TCA press tour: Kelsey Grammer, sort of, blames his heartbreak (attack) on Fox

First, Paula Abdul dumps Fox after the network doesn't show her as much green love (money) as she thinks she deserves.

Now, Kelsey Grammer trash-talks the network that broke up with him and, he says, quite possibly gave him a heart attack.

Fox, you (literal) heartbreaker, you!

Grammer, the star of ABC's "Hank," participated in a news conference today for the new comedy, and was not shy about assessing the emotional damage left by Fox's cancellation of "Back to You," his sitcom with Patricia Heaton, who incidentally has a new ABC comedy too, "The Middle."

"I enjoyed it immensely . . . and we were on to something pretty good."

But then Kevin Reilly, who turned down "Back to You" when he was president of entertainment at NBC, moved into the same job at Fox. And, well, read on:

"There was very little ability, especially on Fox anyway, to kind of have a sense of continuity about the show and a sense of commitment because that's just kinda the way they work the shows," Grammer said. "It's their thing. We were at sea pretty much once ['American Idol'] came on and finally there was some friction between the guy that never wanted the show in the first place and was now running Fox. Then there was a heart attack."

Did the heartbreak cause the heart attack?

"There's obviously some connection to one's life and the stress that takes place in one's life," he added. "When they examined my arteries, there was no blocked arteries, I had no cholesterol buildup. I had an event that they think was stress-related. And you can make of that what you will. Listen, it was not a great year. It was a tough year for everybody and maybe it was my time to get retooled a little bit. It ended up being probably a great thing in my life. I'm healthier, stronger, faster. I'm somewhat bionic now."

So bionic, in fact, that Grammer also took potshots at Leslie Moonves, president and chief executive of CBS Corp. Grammer produces "Medium," which aired on NBC for five years and was canceled this season, but will now air on CBS.

Grammer sarcastically referred to him as a "selfless, ego-less man" and "disingenuous." Grammer seemed upset that Moonves originally passed on "Medium" "and then spent the next few years trying to make the same show." (He was referring to "Ghost Whisperer.")

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Peter]

I miss "FRASIER" !! BRING BACK FRASIER ! I still love watching it in reruns, of which there are quite a few.

FRASIER COULD GO ON FOR YEARS, IN MY OPINION -- LONGER THAN IT DID, ANYWAY !!

[ol cranky]

As a viewer, I hate the networks for giving us mostly cheap trash so I have a major league right to complain (and start reading again).

I'm not sure what Grammer's beef really is. The networks have, in general, been supportive of the many shows he's produced - it's the viewers that have voted to turn off the programs he's chosen to star in.

[Tina]

Speaking as one viewer who couldn't watch Back to You, I'm with you, Ol' Cranky. As to Medium, yes, I'm not sure why Grammer's so bitter. It's no surprise Moonves is a shortsighted troglodyte -- he's a TV executive, which is practically synonymous.

I'm still pissed at Moonves for cancelling Joan of Arcadia to put Ghost Whisperer on the air, because he felt Joan of Arcadia catered to the dreaded over 49s. Meanwhile, I and many under 39s were religiously (heh) watching JoA. On Fridays, no less.

Anyhow, aside from that, when NBC didn't want Medium any more, Moonves stepped up. That he had passed on it, saw the error of his ways, and tried to recreate it is actually a credit to his ability to recognize his mistakes. (For a change.) I for one am grateful he's picked it up. I enjoy the show. Now it's NBC's turn to kick themselves for their colossal stupidity.

[Unindicted Co-conspirator]

Go back to your vault & continue to count all your money Grammer!
Your show was awful!
It wasn't funny at all!
You were trying to recreate the WJM newsroom, except you didn't have Mary Tyler Moore, Ted Knight, Ed Asner & Gavin McLeod as your co-stars!
You had Pat Heaton.
The biggest problem is that Heaton is an actress of extremely limited ability that was playing a part totally unlike herself & was incapable of overcoming that.
Plus it was badly, badly written!
Her new show will also flop & then finally the nets will realize that she's the problem, not the writing.

[Bobbie]

I would agree with Grammer on Back To You. I watched the show and it had reached it's stride but then the rug was pulled from under it. They didn't labor the fact that the story arc of the child would remain a mystery to who her father is. In fact, it looked like they had new material to carry the storyline further on. If someone who doesn't like your show follows you to a new network, it goes without saying that your support will not be there. Fox had a terrible season with scripted shows they way they moved them around. Bones was moved several times, The Sarah Connors Chronicles was moved around, Till Death, and a few other shows were moved around so much, many viewers couldn't figure out where their favorite shows were. And yet, the cheap money-making reality shows were given platinum card treatment. I'm not an American Idol fan or fan of any of these reality shows. When writers, actors, makeup artists, hair dressers, etc. are put out of work for the likes of Jay Leno, et. al., it's a wonder that there are anymore dramas or comedies on.