Get Out and Stay Out!

Today's Reidel report focuses on how CBS, in an attempt to draw better ratings to the TONY AWARDS Broadcast, will not air design awards, choreography, book of a musical, and, perhaps most shockingly, Best Revival of a Play. In place of these awards, CBS is putting on musical numbers from hit shows currently on Broadway, and, inexplicably, LEGALLY BLONDE. (I actually have a great deal of fondness for BLONDE, but am seriously confused as to why it is being promoted...for the tour? The West End production? DVD release of LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, THE SEARCH FOR THE NEW ELLE WOODS?) Regardless, this is hardly a new development...CBS has been pulling this shit for years. The most effective solution was, when LION KING was out, to have the creative awards telecast on PBS where they padded out the segment with behind the scenes looks and the process of the respective designers. It was awesome (and much more memorable television than the actual broadcast...or any awards broadcast for that matter).

I think the issue is not that shows literally irrelevant to a celebration of Broadway (BLOND) are being broadcast instead of these awards--these awards have not been overlooked by CBS for the better part of a decade. I think the issue is simply the fact that this continues to be an issue. That CBS somehow thinks they will have a ratings winner on a Sunday night in June if "fix" the awards. That CBS believes there is a market made up of people who want to see musical numbers from Broadway shows, but otherwise would never watch the Tony awards. That CBS has something better to do, and wouldn't just run reruns of COLD CASE and WITHOUT A TRACE which people could watch on TNT anyway.

Every year the threat looms: if numbers don't improve, CBS will drop the broadcast. But the threat is meaningless, as the numbers have never improved (and in fact worsened) and CBS has not dropped the broadcast. I've counseled enough friends/parents through damned relationships to know when it's time to pull the plug. The relationship between CBS and Tony has grown too comfortable, even in its dysfunction. It isn't growing. They're each forcing the other to be something they're not instead of appreciating each other for who they are. Tony needs to be strong, assert her needs, and leave her controlling, domineering and spiteful bastard-of-a-boyfriend once and for all. Because as tough as Les Moonves (pictured above) may think he is, he'll never have the cohones to do it himself. And Tony will feel so much better than before.