Hollywood gives her painfully honest praise Jeff Zucker

Sometimes, bad economic news hits, but the stock market, as traders tank saw it coming.


That's the way Hollywood welcomes today's news about the departure of Jeff Zucker as the head of NBC Universal, although the timing was a bit unexpected - "It was a total surprise," one exec Vulture Peacock said this morning - the because most people around the city waited for months. This does not mean there will not be many Tinseltown types to celebrate - or the spectators, many of whom have to assimilate Zucker, right or wrong, the house of transforming NBC must-see TV network of Emeril, Good Morning, Miami, the debacle of Conan, and Ben Silverman.

"On a plane on board, otherwise I want a party," a TV show runner-up e-mail vulture. "Finally, the world has a new meaning, [but] it was much more fun to save him while he was in place." A top official joked that he would do well Zucker: "I hope he starts a moon biz and crush rival [former ABC chief] Steve McPherson." And an insider network that gave high praise: "When Jeff decided to Vegas next move to play on David Copperfield What always looks impressive about Jeff is his agility in the fire. No one responds faster and with more courage than Jeff. But what can be exciting for a few moments, it is often a slight of hand that hides the lack of leadership qualities more important things like -. thinking and belief in the guiding ideas or principles Large law, but I defy anyone to tell me what he really represents. "

animosity toward Hollywood Zucker was born long before he ascended to first place at the Peacock. After a stint running the Today Show and NBC Nightly News, Zucker has spent the early years of the last run NBC's entertainment division. And it was during this period that he and Hollywood learned to hate each other. Zucker, known for his outspokenness and short attention span, have little patience for the game Hollywood schmooze. Producers and agents, meanwhile, estimated Zucker has no respect for what they did, and never try to learn things. "Hollywood is a tough place. You can not audit the class," said one network chief vulture.

types of industry is particularly cruel to one of the most controversial decisions Zucker: Elimination of comedy programs from NBC Thursday room for the back of a pupil in 2004 to make. "He destroyed the jewel of the NBC Thursday to see," said a top agent. "He had a fucking reality TV in the middle, and bastardized the greatest mark on television."

Insiders say the decision to move from student to Thursday was typical of the greatest fault as a programmer Zucker: thinking short term. Of course, the Donald greatly enhanced ratings in the night - for about a year. But when the show predictably fall, and NBC has not had a good new comedies immediately fill the gap (due to years of bad comedy development under the supervision of Zucker) The attractions of the mark was broken. The move was bold Apprentice, and it would enhance the short-term profits for NBC, but still Zucker tainted in the eyes of Hollywood as a man who really does not "show" part of the next company. Earlier in his career, Zucker spent millions of friends on the air long after it reached a peak of creativity, because he did not lose millions in advertising revenue. Does it make sense in the short term, but because Zucker did not spend nearly as much energy into finding a substitute for good friends, the comedy capital of the network had a big fall when the show finally disappeared waves.