This year looks set to be full of upheavals and changes as shows, hosts and deals look shaky. Kicking things off are the negotiations for the broadcast of the Emmys, as the TV Academy’s deal with broadcasters ends this year. Rumors of a rival show are in the works and the inability on the part of the Academy to elect a CEO is fuelling the fire.
Nevertheless, speculation on that deal is nothing when it comes to determining the future of American Idol über- judge Simon Cowell. With his open refusal to continue next season, the theory is that either he is pushing to get “The X Factor” onto Fox or that he is holding out for a bigger payout. The smart money is on the X Factor theory – so far.
Staying with Idol, it remains to be seen how new judge Ellen DeGeneres will fare on the show as Paula Abdul’s replacement. While being the ratings juggernaut for sometime, American Idol has been consistently slipping from its summit and this season may be a defining moment for the show.
Spring brings new things and so will it decide the fate of “The Jay Leno Show”. Tumbling ratings have forced NBC to rethink altogether the future of the show. The problems for NBC do not end there as Leno’s replacement on “The Tonight Show”, Conan O’Brien continues to suffer as well. Fixing this problem is anybody’s guess.
On the News front, people will watch the battle between the newly promoted Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric eagerly as well as the progress of George Stephanopoulos in “Good Morning America” and his unnamed replacement on “This Week”.
With Bonnie Hunt and Tyra quitting and Oprah in her final season this has resulted in throwing the daytime talk show market wide open, leaving execs scrambling for replacement shows. With the renegotiations for the “Ellen Show” coming up in 2011, the problems seem to be mounting for the networks with no good news in sight.
2010, if anything, promises to be an “interesting” year.
