The call is coming from inside the house

At some point in the coming weeks, TRL murderer MTV will let go a huge portion of its staff as parent Viacom goes the cost-cutting route. Now there are rumors floating at Gawker that VH1 might get in on the firing action.

And this just in to Jossip: Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and CMT will also see sizable firings as well. We're told a "360 degree" layoff strategy is in the works, with "around Christmas" cited as a timeline. [Photo: Webshots]

Well, it didn't take long after Michael Hirschorn left his position as Executive Vice President of Original Programming (whew!) at VH1 before the Viacom station decided to sack all the good ideas the exec had to make the station money. Starting with I Love the 80's and all of its eventual, sadder spin-offs, and culminating with Best Week Ever, Hirschorn pioneered the whole genre of ADD entertainment where talking heads commented on celebrity pop culture.

But now that Hirschorn is gone and the celeb train has moved on to schadenfreude (it's all cyclical you see, from Jerry Springer you get people snarkily commenting on Jerry Springer, and then you get Celebrity Rehab), VH1 is scrapping the original format of Best Week Ever for a revamp with a single-serve host, Paul F. Tompkins who will run a show that will "have a less mean-spirited take."

So…it's a completely different show?

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The New Kids on the Block are certainly vying pretty hard for that comeback cash. Lately, every week feels like 1992 all over again, except you're all grown up now and the only thing your Jordan Knight collectible action figures are collecting is dust. They're better served taking up space on eBay.

But in an effort to revive what should never be revived, Jordan (the cute one), Joey (the old one), Danny (the old one), Jonathan (the old one), and Donnie (the one with the famous brother) will all come together on Sept. 28th for a live version of VH1's Behind the Music, which is itself a relic of better times. This comes on the heels of the group's London tour, where their concerts are causing riots.

The only problem with this particular nostalgic cash cow? It doesn't make any sense:

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Ed Robertson is the frontman of Barenaked Ladies, which means he is at least partly responsible for that "One Week" song that ruined the entire year of 1998. That doesn't explain why he seems to be one of God's chosen children; Robertson's private plane crashed in Canada yesterday afternoon and all four passengers managed to walk off unharmed. "'There’s not a scratch on any of them,' said the source. Another source who asked to remain anonymous said it was obvious something was very wrong today."

Wouldn't say it was wrong so much as the plot of Unbreakable, but sure, let's go with it. The plane is still up in the trees, FYI, which makes this story even more head-scratching. (How did they get down?) Chalk it up to Canadian luck, which is a thing now, and congratulations to Ed and his friends, who will live to spend another day commenting on their own songs on VH1. Too bad others, lately, haven't been so lucky.

Comcast is buying shopping newsletter DailyCandy for $125 million, which is either a sign that old media is finally "getting it," or that old media can still be convinced to buy things at inflated prices. But in case you needed another signal that old media actually does not get it, look no further than VH1's new blog Scandalist, which launched this week. Not only did its namers take a cue from Web 1.0 (see: Gothamist), but the nature of the site — celebrities, involved in scandals, oooh! — represents a three-years-too-late attempt to join the fray of celeb blog gossip with an insta-tired brand and exactly nothing new to bring to the table, except some traffic dumping from VH1's homepage (which is how AOL drives traffic to any of its dozens of un-read weblogs). Also: It's a lesson VH1 should've already learned.

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Is this a first? VH1 is spinning off two shows, into one: Rock of Love Girls: Charm School mixes Flava of Love's Charm School, hosted by Mo'nique, with Rock of Love, Bret Michaels' search for love and a pop culture relevancy. Sharon Osbourne will host the $100,000 competition. Because she is classy. [NYDN]

MICHAEL ROWS HIS BOAT TO ANOTHER SHORE With VH1 programming maestro Michael Hirschorn out the door for his own production studio Ish Entertainment (once he locks up proper financing), the reality-centric network finds his replacements in-house. As for Hirschorn? Count on him selling programming back to VH1. For a higher cut, of course. [NYP]

MEDIA CELEBREALITY VH1 programming chief Michael Hirschorn may be on his way out the door if successful wooing from competing networks and independent studios pan out. Hirschorn's I Love New York-ification of the network has transformed it into a cable ratings darling, and, dare we say, made him as sought after as Ben Silverman once was. [NYP]

VH1 celeb-reality stars should ask for divorce insurance as part of their benefit package. Linda Hogan, co-star of Hogan Knows Best, has emotionally drop-kicked her husband, filing for divorce this week.

In the tradition of Rudy Giuliani’s press conference divorce, Hulk Hogan found out that his wife had left him from a reporter from the St. Petersburg Times.

Just goes to the show that it takes more than a perma-tan and an inflated ego to make a marriage work.

After leaving Star in May as the sky was falling, David Caplan switched titles from "New York bureau chief" to "blogger". He joined VH1's Best Week Ever and launched 24Sizzler.com, a gossip blog with overeager celebration for the Lohans. But now, after just a few short months, Caplan is once again packing a box: He's joining Larry Hackett's team at People. We're gonna guess a move to Life & Style just didn't have the same appeal.

In the coming months America is going to be supersaturated with the self-deprecating self-proclaimed "Queen of All Media," Perez Hilton. In addition to the premiere of his half-hour PR blitz What Perez Sez on VH1, the gossip blogger is also said to be making an appearance on MTV's new show Rappin' With the Stars. Herewith, Intern Joe imagines what type of lines Perez is gonna spit.

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Just the other day, we were sitting back on our couch, watching the tube and thinking to ourselves how there should be more shows starring pudgy social-climbers who refer to themselves in the third-person and make a living scrawling witticisms like "gonna vomit" and "waiting for rehab" and "poo" over pictures of C-list celebrities.

Which is why we were thrilled to learn that those mind-readers over at VH1 have made our wildest dreams come true, greenlighting a new tv show starring everyone's some people's favorite wannabe celeb, Perez Hilton.

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Star's New York bureau chief David Caplan ditches Candace Trunzo's lair for VH1!

Oh, wait, we already reported that?

How about: Former Star New York bureau chief David Caplan launches new celebrity blog for VH1!

Oh, phew, something new to report.

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Best Week Ever's large and loyal web community (we believe the term "sticky" could be used here) is in uproar over Star transplant David Caplan, who, we told you, was hired by VH1 to bring exclusive gossip reports to their network of web properties. Except it isn't going over well, if you're to read the comments.

Caplan busted on to BWE.tv with a Lindsay Lohan rehab item yesterday. Today, he massaged his sources for another Lohan item: Linds plans on having her birthday party at Pure in Las Vegas with or without Svedka's sponsorship. (And whether or not she's supposed to be in rehab.) But BWE's readers aren't so happy about it.

"This is terrible," says one. "No one reads BWE for gossip. We want to read people making fun of gossip. I’m so disappointed."

It only gets worse.

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Yesterday we told you about some mildly high-profile exits this week at Star. Publicist Public relations coordinator Nekiesha Walker tired of being Bonnie Fuller's bitch, and put in her two weeks. Also making for the door: New York bureau chief David Caplan. What follows is his farewell letter, where he announces the new gig he's taking that he wouldn't tell his AMI bosses about. Hint: He's headed to VH1, where he'll join Web 2.0!

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David Beckham on the cover of Details? Hardly surprising, given that a man like David Beckham gives a magazine like Details a reason to breathe, month after month. And, well, vice versa. But while the gays skipped over Brad Pitt in Interview to take a gander at Beckham's Details spread (not very much in the way of his summer in Speedos, sadly), we actually read the article.

Why waste precious minutes on copy that carries 1:1 odds of being the same recycled drivel we continually wade through about Beckham? Because its author is Michael Hirschorn, otherwise known as VH1's executive VP for programming. More noteworthy: He wasn't fired last week. Super noteworthy: In his cover story, Hirschorn takes a shot at his network's only reason for airing.

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VH1 Classic will live on, at least according to an internal memo sent out yesterday by VH1 general manager Tom Calderone. Forget the fact that there's nary a PA to run tapes around, but that channel that's now in 45 million homes? Yeah, it'll still be on that channel you can't find.

It's been a tough week, and I'll be coming around to talk to all of you over the next few weeks about how we're moving forward. But before the dust settles, I want to dispel any rumors or speculation that we're shutting down VH1 Classic. That's just not true. [...]

The painful staff reductions we had to make will ensure that the channel continues to grow exponentially as we invest even more in VH1 Classic's programming. VH1 Classic is an even bigger priority now, and I will make sure that the channel continues its upward trajectory.

To recap: Nearly the entire staff of VH1 Classic has been fired, but the channel will continue to operate … you know, as per usual.

Calerdone's full staff memo, after the jump.

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Like the half million blogs (or so) launched everyday, VH1's show about blogs might end up suffering the same fate: premature bust.

HushHush is the name of the network's new pop culture series that's hoping mainstream buzz about blogs – is that still going on? – will be its ticket to a successful new programming gimmick. Their magic formula: take the editors behind wildly successful indie entertainment blogs, put them in front of a camera, and bam!, insta-ratings.

Unfortunately for them, the bloggers aren't buying it.

Last month, VH1 fired off invitations to audition to what seemed like anyone who had put their fingers on a keyboard and launched a blog mildly related to entertainment. Blogs including Just Jared, Hollywood Tuna, and even our own MollyGood and Jossip were pitched for the series. (To get it out of the way: As much as we heart VH1 and Best Week Ever, this blog didn't even respond to their emails. Getting pitched for that Joan Rivers show was insulting enough.)

Try-outs were held in New York and Los Angeles over the past couple weeks, with VH1 flying in potential on-camera talent for group auditions where bloggers – many of whom had never met before – were encouraged, according to one insider, to "act like they were friends" on camera and joke around with each other like old pals. (Or, as one hopeful put it, "Act like idiots in front of a bunch of producers who [themselves] didn't know what the fuck they wanted from us.")

More blogger backlash after the jump.

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Is Perez Hilton's reality show keeping a dream alive? After our report yesterday that VH1 had passed on the lackluster production, a tattler speaks up from inside the MTV talent factory and claims the home of Best Week Ever hasn't officially passed on the show yet — but there's been no deal signed. This latest bit of information places Perez's deal in the "in talks" stages (where it's languished for months), though another source claims VH1 turned its back as far back as last month.

Either way, there is one huge concern at the network: Perez's outing of gay celebrities. An insider tells us MTV brass is furious that he continues tormenting the likes of Lance Bass, T.R. Knight, and Neil Patrick Harris — and it could be a deal breaker. The blogger (real name: Mario Lavandeira) is pissing off execs on personal and professional levels: Not only are many of the decision makers gay themselves, but they're worried about connecting the MTV family to someone who makes a living off forcing red carpet walkers out of the closet, and how that could impact their congenial relationships with powerhouse publicists and agents.

And just imagine the possibility of parodying Perez on BWE suddenly being off limits!

Exclusive

Not only did professional hanger-on Perez Hilton get served with court papers from the paparazzi this week – in public, no less, but then again he does work at The Coffee Bean – we hear the celeb blogger's reality show recently got the shaken head from VH1. And, from what we understand, VH1 isn't the first network to say no to the production. How come they passed over Perez? One TV insider tells us, in no uncertain terms, that the footage "sucks" and that "the big celeb he has on the show is his songwriter friend Diane Warren. Apparently when they realized the celeb factor is pretty C-list, they head to Miami to do segment with Gloria Estefan." Meanwhile, our source says VH1 has cut him from the network almost entirely. No reality show gig, no talking head gig. Luckily, there's always YouTube. Says one insider: "Kharma really is a bitch. Or as Perez would probably opine, 'Kharma is a cunt.'"