After months of hype, VH1 has canceled the new reality series, "Liza & David," which was to feature weekly dinner parties with newlyweds Liza Minnelli and David Gest.

It's a surprise move from the cable network, which had hoped for an "Osbourne"-type hit from the famed singer-actress and her new husband. In fact, the first dinner party had already been filmed with guests Liz Smith, Sandra Bernhard, Isaac Mizrahi, Lynn Wyatt, Cynthia McFadden and Dominick Dunne.

Rob Weiss, who is head of VH1's East Coast programming, told the New York Post, "We've made the decision not to move forward with the 'Liza & David' show on VH1. Although we continue to believe that Liza is an amazing talent, we were not given the cooperation that we were promised." The New York daily also quotes a "source close to the aborted reality show" as saying, "We discovered what a lot of people already knew: David Gest is impossible to work with."

Liza Minnelli, an Oscar winner for her performance in Cabaret, was last on Broadway in a tribute to her late father entitled Minnelli on Minnelli; she returned to New York City's Beacon Theatre this year with her acclaimed concert Liza's Back! In addition to her Tonys for Flora, the Red Menace and The Act, Minnelli was awarded a special Tony in 1974 for "adding lustre to the Broadway season." Her film credits include "The Sterile Cuckoo," "Arthur," "New York, New York" and "Stepping Out." The singer is also a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress. Her newest album, "Liza's Back!," is now in stores.

—By Andrew Gans