Yes, When I Think of Christmas, I Think of Nazis

Changing Reality of Reality TV

First, one of TV’s most high-profile execs gets fired by CBS. Even though Ghen Maynard, EVP for alternative programming and entertainment content for new media at CBS Paramount Network Entertainment Group, convinced boss Les Moonves to take a chance on Survivor, which changed the landscape of unscripted content and product placement on TV and helped CBS achieve its turnaround.

Then, big reality producer Ryan Seacrest hires his William Morris agent of eight and a half years, Adam Sher, to run his Ryan Seacrest Productions. Now watch every Hollywood major agency make a pitch for him and his very hot reality, radio and TV, advertising, restaurant, fashion businesses — which all dwarf his American Idol hosting gig.

Then United Talent’s Michael Camacho took back his big-deal client Mike Fleiss, The Bachelor reality kingpin, from CAA last week. Revenge is sweet because Camacho was fired as head of CAA’s Alternative TV department over a bit of Oprah intrigue. CAA’s Richard Lovett and Bryan Lourd put “a full-court press” on Fleiss to stay, even promising him film financing, none of which materialized.

Young Hollywood’s Agency Whores

There’s more 10-percentery swapping than cell phone switching among Young Hollywood. It turned out Chace Crawford wanted to get a lot more money from The CW, so he just left ICM and hired CAA. Trouble is, CW topper Dawn Ostroff isn’t budging.

That’s what happens when an actor is part of an ensemble cast. (Oops, he’s suddenly Gossip Girl’s Written-Out Guy.) And the tween/teen-movie and TV star Amanda Bynes made the rounds of Hollywood agencies with her dentist father before choosing William Morris. Bynes was previously at UTA, then left for CAA and decided to switch 10-percenteries yet again.