From The Rich List to The Shit List

Pity poor Éamonn Holmes. The Irishman is a fixture on British television, a colorful presenter and personality who's moved from the news desk to quiz shows, and been splashed across the tabloids because of tiffs with his morning show co-host and romantic traumas as he waits for his marriage to be annulled. He's so popular in the UK, he's even published his autobiography and been parodied in Viz, because he's fat and likes to eat pies (that's a British thing).

This season was supposed to be Éamonn Holmes' greatest yet. He would host his own game show in the USA. In prime time! Éamonn Holmes had dreams of becoming the next Anne Robinson. Or Gordon Elliott. Or Johnny Vaughan. Or... Ross King!

His show, The Rich List, debuted on Fox last Wednesday night. Alas, it did a miserable 1.5 rating, pulling in only about four million viewers and dropping three share points from its lead-in, Bones. Now Fox has yanked The Rich List after only one airing. They'll fill Wednesday's spot with another original episode of The O.C. (and there's speculation that Fox wants to return The O.C. to Wednesdays and give Thursdays over to comedy).

But don't feel too bad for Éamonn. He's got a BBC game show slated for later this year-- with the apt title, Reversal of Fortune. But it's not quite Simon Cowell, is it? Meanwhile, those guys at Fox should have known better when they broke the golden rule of imitation with this take-off on Deal or No Deal and 1 vs. 100. The Rich List needed a washed-up Baby Boomer TV comedian as host!

Jimmie J.J. Walker! Opportunity knocks!

(Read more of what passes for Tabloid Baby's TV wit over at Tvgasm.)