Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly, who has been with the network since 2007, is leaving his post this June after a season of few hits and declining reality/drama franchises.

In his last words to Fox staff, ​Reilly advised the broadcaster to avoid pilot season at all costs. During the January TCA press tour, Reilly led the charge behind the need for a drastic change in the pilot system, saying that it belongs to a bygone era that network TV should leave behind. He and the team at Fox followed that up by giving new drama “The Red Band Society” an order as a “series prototype,” coining the phrase for his vision of the new fall season format. Other broadcasters followed suit, with reports that ABC, CBS and NBC wanted to experiment with similar strategies for the coming fall.

Reilly ended his In his memo to staff on his departure with the following: “P.S. – Don’t go back to pilot season!” Read the full memo at Deadline.

Reilly has been the brain behind some of Fox’s biggest hits in the last seven years, including “24,” “House,” “Bones.” He also presided over the network while its former ratings giant, “American Idol,” led Fox to decisive ratings wins year after year. But with that show now in its twilight, it became harder to gloss over the network’s other problems.

No successor has been identified, so in the meantime Fox execs will report to Peter Rice, chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group.

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.

Brief Take: Reilly’s departure could mean a change of plans in Fox’s fall strategy - the pilot season may be antiquated for broadcasters, but also might stick around for a few more years without Reilly actively pushing against it.

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