VH1 has decided to drop Dr. Drew‘s Celebrity Rehab from the network’s primetime schedule — at least for the time being.
VH1 is checking out of Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab for now.
The celebreality network has run five seasons of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew since its debut in 2008, but there are no plans for new episodes in the foreseeable future, a VH1 rep told The Wrap this week. While network bosses haven’t outright axed the series, Celebrity Rehab “is not on the schedule currently.”
In July, whispers surfaced that Celebrity Rehab had been placed on “indefinite hiatus” because Dr. Drew decided to step down as host due to his busy schedule.
In addition to his nightly HLN primetime talk show — The Dr. Drew Show — Pinsky fronts a daytime gabfest for The CW, Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers. Drew also hosts the long-running nightly sex/relationship radio program Loveline.
“The amount of time Dr. Drew has to commit to treating celebrities on the show is a tremendous amount of time… Dr. Drew really enjoyed doing the show, even though it could be very emotionally grueling at times,” a production insider told Radar Online.
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Celebrity Rehab stars Dr. Drew Pinsky and a rotating cast of famous faces struggling to conquer their addictive behaviors.
While popular, the series has generated controversy, with some questioning whether the show fosters effective treatment. In 2011, two former cast members died as a result of their addictions.
Grease star Jeff Conaway passed away of complications from prescription drug use in May. Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr was 44 when he died in March, just a few weeks after being arrested for possession of unauthorized prescription drugs.
The show was also plagued by casting struggles. Production was halted on the fourth season of Celebrity Rehab due to the lack of famous drug addicts willing to detox in front of millions of Americans.
The most recent season of Celebrity Rehab ended last summer. Michael Lohan, Sean Young and Bai Ling were among the “celebs” seeking Drew’s expertise on addiction.
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