Mike Darnell leaves Fox

[Bob in Jersey]

...sez Michael Slezak on TVLine.  -- B.

[Kevin M.]

He will not be missed by anyone who worked for him. On one of the shows I worked on for Fox, one of my reponsibilities was to generate signs to indicate who worked inside each of the production offices. I created a sign for Darnell (he was known by his last name) and placed it on the door outside his office. I created a second sign with the words "Darnell's Ego" and affixed it to the door of a nearby storage closet. If you had to point a finger and blame a single person for the worst television over the last 20 years, your finger had better be aimed at Darnell's face. His work epitomizes the concept of appealing to the lowest common denominator.  

On Friday, May 24, 2013, Bob in Jersey wrote:

...sez Michael Slezak on TVLine.  -- B.

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Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Jon Delfin]

On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 6:20 PM, Kevin M. <drunkba...@gmail.com> wrote:

He will not be missed by anyone who worked for him. On one of the shows I worked on for Fox, one of my reponsibilities was to generate signs to indicate who worked inside each of the production offices. I created a sign for Darnell (he was known by his last name) and placed it on the door outside his office. I created a second sign with the words "Darnell's Ego" and affixed it to the door of a nearby storage closet. If you had to point a finger and blame a single person for the worst television over the last 20 years, your finger had better be aimed at Darnell's face. His work epitomizes the concept of appealing to the lowest common denominator.  

A single person? I'd put "Two Broke Girls" up against anything Darnell created. (I one-and-doned it with the pilot, but out of boredom and curiosity, I caught the season 2 finale last week. The show is so bad in so many ways that they must be doing it deliberately.)

[Bob in Jersey]

Kevin M., to moi, in part:

He will not be missed by anyone who worked for him.

Seacrest and Cowell still had to say nice things... TheWrap

-- B.

[Michael]

A few years back, I was at a barbecue in L.A. that he also attended,
and he was fairly congenial. In fact, when he was told by our mutual
friend that I was a writer and critic, he introduced himself by
saying, "Hi, I'm the Devil."

On May 25, 8:18 pm, Bob in Jersey <bob.in.jer...@juno.com> wrote:
> Kevin M., to moi, in part:
>
>
>
> > He will not be missed by anyone who worked for him.
>

> Seacrest and Cowell still had to say nice things... TheWrap<http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/ryan-seacrest-simon-cowell-their-me...>
>
> -- B.

[Tom Wolper]

On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 5:54 AM, Michael <miketh...@gmail.com> wrote:

A few years back, I was at a barbecue in L.A. that he also attended,
and he was fairly congenial. In fact, when he was told by our mutual
friend that I was a writer and critic, he introduced himself by
saying, "Hi, I'm the Devil."

I think Darnell became obsolete at Fox. Unscripted TV on cable pushes the envelope far more than anything he can try to get away with at Fox. So he can open a production company and sell tawdry shows to cable channels or he could stay at Fox and try to catch up with both arms tied behind his back.

[Mark Jeffries]

And as much as he can try to take credit for "Idol," it's still understood that Darnell turned it down the first time and only took it because Rupert himself demanded that they take it (under advisement from daughter Elisabeth, who as long as 21st Century Fox owns a piece of Shine makes her the likely successor if they keep it in the family).

And personally, Fox's unscripted lately hasn't had much of the Darnell flair--I would say that only the new "Does Someone Have to Go?" (original title--"Toxic Office") and last year's dating show mock of "The Voice" "The Choice" are the only entries that scream Darnell.

Mark Jeffries
Saints Spotlight Editor
spotl...@gmail.com

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