Is NBC’s Ben Silverman About to Be Cancelled?

A while back, those savvy kids over at New York magazine’s Vulture posed the provocative question: “Is Ryan on The Office a thinly veiled Ben Silverman?” In a case of life imitating art imitating life, it looks like Silverman may follow in his fictional wunderkind’s footsteps: rumours are flying that the NBC co-chairman is about to be fired. Says Page Six:

Ben Silverman might not last long as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment if the Peacock network’s fall schedule doesn’t boost its sagging ratings.

Silverman’s summer lineup – featuring plenty of reality shows like “Celebrity Circus,” “Baby Borrowers,” “Nashville Star” and the remake of “American Gladiators” – has been a disappointment.

There is scepticism over NBC’s fall lineup, as well. After NBC airs the Beijing Olympics, it’s pinning its hopes on a new version of “Knight Rider,” “Lipstick Jungle” (which barely got renewed), “My Own Worst Enemy” starring Christian Slater and a US version of Australian sitcom “Kath & Kim” with Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.

“If the fall is as bad as the summer, someone will have to take the blame, and it won’t be [NBC chairman and CEO] Jeff Zucker,” said one network insider.

Still, the insider promised that if Silverman did have to be fired, they’d at least take a page out of the maestro’s playbook and replace him with a high-concept studio head imported from England or Colombia, — or, failing that, they’d simply resurrect something from the 80s. Is the corpse of Brandon Tartikoff still available?

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

• NBC BOSS’ ‘FALL’ FROM GRACE [Page Six]