TV writers got used to packed, newsy press tours last winter, when the Leno/Conan thing and Simon Cowell quitting “Idol” both happened on the same week.
It looked like it would happen again this summer, with Ellen DeGeneres stepping down from “Idol” necessitating two open slots for judges and, even more unexpectedly, the stepping down of a major network executive days before he was to appear before the press.
The arrival of hundreds of reporters who cover TV seemed perfect timing to both announce new “Idol” judges (with at least a couple in the press anointed to take the helm) and to get the real story of what happened in the stepping down of ABC’s Steve McPherson.
ABC Public Relations chief Kevin Brockman went so far to bring a four-foot stuffed pink elephant to the podium with him to emphasize the elephant in the room that they vowed not to talk about. (The pink elephant also referred to a gag in one of the pilots, “Mr. Sunshine”).
The Fox press conference was even worse.
It began with Fox entertainment CEO Peter Rice laying down the law.
“The only thing I can tell you with absolute certainty right now is that no one has signed a deal yet on either side of the camera to join ‘American Idol’ next year who wasn’t on it last year. And I know that that is it’s not particularly a fun announcement. It’s certainly not the choice I would have made, but it is the truth as we sit here today, that there are no signed deals with anybody.”
Of the hundreds of stories of speculation that has run — and predicted a Monday announcement — “much of the information that has been written is accurate,” Rice says. “And some of the information that has been written is wildly inaccurate.”
But, he said, “I’m not going to get into that speculation and I’m not going to live in sort of a fish bowl of a blow by blow account of casting the show right now.”
Also, he wouldn’t confirm or deny whether Nigel Lythgoe would be returning to “Idol” as producer, or whether Kara DioGuardi had her job.
When someone asked whether they want three or four judges, Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly could only say “again, we really aren’t going to talk anything about the judges today.”
Still, reporters tried. And when asked if judge Randy Jackson’s contract was renewed, Rice said “I’m not going to confirm, deny, speculate or get into a debate on anyone’s contracts” (though he was asked a simple question and certainly asked not to debate).
Reilly was much more expansive about his friend McPherson (“All I can speak to is the depth of his character, and both on a personal basis, he’s a loyal and a good friend, and I think even people in the community who know him will speak to that.”).
But there was very little of that at ABC.
“I want to start out by addressing the elephant in the room. And I am not talking about Binky here because Binky will be coming home with me.On Tuesday we issued a statement announcing Steve McPherson’s resignation from ABC Entertainment Group,” he said.
“Tuesday’s statement still holds. It is literally all we are going to say on the subject. So you may ask, but you will get the same answer… We really have nothing more to add.”
And that’s the kind of week it’s been.