Many media folks thought the press release reportedly issued by CBS on Wednesday had to be a hoax. Who sends out such a snarky release attacking your competition?
Well, CBS does…
The network announced a not-really new show called “Dancing on the Stars,” featuring a televised dancing competition in which “moderately famous and sort of well-known people” dance on the graves of deceased icons such as George Harrison and Cecil B. DeMille.
The release, according to the prestigious Ragan’s PR Daily (LINK) was a reaction to ABC’s new show, “Glass House.” CBS sued its rival network over similarities between that show and its own “Big Brother,” but a federal judge said last week he’ll let the show go on.
The Chicago Tribune also weighed in on the issue(LINK).
Here is the release:
CBS ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF “DANCING ON THE STARS,” AN EXCITING AND COMPLETELY ORIGINAL REALITY PROGRAM THAT OWES ITS CONCEPT AND EXECUTION TO NOBODY AT ALL
Los Angeles, June 20, 2012 – Subsequent to recent developments in the creative and legal community, CBS Television today felt it was appropriate to reveal the upcoming launch of an exciting, groundbreaking and completely original new reality program for the CBS Television Network.
The dazzling new show, DANCING ON THE STARS, will be broadcast live from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and will feature moderately famous and sort of well-known people you almost recognize competing for big prizes by dancing on the graves of some of Hollywood’s most iconic and well-beloved stars of stage and screen.
The cemetery, the first in Hollywood, was founded in 1899 and now houses the remains of Andrew “Fatty” Arbuckle, producer Cecil B. DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Paul Muni, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, George Harrison of the Beatles and Dee Dee Ramone of the Ramones, among many other great stars of stage, screen and the music business. The company noted that permission to broadcast from the location is pending, and that if efforts in that regard are unsuccessful, approaches will be made to Westwood Village Memorial Park, where equally scintillating luminaries are interred.
“This very creative enterprise will bring a new sense of energy and fun that’s totally unlike anything anywhere else, honest,” said a CBS spokesperson, who also revealed that the Company has been working with a secret team for several months on the creation of the series, which was completely developed by the people at CBS independent of any other programming on the air. “Given the current creative and legal environment in the reality programming business, we’re sure nobody will have any problem with this title or our upcoming half-hour comedy for primetime, POSTMODERN FAMILY.”
“After all,” the spokesperson added, “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
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Isn’t that what it IS? “ON the Stars”? I don’t watch. But given that the title doesn’t make sense, it’s probably some network promo girl with her nose out of joint because someone got the title slightly wrong. o what is it?
“WITH the Stars”, “ABOVE the Stars”, “BETWEEN the Stars”, “IN the Stars”, “AROUND the Stars”?
Who gives a rats even on a slow news day.
The CBS folks were being sarcastic. They said it would be “ON” the stars and involve dancing on the graves of Hollywood celebrities.