or


[08/01/11 - 10:49 AM]
Greenblatt: "We Want to Restore NBC to Its Leadership Position in Quality"
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- "I think like anyone in a job like this, I will take all the credit for the shows that work and blame people who are no longer at NBC if they don't," NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt joked at the start of the network's executive session at the TCA Summer Press Tour.

Greenblatt was on hand to tout the Peacock's freshman series, manage expectations considering its status as the fourth place network and make a few programming announcements:

-- Bela Bajaria has been tapped to oversee the revamping of Universal Media Studios. She comes from CBS where she served as SVP, Cable Programming for CBS TV Studios, and SVP of Movies and Miniseries for the network.

-- Greg Daniels has inked a new overall deal with Universal Media Studios. "It's a new deal to develop all kinds of programming but we also want to emphasize animation which is something Greg is very key on getting back into."

-- Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions likewise have set up shop at the studio.

-- NBC is developing a new comedy to star former network mainstay turned producer Sean Hayes. "It's [early] but we're honing in on an idea that I'll let you know more about in the coming weeks." He adds that they have "an incredible writer/creator" to spearhead the project. "I really think it's time for him to star in a comedy again."

-- "The Voice's" Adam Levine is developing a new comedy at the network. "He's expanding his growing empire," Greenblatt adds. Dick Wolf ("Law & Order") likewise is behind a new firefighter drama to be written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas ("3:10 to Yuma"). "We're very happy to get them in the tent."

-- Michael Buble will topline a new holiday special produced by Ben Silverman and Lorne Michaels.

-- On the producing side, Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner are developing "Celebrity Game Night," a reality game show pilot in which celebrities crash people's weekly game nights. "That will be going forward in the next few months."

-- Greenblatt reveals that "The Voice" will indeed premiere following the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5. The series will then move into its regular home on Monday, February 6 at 8:00/7:00c leading into the launch of "Smash" that same night at 10:00/9:00c.

-- Greenblatt affirms that Mariska Hargitay, despite a purported reduced workload, will be in every episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" this season.

-- As far as his goals for the season: "We want to restore NBC to its leadership position in quality. We're going to do attention getting shows. Hopefully we will have patience to see those attention getting shows get [their] shot at success."

-- "Yes, I wasn't complete surprised," Greenblatt says with regards to KSL's decision not to air "The Playboy Club." "That brand name is very polarizing. The show isn't all that revealing shall I say. But that station in Utah, they don't program 'Saturday Night Live.' They don't take 'Saturday Night Live' so I think when you look at that market they have decisions to make for their own audiences."

-- On if shows from his previous home, Showtime, could work on NBC: "I think those shows work in those smaller universes where you're not really expecting, where the business model isn't based on the most people watching your show." He would later add, that being said, "I think we've got to find ways to conceptually excite the audience."

-- On the decision to pass on "I Hate That I Love You": "It's just a pilot that didn't ultimately come together. I loved the script and sometimes these pilots go through the process and get all of the elements working. And it's just a pilot that didn't quite come together."

-- "I would be thrilled if it continued to do what it was doing," Greenblatt said about his expectations for "The Office" going forward. "There's a new actress coming besides [James] Spader," he added coyly without giving a name. "I think as the season goes on you'll see a couple of, this is a playground for really extraordinary comic actors... I think there's going to be a few people that are going to come in and sort of guest star as the season goes on. But I didn't mean to tease you with there's some big name to be revealed that's coming."





  [august 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· CHICAGO FIRE (NBC)
· HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT (NBC)
· I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU (NBC)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· PLAYBOY CLUB, THE (NBC)
· SMASH (NBC)
· UNTITLED ADAM LEVINE PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED SEAN HAYES PROJECT (NBC)
· VOICE, THE (NBC)





[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
CFP Contenders and Non-Conference Clashes Headline ESPN's Industry-Leading, Early-Season College Football Schedule Reveal at Disney Upfront
Nine of ESPN.com's Way-Too-Early Top 25 are featured in the schedule release, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 11 LSU.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
The Grammy Awards Set to Take Place Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027, and Will Air Live on ABC and Stream on Disney+ and Hulu
The upcoming ceremony marks a historic shift for the organization as the 2027 Grammy Awards will be the first ceremony to air on ABC since 1972, ushering in a new era for the most celebrated night in music.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
Disney and the Country Music Association Extend Relationship Through 2032
As part of the new agreement, the CMA Awards will stream live on Disney+ for the first time ever, alongside its traditional broadcast on ABC, kicking off with "The 60th Annual CMA Awards" on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

[05/12/26 - 02:24 PM]
ESPN's "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Kicks Off 40th Season in Baton Rouge with 500th Show on the Road
Following Baton Rouge, College GameDay will travel to Austin, Texas on September 12 for a battle of powerhouse programs in Week 2 as the Texas Longhorns host Ohio State in a rematch of last season's 14-7 Buckeyes' win in Columbus.

[05/12/26 - 02:06 PM]
Paul Anthony Kelly Joins Cast of FX's "American Horror Story" Installment 13 Coming This Fall to FX and Hulu
FX's "American Horror Story," the global phenomenon that has garnered more than 100 Emmy nominations since its launch in 2011, returns for an unrivaled 13th installment that will do justice to everyone's most feared number.

[05/12/26 - 01:55 PM]
Disney+ Becomes the Exclusive Home of the Banana Bowl This October
Known for blending athleticism with entertainment, the game will include one of the biggest performances the league has ever seen, bringing together all six teams, along with its signature on-field showmanship from first pitch to final out.

[05/12/26 - 01:42 PM]
The 99th Oscars Reunites Host Conan O'Brien and Executive Producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan
The 99th Oscars will air live on ABC and Hulu on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT.

[05/12/26 - 01:38 PM]
Savannah Bananas' Jackson Olson Slides Into the Ballroom for "Dancing with the Stars" Season 35
The full cast of celebrities and professional dancers will be announced Wednesday, September 2, exclusively on "Good Morning America."

[05/12/26 - 01:32 PM]
ESPN Sets the Stage for Super Bowl LXI With Week Long Expansive Broadcast and Fan Experience on Santa Monica Beach
These efforts are all building toward Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, which will air on ESPN and ABC and mark ESPN's first production of the Super Bowl.

[05/12/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 4 - The Critters of "Swapped" Soar to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
The pursuit of justice is action-packed in "Man on Fire," which set the English TV list ablaze at No. 1 with 12.6 million views.

[05/12/26 - 11:31 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "The Last Laugh: Stephen Colbert" to Stream on Friday, May 15 on the CNN App
The special will also air Sunday, May 17 at 8pm ET on CNN, just days before the highly anticipated finale of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

[05/12/26 - 11:13 AM]
BET Greenlights Manny Halley Productions' "Lot Patrol," A Star-Studded Mockumentary Comedy Series
A mismatched squad of eccentric security guards patrols the chaotic backlot of a major Hollywood studio, where they wrangle unhinged actors, rogue crew members, and their own wildly dysfunctional personal lives.

[05/12/26 - 11:01 AM]
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Will Air a Repeat on Thursday, May 21, The Night of the Final Telecast of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"
"The Tonight Show" will air an all-new episode on Friday, May 22, featuring Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, and musical guest Maluma.

[05/12/26 - 11:00 AM]
AspireTV to Premiere "City Eats: Charleston" This June
The series is a culinary journey through one of America's most historic and flavor-rich cities, hosted by celebrity chef and TV personality G Garvin.

[05/12/26 - 10:36 AM]
Fan-Favorite Crime Drama, "The Madame Blanc Mysteries," Renewed for a Fifth Season on AMC Global Media's Acorn TV
Filming is currently underway in Gozo and Malta.