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EXCLUSIVE: Regis Philbin surprised the TV world with his announcement yesterday morning that he will be leaving Live with Regis and Kelly later this year. Well, it shouldn’t be inconceivable for someone pushing 80 to consider retirement, but the fact of the matter is that Philbin is not retiring. Far from it. He is going for a major life and career change that is being complemented by a big representation change. Philbin has left Paradigm, where he had been represented by his agent of 25 years Jim Griffin, to go to WME. This marks a homecoming of sorts for Philbin who had been at WMA for decades until following Griffin to Paradigm in 2009 after 30-year WMA veteran Griffin was let go in the fallout from the WME-Endeavor merger. (But WME kept the packaging fee on Live via the merger.)
During his 23 years on Live, Philbin has been doing a lot of side gigs, mostly hosting (most famously, ABC’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire). But now, with his full-time gig over, I hear he is looking to do a lot more, which prompted his move to WME.
As for Live, I hear producer Buena Vista TV was ready to offer Philbin a lengthy new deal. (Last time Philbin signed a new deal for Live was in 2007, the same time the show was renewed. Both deals expire at the end of this season.) Philbin had already scaled back, he only does the show Monday-Thursday, with guest co-hosts sitting next to Kelly Ripa on Fridays (Ashton Kutcher will do so this Friday.) Some sources say he didn’t want to commit to another long-term deal and told his bosses he wanted a life change, something that took them by surprise. Other sources claim that he left over a proposed salary cut. Philbin has two milestones to celebrate during the final season on the show: the 10th anniversary of Live with Regis and Kelly next month (Ripa was named permanent Live co-host on Feb. 5, 2001) and his 80th birthday in August. I guess you can kick your career into high gear after 80 if you are Regis Philbin. Or Betty White.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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that guy mints $$$$. Unfortunately Paradigm didn’t see a dime of it.
Regis,is old, tired, conceted and full of hubris. Time for him to go away.
I don’t understand the previous comment… oh well.
I’ll surely miss my morning coffee with Regis… All the best to you Regis always…
I like to see personalities who are able to exit on their own terms. This is a case when Regis is departing and actually using the departure to his advantage.
This is not to say that he is jumping ship from Live, it is just that it is his time to, as has been said, begin a new phase of his life/career. A bold move, one which looks like it should pay off quite well.
Perhaps a sit-com with Betty White playing his mother and he’s a down on his luck octogenarian who has to return home to live….
Well done WME. You were able to keep all of Regis’ $$$ from the “LIVE” gig, and now you will reap all the commish from whatever he does in the future. Business 101: WME grade “A”
How about bringing back the original format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I miss that, with regular Americans, original lifelines, and original rules. Regis can host, they can stick it on primetime on a Monday or Tuesday.
has anyone actually been watching ‘live w/ regis and kelly?’ it’s awful. actually, all those morning talk shows are awful. with an open mind i watched a few minutes last week and it was painful. the whole enterprise is painful.
and if you choose to sit in the audience for such a show – i demand to know why. there cannot be a good reason.
You are right. It is mind-numbing and painful to watch that junk. Only if you had a lobotomy could you endure an hour of Regis and Kelly.
I don’t understand all the praise for old Regis. Yes, he seems like a nice old man, but honestly to consider him some great broadcaster just because he’s lasted so long seems a little ridiculous. To his credit, he’s not as brain dead as Larry King, who also was given accolades just for having “survived” so long in the business. But what about the quality of what they are sending out over the airwaves? Regis was pure pablum for the masses.
Even cockroaches have survived the test of time, but I wouldn’t praise them either.
How about if a celebrity you like will appear on the show? How about if you are visiting friend in the New York area, and would like to see a television show being made as a point of interest?
Regis is very talented, but the thought that he has years left in his career is a little delusional.
xactly… what an embarassing steal… like scene out of ‘entourage’
You never know. Look at guys like Eli Wallach, Sir Christopher Lee, Ernest Borgnine, etc.
Per today’s NY Post, Regis’s current contract pays him $21 mil per year. If Nellie is correct, Buena Vista believed enough in his continued longevity to offer him a “long-term” renewal (the show is still top rated, with numbers highest when Regis is there Mon. through Thur.).
George Burns had bookings until just before his death at age 100. Eastwood is past 80 and his career behind the camera continues unabated, and if he wanted to act, I have no doubt that a project would be made available to him. Barbara Walters continues to work in front of the camera as well as behind it as a producer, and she’s past 80. Betty White just turned 89 and her series was just renewed and she continues to have so many projects that she just announced that she would like to cut back in 2011.
I know those in their 20s think life ends at 35, but the truth is Regis Philbin is incredibly vital, still funny, still gregarious, and most importantly, has a loyal audience that appreciates him as one of only a few remaining REAL entertainers. He is from a generation that respected the audience; real jokes had to be written and delivered, rather than just standing on a stage and yelling “fuck you” (something that increasingly passes for “humor” these days). Here in NY, Regis is like a national treasure (and friendly to every single person who approaches him on the street). I hope his new handlers take him in whatever direction he wishes to go. He deserves it. He has provided many years of laughs to me and to millions of other fans.
The best thing about Regis: He always seems to be enjoying himself and that is contagious.
Delighted to read this–and best wishes to you Regis! Not mentioned in this story is that Jim Griffin, despite having an impressive client list, is commonly regarded as a dunce, especially among media industry execs who have scratched their heads for years about this guy. To further drive the point home, Paradigm continues to wither in this very competitive world. Recently I heard one insider who was very familiar with the inner workings of Paradigm describe the place as a nursery school, an Animal House, complete with people in the halls tossing paper airplanes! No direction, no discipline–there is so much more to the story of Paradigm. Things will get more interesting when Katherine Heigl leaves, which many think will be soon.
Griffin is a legend. You have no clue what you are talking about. Forever he made more money for William Morris than almost any other agent and mentored his assistants and other young agents into becoming stars than almost any other agent.
Sorry. Griffin is a joke. Honestly. I speak to top execs in his world who deal with him and they cannot believe this guy is actually an agent or has these clients. A not very bright yesteryear agent.
Are you really buying that Buena Vista wanted another long term deal with Regis, paying him a lot for a show with shitty demos that will only get worst as daytime syndication dies a not so slow death? And that he’s going to become hot again? He’s practically a talking cadaver. Why do you swallow whatever bullshit your agency source tells you and then regurgitate it as fact? Laughable.
C’mon 80 is the new 50! Regis is going through a mid-life crisis. He may not be my cup of joe, but I do like the fact that he wants to keep challenging himself versus the status quo. Probably one reason why he continues to be successful.
Paper Airplanes?!?!? That’s nothing. When I was there we used to have massive Rubber Band Wars…..great times.
TV Land sitcom, Reege. Come to California.
I never watched Regis. Who am I not going to watch now?
I feel the show has lost it’s luster over the years. Regis and Kelly are fun to watch but occassionally it seems Regis has trouble keeping up with the pace and has memory slippage that’s a bit embrassasing. I think with a younger co-host the show can regain it’s fun appeal.
The problem with going younger is that if you go too young you put Ripa in the position of thinking she is the lead, or at least on equal footing. And Ripa isn’t a lead, she is a second banana (as someone in the other thread noted). A great second banana, but no more than that. So when you have her with, for example, a Probst, you get two middling performers trying to carry the show. It won’t work over time.
But when Martin Short was on today I realized that he is just the kind of talent they need — a not too young/not too old guy who is incredibly quick, very funny, agile enough to still do physical comedy, and has endless anecdotes (industry and non-industry) that he can summon at will. Hope Gelman and Co. are smart enough to realize they need real talent and not just a Hollywood pretty boy.
Regis’s attractiveness to viewers is that he conveys to them that they are his equals in the socio-economic world: he speaks of New York celebrities as if the viewers, too, are their friends and eat to the same restaurants and attend social events that he does. This is not easy to carry off successfully.
A TV Land sitcom? “Like Betty White…”? First of all, TV Land should stick to the old and FUNNY television shows that made the network what it is. As for “Hot in Cleveland,” White’s sitcom, the show sucks — an elderly lady using curse words and making off-color remarks… Wow. Killer stuff. I suggest that season reruns of Hot in Cleveland be shown in the recreation room at Guantanamon – or would that constitute torture?
“The best thing about Regis: He always seems to be enjoying himself and that is contagious.”-woods
I couldn’t agree more. Regis Philbin is a class act.
Regis is a coward. After Jim Griffin sold his show and muscled him into “millionaire”, Reege repays Jim in his new capacity at Paradigm by returning to the decrepit WME. What a douche. BV didn’t want him anymore because he’s 80. I’m willing to bet regis didn’t even call Jim or tell him in person of his decision. And whoever said “well done endeavor” is an idiot. They are graverobbers and should be ashamed. And Regis is a disloyal aldercocker prick. By the way Reege, make sure you thank your new agents when you get your Tartikoff Award at Natpe. Now Jim can tell you what everyone else knows that you cheat at Tennis too. Your punishment living with Joy for eternity.
we’re going to miss Regis….I think Kelly can carry the show, she’s smart & quick, and not as self centered as Kathy Lee
I think she has a lot of chemistry with Anderson Cooper, and I agree Martin Short would be great also. I think Probst is awful, let him stick to survivor.
HERE IS THE GRIFFIN/WMA/WME/REGIS STORY FROM AN INSIDER.
1. GRIFFIN MADE THE DEAL FOR REGIS FOR HIS SHOW AND CREATED A TV PACKAGE WORTH MILLIONS IN COMMISSION TO THE AGENCY OVER THE YEARS. REGIS WAS THE AGENCY’S BIGGEST EARNER FOR YEARS ALONG WITH BILL COSBY.
2. GRIFFIN PERSONALLY BUILT THE TV ANCHOR AND NEWS BUSINESS AT WMA. BEFORE GRIFFIN THERE WAS NO SUCH DEPARTMENT NOR WAS THE AGENCY EVEN IN THAT BUSINESS.
3. GRIFFIN LEFT BEHIND A HUGE BUSINESS THAT NOT ONLY INCLUDES THE NEWS BUSINESS BUT ALSO TV PACKAGING, BOOKS, ETC. HE HIRED GREAT AGENTS LIKE JIM DIXON SHOW PUT TOGETHER SHOWS SUCH AS RAYMOND. WHICH TODAY STILL GENERATE HUGE COMMISSION IN SYNDICATION.
OVER JIM GRIFFIN’S PROFESSIONAL LIFE THERE ARE FEW AGENTS WHO CAN CLAIM THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY THAT GRIFFIN HAS HAD. HIS INSTINCTS FOR DEAL MAKING AND CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR HIS AND THE AGENCY’S CLIENTS OVER THE DECADES WAS UNSURPASSED BY ANY OTHER AGENT AT WMA. MANY OF THE TOP AGENTS WHO RAN DEPARTMENTS WERE OFTEN CHOSEN BY OTHER ADMINISTRATORS/AGENTS WHO OWED THEIR LIVELIHOOD TO THEIR YEARS AT THE AGENCY ALONG WITH THEIR INHERITANCE, BUT JIM GRIFFIN UNLIKE MANY OWED HIS POSITION TO HIS WORK ETHIC, AGENTING SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE.
WHO KNEW OF REGIS ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE AMERICA AND ENTERTAINMENT BEFORE GRIFFIN TOOK OVER HIS CAREER? REGIS WAS NOT A MAJOR PLAYER. GRIFFIN CAREFULLY GUIDED HIM OVER THE YEARS AND THE RESULTS SHOW. REGIS HAS MADE A SERIOUS ERROR. HE IS RETURNING TO A FIRM THAT WILL TRY TO BOOK HIM AND ONCE THE BUYERS BEGIN TO RESPOND NEGATIVELY AS THEY WILL DUE TO HIS AGE THEN LIKE MANY IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY HE WILL JOIN THE “LEGEND” COMMUNITY. THAT IS NOT A NEGATIVE VIEW IT IS THE REALITY OF THE INDUSTRY.
AS FOR WME MY OBSERVATION IS WHEN AGENCY’S SIGN CLIENTS IN THE TWILIGHT OF THEIR CAREERS IT IS AN INDICATION OF THE FUTURE OF THE AGENCY AND THE NEED TO GENERATE CASH.
Regis and Keith Olbermann are going to be judges on American Idol after J.Lo and ? retires.
“intheknow” – I’M BELIEVING ALL THAT YOU’VE SAID – “TO BE TRUE”.
AND, IF IT’S SO. . . REGIS WILL REGRET THIS 1.
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH, HE TOOK OFFENSE TO THE TERM “OLD MAN,” BECAUSE WHEN
SPOKEN, HE EMPHASIZED “IT”. MAKING ME THINK. . . HE EITHER OVERHEARD, OR
HEARD “IT;” BEING REFERRED TO HIM, THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE BY TRUSTED ONES.
“JUST, AN OUTSIDER LOOKING-IN.”
LUV YOU REGIS, ALWAYS… & GOD BLESS
I was very disappointed with Regis Philbin’s decision to retire from “Live” and as far as I’m concerned NO ONE CAN REPLACE HIM. But since that will be necessary, may I suggest it would continue to be a great morning show (as great as it can be without Regis) if his replacement would be Kelly Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos. Very good looking, quick-witted, seemingly very smart and since advancing age seems to be a detriment in the television talk show host industry, he (they) are both still very young. Let’s see Mark & Kelly from now on!!!