14 DAY TRIAL // E! is starting to see the (obvious) signs that its once very popular show Fashion Police is a leaking, sinking ship. After Kelly Osbourne and Kathy Griffin’s abrupt departures following the Oscars 2015, which came on the heels of Joan Rivers’ death, the network has decided to put the show on ice.
It will only be temporary, until the fall, by which time they hope to be able to come up with a new plan, something that will save it from inevitable doom. Whatever it is they decide on, it will also have to make viewers forget about Giuliana Rancic’s racist comment about Zendaya Coleman’s hair at the aforementioned Oscars.
Fashion Police is going on a hiatus
Producers on the show must have had one hell of a ride these past 6 months or so: legendary comedienne Joan Rivers died last summer and they decided to continue with the show as before, without her and without changing a thing about the format; then Rancic started the racist controversy and prompted Osbourne’s departure, and then Griffin walked too.
Considering that ratings were already down, these were hits that really left a dent. Initially though, the network thought that it could just have the show back on, as scheduled, on March 30, with executive producer Melissa Rivers standing in for both Griffin and Osbourne.
They finally realized that which fans have been saying all along: Fashion Police needs to change or it’s doomed. So they opted for a hiatus while they figure it out.
“E!’s comedy series Fashion Police is going on hiatus and will return in September,” reads a statement to Deadline.
“We look forward to taking this opportunity to refresh the show before the next awards season. Our talented co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski, along with Executive Producer Melissa Rivers, will continue their roles as we evolve the show into its next chapter for the legions of Fashion Police fans around the world.”
The emphasis is ours: this is the proof that Fashion Police will finally adjust to the times, ditching the format that worked so well with Rivers, but clearly not with her replacement, Griffin, as the latter herself explained in a recent interview.
Go big or go home
As we speak, rumors online have it that producers are thinking of bringing someone high-profile on the show, to make up for the racist controversy and Osbourne and Griffin’s departure. They could also be considering a non-celebrity, but someone with proper knowledge of fashion since this is, after all, the Fashion Police.
More detailed reports about E!’s plans with the show will probably emerge online soon.
However, some fans believe that it would be best if network bosses understood that the time has run out for the show for good, and just shelved it. Fashion Police was amazing with Joan Rivers because she basically made it what it was, and it will be impossible to come up with a format better than this one. They shouldn’t even try, voices are saying.
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments: is Fashion Police in a dire need for a reinvention, or is it time they called it a day on it?