Did Heidi and Spencer muck up NBC strategy session?

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Heidi and Spencer Pratt (sorry, I can’t bring myself to refer to them as ‘Speidi’) are not only wreaking havoc on NBC’s reality show ‘I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here,’ it appears they’re also mucking up the network’s prime-time programming brainstorming sessions.

NBC was going to gather about 50 show runners, producers and writers from the network’s prime-time comedies and dramas today for a big welcome to the Peacock network shindig on the NBC Universal lot. But the meeting was abruptly canceled, apparently to deal with the reality prima donnas. Besides getting the isn’t-NBC-a-wonderful-company presentation, the assembled producers were going to hear from NBC Entertainment Co-Chairs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff and President Angela Bromstad. Marketing chief John Miller was going to talk about the campaigns the network would be working on for the fall, and there was even going to be a session devoted to NBC’s pro-social initiatives.

NBC insiders deny that the Spencer-Heidi brouhaha had anything to do with pulling the plug on today’s meeting. At the same time, one reason brass cited for the cancellation was that the network’s reality chief, Paul Telegdy, was going to be unable to attend because he had to fly to Costa Rica, where ‘I’m a Celebrity ...’ is being filmed. Of course, why the reality chief needs to be at a meeting for scripted entertainment creators and producers escapes us.

NBC is expected to reschedule the meet-and-greet later this summer. The cancellation may be a blessing in disguise for Silverman. The get-together was originally going to be held at his Pacific Palisades home, but he moved it to the NBC Universal lot because, we hear, he was worried about making it to Game 1 of the Lakers-Magic NBA championship series tonight in time for the tip-off. The spin out of NBC Universal is Silverman won’t be at the game (we’ll see). Hmm, maybe ‘I’m a Celebrity ...’ participant Stephen Baldwin is starting to act up too.

— Joe Flint

Photo Credit: Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag by Paul Drinkwater, NBC Universal