"'They call her the black widow. Every program she touches turns to death,' growled our source. 'She is on very thin ice.'" That was how Page Six described Universal Media Studio President Katherine Pope (pictured) last month in a suspiciously positioned item foisting blame for the network's disastrous string of recent offerings—shows like Bionic Woman, My Own Worst Enemy, Lipstick Librarians, and freshly squeezed lemon Knight Rider—on her fetchingly exposed shoulders. Nikki Finke accuses Silverman of having leaked the items himself ("that's one of the fringe benefits of his selling his Reveille to Elisabeth Murdoch and yachting with her this summer") in her analysis of today's shakeup that saw not just Pope's exit, but that of NBC Entertainment EVP Teri Weinberg, as well. (Weinberg was the D-girl Silverman brought over from Reveille who was later discovered in the compromising position technically referred to in the business as shtupping your showrunner. Because no one ever fucks anyone they work with in Hollywood—ever.)

Brought in to fill the vacuum is Angela Bromstad, former studio president who had been exported via Empire prison ship to NBC's distant outpost on the Fog Planet London, roughly around the time Silverman was plucked by the tiny, manicured hand of NBC Universal God Himself, Jeff Zucker, to run the network.

Also out is Craig Plestis, EVP of Alternative Programming, Development and Specials (i.e. their reality-shmata guy) after higher-ups carefully examined his body of work and deemed it—save for a few, shining, jug-flattened gems—to have come up short. He's replaced by BBC Worldwide America's Paul Telegdy, the man responsible for Dance Wars: Sassy Gaytalian vs. Cloris's Dragonlady Nemesis.

Of Bromstad's re-appointment, one TV exec told us, "Angela didn't do that well first time around so what makes them think she's gonna do better now?"

Well, she can't possibly make things any worse!