any judgement about what the new guard will or won't support yet, being the new guard hasn't even been selected. I would also assume that some of the fate of Bob's Burgers depends on how Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mulaney and Bordentown do on Sundays. If those shows are worse options than Bob's, then Bob's will be renewed.

Anyway, about the topic at hand: I always liked Kevin Reilly because he seemed to care more about quality than a lot of other network heads. He backed 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights while he was at NBC and he's done a lot to coddle the acclaimed but struggling sitcoms on FOX. His main problem was that he had a cable-esque mindset which, right now, isn't really applicable on broadcast TV (though it may be in 5 years).

I guess the Cleveland Show wasn't renewed not because of low ratings but because those execs didn't like it like they did with Bob's Burgers

[noveel]

Originally Posted by James28

I told you FOX-TV was trying to sabotage the youngest animated show they have. Bordertown is not gonna be all that great and I think it will be a failure and won't get past the initial 13 episodes. I kinda want Bob's Burgers to get eight to nine seasons.

I think the FOX Network is trying to downplay animated shows because they're putting B99 and the new Mulaney on Sunday nights. Never trust an "evil cash cow" like The Simpsons.

also Bordertown won't be ready until next sesaon, they don't have enough animated shows to fill out a whole night

[icecream]

Originally Posted by Will and Grace Fanatic

Fox's problem is they keep the lowest rated show on the air, even shows that aren't in the top 100 are left on air. They relied way to much on American Idol and never really scheduled anything around it. I mean if they actually scheduled a good show on or after American Idol it would have helped.

House became one of TV's biggest hits when it got the Idol lead-in. They also used it to launch 5th Grader.