Phillip Wayne Rossi dismissed from TPiR

[Casey Buck]

From golden-road.net:

Today golden-road.net was able to confirm that longtime TPiR producer Phil Wayne Rossi was recently dismissed from the show.  Contestant interview duties are now split between producer Roger Dobkowitz and contestant coordinators Jeff Thisted & Sylvia Clements-Henry.


Phil has always been a highlight to the thousands of visitors that the show has received over the years.  We are certain he will be missed in the future.

[catkins522]

WHAT THE F***!!!!  OH MY GOD!!!!

Charles

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Casey Buck\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 10:07 PM\'] From golden-road.net:

Today golden-road.net was able to confirm that longtime TPiR producer Phil Wayne Rossi was recently dismissed from the show.  Contestant interview duties are now split between producer Roger Dobkowitz and contestant coordinators Jeff Thisted & Sylvia Clements-Henry.


Phil has always been a highlight to the thousands of visitors that the show has received over the years.  We are certain he will be missed in the future. [/quote]
 Damn, Fremangle, you never learn do you? Rocco must be turning over in his grave. Hasn't Phil been at TPIR from the beginning?

Contestant Coordinator huh? Must be a new job title at TPIR. I guess Fingers will move up to producer with Roger, unless of course they plan to axe her too :/

[clemon79]

While I'm certainly not going to be taking any personal emergency days because of this, it does seem rather....sudden. I'd be interested in knowing if this was brewing behind the scenes for a while, but I also understand that those who would know prolly can't say very much about the issue.

[inturnaround]

More bad news from the land of Bob.

C'mon Fremantle! Turn the tide! Make good news for a change and announce everyone's favorite game show announcer with a compass direction name as permanent.

Remember, you can't be lost if you just go West.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 10:30 PM\'] While I'm certainly not going to be taking any personal emergency days because of this, it does seem rather....sudden. I'd be interested in knowing if this was brewing behind the scenes for a while, but I also understand that those who would know prolly can't say very much about the issue. [/quote]
 Given the surprises we've gotten from TPIR in the past decade, one would have to think there was some behind the scenes "brewing".

[chris319]

My hunch is this is pure economics: They get two "contestant coordinators" for a fraction of what Phil was making. Why they need two contestant coordinators for a game show which tapes one show per day 3/4 of the  time is anybody's guess. Why they didn't tap any of the veteran Goodson-Todman contestant coordinators is also anybody's guess.

What is the next career move for a middle-aged former game show producer or contestant coordinator now that the networks do not program game shows any more and the mom-and-pop game show boutiques have closed up shop? Based on what I have been told, Phil's late dad was "comfortable". You connect the dots.

In my estimation the additional cost incurred by going to the four-day-per-week taping schedule far exceeds what Phil was making.

Again, just my hunch.

[Casey Buck]

More info from Marc Green:

Phil's termination was with cause. Bob Barker did not drop the hatchet, nor did Fremantle -- and there is no reason to blame either of these parties for what happened. Phil had total control of his future with the show (or at least as much control as the rest of the staff), but he selected to go down the path that he did.

[chris319]

[quote name=\'Casey Buck\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 08:00 PM\'] More info from Marc Green:

Phil's termination was with cause. Bob Barker did not drop the hatchet, nor did Fremantle -- and there is no reason to blame either of these parties for what happened. Phil had total control of his future with the show (or at least as much control as the rest of the staff), but he selected to go down the path that he did. [/quote]
 So what did he do, boink Barker?

Hey, it happened with one of the models.

[gameshowguy2000]

This is a shock. This is a BIG shock. Never saw it coming.

[tommycharles]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 11:05 PM\']
So what did he do, boink Barker?

 [/quote]
 I just found my New Years Resolution: Use "Boink" as much as possible.

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 11:26 PM\'] [quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 11:05 PM\']
So what did he do, boink Barker?

 [/quote]
I just found my New Years Resolution: Use "Boink" as much as possible. [/quote]
 Yes, my resolution was similar...I just didn't include the word "use".

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 11:33 PM\'][quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 11:26 PM\']
I just found my New Years Resolution: Use "Boink" as much as possible. [/quote]
Yes, my resolution was similar...I just didn't include the word "use".[/quote]
But you left the quotes around "boink", huh?

(ObGSRidiculousness: Bink, bank, boink.)

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Jan 11 2004, 01:41 AM\']
But you left the quotes around "boink", huh?

(ObGSRidiculousness: Bink, bank, boink.) [/quote]
 Well, the quotes make it safe.

(ObGameShows: Did Newlywed ever consider any other words for intercourse than Whoopee?)

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Casey Buck\' date=\'Jan 10 2004, 08:00 PM\']Phil's termination was with cause. Bob Barker did not drop the hatchet, nor did Fremantle -- and there is no reason to blame either of these parties for what happened. Phil had total control of his future with the show (or at least as much control as the rest of the staff), but he selected to go down the path that he did.[/quote]
Please don't send me any more e-mail on this one.

Let it suffice to say that Phil is 2nd generation Goodson and has been at the show for decades. Undoubtedly he deserves credit for having been part of "Price's" unprecedented success. For me, I really enjoyed getting to know Phil and relished the first hand stories of shows, hosts, staffers, celebs, and memorable moments from the entire golden age of TV game shows going all the way back to his being a kid sitting on Roxanne's lap at the original BTC. I appreciate that both Roger and Phil went out of their way to make me feel welcome; both were so very friendly and supportive as I joined the extended family.

I hope we don't dwell on this unfortunate turn of events. All I will say is that I would categorize this somewhere between the "Big Dismantle Conspiracy" some have speculated about and the desciption from Marc quoted above. Certainly this is a sad event; I was absolutely shocked. I wish Phil luck, health and every happiness.


Randy
tvrandywest.com