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Fox News Reportedly Cancels ‘Red Eye’

By Robert Jonathan
Published on: 11:57 PST, Apr 3, 2017

Red Eye with Tom Shillue is no longer with Tom or anybody else.

The Fox News Channel is reportedly cancelling the late-night, satirical talk show about politics and pop culture with a right-of-center sensibility hosted by the quirky stand-up comedian and actor.

Although Fox News has apparently yet to officially issue a statement about the status of the ratings-challenged program, AdWeek/TV Newser broke the story today about the 10-year old series.

“The overnight news/comedy show on Fox News has been canceled, TVNewser has learned, with the final show airing this Friday night at 3 a.m. Host Tom Shillue and co-host Andy Levy are expected to stay on with Fox News.”

Perhaps as a precusor to the end of Red Eye, the Activity Pit fan site for the show also went offline recently.

Red Eye broadcast its first episode on February 5, 2007 as Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld, and developed a strong cult following for its politically incorrect content at least until the last few years.

As alluded to above, before nice guy Tom Shillue took over as emcee of the rotating panel, Gutfeld hosted Red Eye. In July 2011, Gutfeld joined the now-high-rated The Five as co-host while continuing his Red Eye duties. Some fans felt that at some point along the way, he seemed to be mailing it in, which is probably understandable given the workload involved with two daily shows.

The quasi absentee-landlord Gutfeld officially left Red Eye in early 2015 to launch his own show (airing Saturday evenings at 10 p.m.), which hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire in the ratings book. Gutfeld continues on The Five, where he seems to fare better owing to the ensemble format.

The irreverent and unpredictable Gutfeld is the former magazine editor and ex-Huffington Post blogger who developed a huge following after taking his talents to FNC.

Over the years, Red Eye offered many hilarious sequences where the panelists would just riff; many former fans suggest that the show never regained its mojo despite the host switch. Others seem to think that Fox News should have turned over the host job to “ombudsman” Andy Levy instead of Shillue.

In addition to its offbeat humor, the show is/was also known for its famous leg chair.

For whatever reason or combination of reasons, however, many time-shifting viewers presumably ended the practice of recording Red Eye on their DVR.

Related story:

Will Fox News Cancel The Greg Gutfeld Show?

For many fans, the decline of Red Eye began with the departure of Gutfeld’s “repulsive sidekick” and real-life close friend Bill Schulz In November 2013. The circumstances surrounding Schulz’s exit from Red Eye and Fox News entirely have never been publicly explained other than a claim that the parting was amicable.

Longtime panelist Joanne Nosuchinsky left the show in August 2016 to pursue an acting career.

In addition to conservative and libertarian luminaries, Red Eye gave a platform to many up-and-coming comedians of all ideologies or even if they weren’t particularly political. Before achieving stardom (and subsequently going full social justice warrior), Amy Schumer was among the regular Red Eye panelists.

Of late, booking interesting guests seemed to pose an issue for Red Eye producers.

FNC is doing well, however, with Watters’ World and Justice with Judge Jeanine, the two, hour-long shows that precede the Greg Gutfeld Show on Saturdays.

Parenthetically, Fox News also has its hands full with another sexual harassment lawsuit, this one filed today by paid contributor Julie Roginsky.

Watch this space for updates on the apparent Red Eye cancellation by Fox News.

If you are a fan of Red Eye, are you sorry to see the show go, assuming the report is accurate?

[Featured Image by Kathy Willens/AP Images]

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