In a move that likely won’t surprise anyone, E! has put Fashion Police on hiatus following the exits of Kelly Osbourne and its host, Kathy Griffin.
Instead of filming the last three shows of this season, the network has decided to end it now and come back this fall instead with new cast members and a new outlook.
NBCUniversal Lifestyle Networks Group president Frances Berwick told The Hollywood Reporter, “With the benefit of hindsight, we definitely brought it back too soon,” referring to returning just months after Joan Rivers’ death and replacing her with Griffin.
Referring to Giuliana Rancic’s controversial comments on Zendaya’s hair and Osbourne and Griffin’s sudden departures, Berwick acknowledged the hoopla surrounding the show right now.
"There was a lot of noise and drama that are really not helpful or additive to the creative process, but there's a real love for this show," Berwick said. "Given the focus on this, the ratings should really be the size of The Walking Dead."
Executives at the network were surprised when Griffin’s statement came out, which seemed to bash the overall outline of the show. In interviews that followed she has called it a “dog pile" among other negatives.
They will take this time to revamp after taking many of the recent events and criticism into consideration.
“To the extent that this has all gotten very intense and serious — it's meant to be fun," said Berwick. "When it stops being fun or if we think that we're offending or crossing a line, absolutely, that's the time to re-evaluate and that's what we're doing, frankly, with things like the mani-cam."
Rancic and Brad Goreski will return with the show this fall.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com