Access Hollywood

[dipsetla]

September 23, 2006 -- RATINGS-challenged NBC put the ax to "Access Hollywood" this week and abruptly fired 14 veteran staffers by heartlessly locking them out of the building as they returned from lunch.

"It was really awful. Their ID cards wouldn't open the gate, and then a security guard came over and told them they were no longer employed there," one insider told Page Six. "Of course, the bosses waited until they'd finished producing the day's show before canning them."

Among the casualties were: senior field producer John Davis and field producers Jennifer Lavin, David Garner and Jason Miller, our source said. Segment producer Lizza Morales, who was also booted, did manage to get inside and confronted executive producer Rob Silverstein. But he refused to talk and referred her to the show's lawyer, Claudia Eden.

The Thursday afternoon bloodbath in Los Angeles was the two-pronged result of NBC's ratings woes and the show being more than $1 million over budget, our spy went on. "And a few months ago, NBC found out there'd been excessive spending by some executives on partying, champagne and strip clubs. There were worries some people might be let go, but NBC said, 'No, no, don't worry!' And then this happened."

"Access Hollywood" spokesman Joe Schlosser laughed when we asked him about the bloodbath, then got serious and said: "It has never been easy to make adjustments to the staff." He added the firings were part of a "restructuring of the show," then asked us not to report he had chuckled. He said he was unaware that those fired had been locked out.

Some staffers who got tossed did get one consolation - they got calls and e-mails from host Nancy O'Dell, who said how sorry she was. Weekend co-anchor Shaun Robinson was seen crying after she learned what was going on.

The bloodbath is a further black eye for NBC chairman Bob Wright, whom Page Six reported is soon to be replaced. Other sources say the troubled Peacock Network will soon begin across-the-board layoffs.

Got this from Page Six

[Drew]

so wait, is it cancelled or being retooled?

AH is so much better than ET

[crc]

[King]

Meeeeeeh!

[Toups]

14 people fired?

1 million $ over budget?

That's horrible!!

I still prefer AH over any other entertainment show.

Why didn't NBC/GE do this during the summer instead of waiting until the new season started.

[Rhiannon]

ITA!

I can't stand Mary Hart, and Mark Steines isn't my favorite person either........

[JER Soaps Fan]

Sorry but Mark Steines is hot ass compared to twinky Billy Bush. (Where's that vomit emoticon when you need it? )

Anyway, I'm conflicted about this. First, it's HEARTLESS and even unprofessional the way NBC handled this. But on the other hand, those idiots deserved it...STRIP CLUBS on company time? My GOD!

Both Access and ET are good shows. Both deserve good ratings because both are good products. But ET, by far, is classier and has more of a 'traditional' feel to it, taking on 'old Hollywood' much more than 'Access' does. You just DON'T get Annette Funicello (?) and Kennedy family stories so often on ET's counterpart. For that reason, ET wins the contest.

[Drew]

Oh oh oh, hell no! ET is a tabloid, and absolute trash, its why I stopped watching a couple years back.

Too much Jon-Benet, Scott Peterson, Amber Fry, Mary Kay Letourneau(sp?), and other non-entertainment, non-hollywood stories just to get ratings. AH doesn't cover that [!@#$%^&*] to nearly the extent ET does, if it ever does. Then we have their weekend, aka "Who's fat in Hollywood" edition.

[WTGH]

I can no longer tell the difference between ET and The Insider.

I liked AH, it was care-free gossip. Wasn't looking to change or touch anyone's lives, just entertain.

Guess I'll watch only E! News Daily.

[bellcurve]

How can an entertainment show...a show where people put the mic up to people's faces at premieres, be $1 Million over budget.

Shocked, however, that AH is higher rated than ET. Even though I preferred it in its early years(with Gizelle Fernandez!), I still prefer it more than ET.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Wait, AH is now higher rated than ET? I NEVER would have guessed. Color ME shocked you mean! That makes this overbudget fiasco even WORSE.

[Bree]

ET used to be a classy entertainment news show. But after the former EP of A Current Affair took over, she brought all that non-Hollywood tabloid crap with her, and their obssession with who's sleeping with whom and who's lost and gained weight. I still like Mary Hart though.

[bellcurve]

I meant the other way around...sorry.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Oh, haha...yeah, I thought that was huge. Although I have 'Access' ratings can rise. Again, they deserve to be on generally equal ground.