NIKKI BACK IN ACTION AGAIN

Shortly after the announcement of the acquisition of Deadline Hollywood Daily by MMC
(http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/06/mmc-acquires-deadline-hollywood-daily.html) Nikki Finke is back in action again with style and a breaking story about NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker pledging changes aboard the NBC Uni ship. Changes concerning no one less than Nikki's favourite "Gift that keeps on giving", co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, Ben Silverman (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/exclusive-jeff-zucker-pledges-imminent-changes-and-implies-they-involve-ben-silverman/).

This comes with growing rumors that Anglophile extraordinary Ben Silverman (1) is going to leave NBC Universal to run ITV (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005268.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) as a replacement of the Brit network executive chairman Michael Grade - who will step down at the end of the year. In April The Guardian published a first list of potential candidates (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/26/shareholders-itv-michael-grade-exit).

According to one of Nikki Finke's sources, the arrival of Silverman at ITV would depend on money but, as Nikki writes: « Of course, Ben may just be playing with everyone's heads. And, this being NBCU, Silverman could wind up with a Peter Principle-style promotion ». Talking about "Peters", Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, is very active at the moment (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/22/itv-autumn-season-advertisers-peter-fincham), and the network has given an encouraging first sign that ITV is focusing on a smaller but better drama lineup with the renewal of the prestigious Lewis TV series - right after the justified cancellation of its costly saturday franchise wannabe Primeval (2)

Internal promotion within NBCU? Or if the departure of Ben Silverman for the UK is confirmed, a top job at Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group (Shine bought Silverman's company, Reveille) would be another option but he affirms he's "committed" to NBC (3). This is the summer of Anglophilia at NBC for Silverman with the American launch of BBC's Merlin - the first British drama shown on a mainstream US network for more than 30 years (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/06/bbc-merlin-nbc-british-us-tv) - and the beginning of The Philanthropist. Starring James Purefoy and starting this week, this new drama is produced by British company Carnival Films (Poirot), bought last year by NBC Universal. But The Philanthropist « may be worst show ever », writes The Miami Herald (http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/story/1109772.html). Ouch!

Whatever. Keep refreshing this DHD story about the changes at NBC as Nikki has just wrote a second update and promises more.

(1) http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/131309964
(2) http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/06/have-faith-in-itv.html + http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/06/primeval-walking-with-dinosaurs.html
(3) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/business/media/17silver.html