peacelover142002
go red sox
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Fox television network said on Wednesday it was canceling plans for a fourth edition of "The Simple Life," co-starring feuding celebrity socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
Fox and the studios behind the show said the Hilton-Richie fallout was not a factor in the network's decision and that producers were shopping the series to other networks.
The News Corp.-owned network said that with the success of several new and returning shows this season, and powerhouse talent show "American Idol" expected back on the airwaves early next year, its prime-time schedule had become too crowded.
"Collectively, we did not see a place for 'The Simple Life' on our schedule this season," Fox said in a statement.
One source familiar with the situation said that rival broadcasters NBC and the WB had both shown strong interest in possibly picking up the show as a mid-season replacement.
Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori had insisted as recently as July that his network was moving ahead with the series despite the public spat between the hotel heiress and the daughter of singer Lionel Richie.
At the time, Hilton and Richie had recently become engaged to get married, and producers said the impending nuptials would figure into a format that had previously centered on the pampered pair mixing with common folk as they worked real jobs in America's heartland.
Chris Alexander, a spokesman for the network's sister studio, 20th Century Fox Television, said producers were sticking with the marriage theme even though Hilton and her fiance, Greek shipping scion Paris Latsis, recently called off their engagement.
"She (Hilton) has been very outspoken about her desire to be a young bride ... so the idea of her learning what it's like to be married works either way," he said.
As for the ongoing bad blood between the 24-year-old co-stars, Alexander said, "The girls have been feuding for months. That's not a surprise to anyone. We've prepared for that. We've built that reality into our production plan."
Fox and the studios behind the show said the Hilton-Richie fallout was not a factor in the network's decision and that producers were shopping the series to other networks.
The News Corp.-owned network said that with the success of several new and returning shows this season, and powerhouse talent show "American Idol" expected back on the airwaves early next year, its prime-time schedule had become too crowded.
"Collectively, we did not see a place for 'The Simple Life' on our schedule this season," Fox said in a statement.
One source familiar with the situation said that rival broadcasters NBC and the WB had both shown strong interest in possibly picking up the show as a mid-season replacement.
Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori had insisted as recently as July that his network was moving ahead with the series despite the public spat between the hotel heiress and the daughter of singer Lionel Richie.
At the time, Hilton and Richie had recently become engaged to get married, and producers said the impending nuptials would figure into a format that had previously centered on the pampered pair mixing with common folk as they worked real jobs in America's heartland.
Chris Alexander, a spokesman for the network's sister studio, 20th Century Fox Television, said producers were sticking with the marriage theme even though Hilton and her fiance, Greek shipping scion Paris Latsis, recently called off their engagement.
"She (Hilton) has been very outspoken about her desire to be a young bride ... so the idea of her learning what it's like to be married works either way," he said.
As for the ongoing bad blood between the 24-year-old co-stars, Alexander said, "The girls have been feuding for months. That's not a surprise to anyone. We've prepared for that. We've built that reality into our production plan."
They both acted like complete jack*sses, just for entertainment value. I get tired of that.
