Fallon
06-28-2002, 01:53 AM
Grammer Knocks Out MTV Wrestling Show
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Perhaps they should call it "Frasier Smackdown."
"Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer has managed to halt production on MTV's World Wrestling Entertainment series "Tough Enough" in Malibu.
Grammer and his neighbors in Malibu's Broad Beach objected to MTV's request to tape the reality show -- which follows a group of young hardbodies as they train to become future WWE stars -- at a home in the neighborhood this summer for 60 days.
Concerned about potential disruptions in the quiet neighborhood, the group took their complaints to the Malibu City Council, which voted 5-0 to enforce a municipal code that restricts filming to 14 days.
"After some very unconvincing assurances that our privacy would be respected, we took this action," Grammer said.
WWE spokesman Jason Bernstein said the production had already spent somewhere in the low six figures on pre-production at the house and had pushed production back two weeks to avoid the July 4 weekend.
MTV and WWE won't be able to recoup those costs and may have to delay production further as the companies look for a new home for "Tough Enough," which is entering its third season.
"We're disappointed that the city of Malibu doesn't recognize our experience in producing TV programming, " Bernstein said. "We've always showed respect for the areas and locales we've used."
Apparently, the Malibu City Council doesn't share the same respect for the WWE and MTV. According to community newspaper the Malibu Times, councilman Ken Kearsley had some choice advice for the production.
"The can go to 818 country (in Los Angeles' non-chic San Fernando Valley) and fog the window," he reportedly said. "They can put some sand in a parking lot and call it a beach."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=772&e=2&cid=772&u=/variety/20020628/tv_variety/television_grammer_dc_1
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HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Perhaps they should call it "Frasier Smackdown."
"Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer has managed to halt production on MTV's World Wrestling Entertainment series "Tough Enough" in Malibu.
Grammer and his neighbors in Malibu's Broad Beach objected to MTV's request to tape the reality show -- which follows a group of young hardbodies as they train to become future WWE stars -- at a home in the neighborhood this summer for 60 days.
Concerned about potential disruptions in the quiet neighborhood, the group took their complaints to the Malibu City Council, which voted 5-0 to enforce a municipal code that restricts filming to 14 days.
"After some very unconvincing assurances that our privacy would be respected, we took this action," Grammer said.
WWE spokesman Jason Bernstein said the production had already spent somewhere in the low six figures on pre-production at the house and had pushed production back two weeks to avoid the July 4 weekend.
MTV and WWE won't be able to recoup those costs and may have to delay production further as the companies look for a new home for "Tough Enough," which is entering its third season.
"We're disappointed that the city of Malibu doesn't recognize our experience in producing TV programming, " Bernstein said. "We've always showed respect for the areas and locales we've used."
Apparently, the Malibu City Council doesn't share the same respect for the WWE and MTV. According to community newspaper the Malibu Times, councilman Ken Kearsley had some choice advice for the production.
"The can go to 818 country (in Los Angeles' non-chic San Fernando Valley) and fog the window," he reportedly said. "They can put some sand in a parking lot and call it a beach."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=772&e=2&cid=772&u=/variety/20020628/tv_variety/television_grammer_dc_1
<center><IMG SRC="http://wwfallon.homestead.com/files/RFnet2.jpg"></center>