Television Man

So it appears the star of The Ed Blakely Show, Ed Blakely himself, has announced he’s leaving the show.

Back in October, rumors were ripe that the show would end its run, but the C Ray network remained dedicated to their much hyped star. I speculated that C Ray’s then marquee show might morph into something else without the star, leading to all kinds of new wacky characters to “revitalize” the show.

Just this morning we read that the C Ray network had no knowledge of Blakely’s impending departure.

Ceeon Quiett, the mayor's director of communications, said she suspects that some administrative changes at City Hall are "fueling the chatter." Some departments that have been overseen by Blakely's Office of Recovery and Development Administration are being moved under the auspices of the chief administrative office, Quiett said.

But the Blakely show had declined from its heyday. The writing clearly lacked the edge it had when it spawns such catchphrases as “cranes in the sky” or “buffoons” and production costs had been far greater than originally thought.

I also have to wonder if the new line up of crime comedy/dramas, such as the new spinoff show starring C Ray himself announced just today, and the recent entry of the enormously popular Greg Meffert Show didn’t enter into Blakely ‘s thinking as his ratings plummeted.

But the time slot remains, and Blakely himself indicated the test pattern that substitutes for content will remain on the air.

Blakely said current department directors will remain in place and current tasks, such as code enforcement and housing development, will be unchanged under the renamed bureacratic umbrella.

Exactly what the C Ray network has in store for us, the viewers, remains to be seen.