Image Credit: Chris Hatcher/PR Photos; Michael Kovac/WireImage; Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Noel Vasquez/Getty ImagesThis time last year, Hollywood hitmakers weren’t exactly lining up to make shows for NBC. With Jay Leno’s talk show preparing to suck up five hours of prime-time real estate, some producers wrote off the network because it was airing so few scripted shows. But after a terrible year — bad press over the Leno-Conan debacle, slumping ratings, poorly received new shows like Trauma — the No. 4 network appears to be back in the creative community’s good graces.
NBC has 20 new dramas and comedies in the pipeline from some of the industry’s most successful writer-producers: With five drama slots to fill this fall, the network has already given a 13-episode commitment to J.J. Abrams’ new spy drama, Undercovers. It also has a Kathy Bates legal show called Kindreds in the works from David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Boston Legal); a high-octane action show titled Chase overseen by Jerry Bruckheimer (Without a Trace); an update of The Rockford Files with Dermot Mulroney, created by David Shore (House); and a Love, American Style-type anthology from Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City) that stars Becki Newton (Ugly Betty). There are also some promising comedies, including a semiautobiographical sitcom starring Mad About You’s Paul Reiser and a Matthew Broderick vehicle set at a small-town newspaper. Other intriguing potential fall shows include a drama called The Cape about a wronged policeman who dons a superhero costume to clear his name.
“Right now I’m feeling extremely fortunate,” says NBC’s president of prime-time entertainment, Angela Bromstad, who’s presiding over her first full development roster since taking over for Ben Silverman in January 2009. “We wanted to develop traditional, close-ended-type procedural shows, but with Lost and 24 going away, we were also looking for pieces that would be potential game changers, big-event-type shows. I think you can never be closed off to anything, because that’s when you’ll miss out on something potentially great.”
That’s exactly what NBC will need when it presents its fall lineup to advertisers on May 17. With former cult fave Heroes unlikely to survive — and the long-term viability of hit The Office in question after star Steve Carell hinted that he might be leaving sooner rather than later — NBC needs to convince Madison Avenue that it’s still the home of Must See TV. At the moment, the ratings suggest otherwise: Besides floundering in fourth place with an average of 8.43 million viewers, the network is currently tied for third with ABC in the all-important 18–49 demographic. “They’ve got a lot riding [on this],” says Bill Carroll of Katz Television Group, a media-buying firm. “They need to have something that makes everyone say, ‘Wow.’ They need another ER.”
This is great news for NBC; I’m especially intrigued by what Undercovers could do for the network. They need to find a new “The Office,” though, because that’s their biggest hit and has been their biggest hit for years.
NBC’s Thursday night comedy block from 8-10 is quite good. “Chuck” is fun. Otherwise, they don’t have much.
Parenthood, Chuck, The Office, and Community are the only shows I watch now that are on NBC.
agree, from community to 30 rock, all really funny, good shows. but other then that, not sure what else they got?
“Chuck” and the original “Law & Order” are the only NBC series we watch. I see a lot of potential in the proposed new series, especially with Kathy Bates and Matthew Broderick.
They seem to be trying to copy the successes of other networks, which I guess you can say of most pilots, but it’s like well JJ Abrams produced a hit w/ Lost so let’s get him and Bruckheimer produced some shows on CBS that did well so let’s get him. Ditto David E. Kelley and David Shore. The breakout, game-changing hits are usually more lightening-in-a-bottle then a producer or creator that can consistently churn out hit after hit though. I mean, how many times have we seen a show advertised as coming from the creators of Sex and the City and then see it bomb. And is Fringe even coming back next year? Stop trying ride other networks’ waves NBC.
Fringe has been renewed for a third season; and despite poor ratings this season (it achieved high 4.0 ratings in 18-49 its first season, while this season you can probably attribute the slump to its relocation to a killer timeslot), it is great television.
Fringe is coming back mostly because the network threw it from a pretty awesome spot (Tuesdays following House/Idol) into the meat grinder (Thursday, 9PM) and it stumbled but didn’t collapse. It’s a show that may yet fizzle or may grow back stronger, but it’s a wise investment.
I’m tired of “from the producers” of another show when a new show is launched for the fall. Can’t you start a new comedy or drama from scratch with lesser known names that want to break into the TV business? People don’t want to be dragged into the same thing they saw from Jerry Bruckheimer, JJ Abrams or David E. Kelly last year or 2 years ago with the new show. NBC needs to get more original when they have new shows this fall.
As a huge fan of the original Rockford Files, I think this remake is destined for failure – more than anything else the original was great because of the charm of the lead James Garner and the great supporting cast including his friend Angel. Today’s landscape of tv is fit for the attention deficit where if camera shots don’t change every 2 seconds, people are bored. Rockford was not about the latest in forensic tech, nor about jargon like today’s lame shows – it was about his interactions with people. Heck he rarely used a gun. I will be very curious to see how this works out, but I doubt it will work.
I like shows that do not use guns, it’s one of the reasons I like Buffy. “Guns, they never help.”
Liz, swords, axes, crossbows, bows, knives, daggers, stakes, poisons, fire, curses and just about every blunt object to bludgeon your opponent to death with but you draw the line with guns? In reality guns make less of mess and less overall physical trauma then any of the above. When in the right hands and used properly guns are very helpful. Blame the person not the tool. The U.S. Constitution and all the rights provided by it exist because of the use of guns. But you are entitled to your opinion and free to express it, this Veteran who weilded guns on your behalf says your welcome.
Right… for example, everyone should be able to have explosives. And if people get get hurt, don’t blame the tool, just the person. Great argument.
You folks realize you have turned this into a political debate right?
Perhaps, she just meant fight scenes are more without guns because they last longer? After all, this IS an ENTERTAINMENT website. The Bourne movies are awesome because they have beautifully choreographed fight scenes. Guns end the action way too soon. Dude, lighten up. Not every comment is an attack on the Constitution. Some people would just prefer to watch other people beat the crap out of each other instead of shoot each other. That’s why MMA is so popular right now.
To The Truth,
This veteran says you need to lighten up. Buffy worked because the fight scenes were beautiful and they lasted a long time. A gun has its place, just not in every drama. Liz says she prefers shows that don’t use guns and that is her right. I would like to point out the times that BtVS did use guns it never ended well.
I think it’s destined to fail because no one’s going to be willing to give it a chance. Most TV remakes fail for that reason, even when they’re actually pretty good. They’d have done better if they’d re-imagined the show with a different name. Kind of like how Lost came about because ABC wanted to remake Gilligan’s Island.
Survivor
I think it’s destined to fail because of the star, Dermot Mulroney, who has absolutely no charisma or charm and is about as opposite from James Garner as one could get. And he’s not that great of an actor either.
^This. I was a big Rockford fan and thought a remake might be good until I heard who was starring in it? You want to know who would be perfect? Timothy Olyphant, if he wasn’t already kicking A in Justified. Dennis Becker should be played by Dean Norris, Angel by Walton Goggins and Rocky by John Mahoney.
Right on, Pat. I remember going to see My Best Friend’s Wedding and through the whole movie, I sat there thinking “Why are Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz fighting over this guy?”. The Rockford Files was my favorite show when I was a kid. I always saw David Boreanaz as the logical successor to James Garner. They have the same charm and presence (at least to me, they do!), but since he’s doing so well in Bones, I guess he’s out. I’ll probably watch the pilot of TRF just out of curiosity, but if it doesn’t grab me right away, I won’t watch again.
No one will be as smooth as Rockford and as charming. And they can’t replace that car of his either. I’ll stick with the original – trailer by the beach, tacos, Angel, Becker, Beth, $200 a day plus expenses – they made a classic back then, it needs a remake….why?
Sorry I meant as smooth as James Garner – I think of Rockford and Garner one and the same.
Saw The Great Escape not that long ago, and yes, James Garner is made of awesome.
Hank…I agree with you 100%. Why try to spoil a good thing. I miss his dad too.
I think that people love the old shows as they were and not remakes. That’s why recent remakes of Knight Rider and Melrose Place tanked after one season. You can’t hack with the original. And Rockford Files IS James Garner. I liked the ’70s shows when Garner’s character Jim Rockford was just getting up out of bed in his trailer home, that raw lazy side of him getting ready for the next day that made the show interesting. I don’t think it will fit in with procedural driven shows like CSI.
NBC needs to make sure they renew “Chuck” and keep the Thursday night lineup.
The Thursday comedies are at least set for another year, and right now they’re probably wondering whether The Undercovers will pair with or replace Chuck. Hopefully the former.
Some would say that NBC’s current state is karma paying them back for the whole Coco thing. I would say that inept management and over-confidence brought them here. But it looks like they may be on course to making quality TV once again, but the days of ER-type ratings and hype are probably gone.
Oh they were in the hole long before the whole Coco thing.
Shocking but true. If it was karma, it was because of something they did earlier than that.
Get over the Conan thing! Jesus!
Thank You!!
Well it’s nice to see them try.
I hope they keep Mercy. I have come to enjoy that show, but I get the feeling NBC will cancel it and that’s a shame.
PEople watch shows not networks. Make a show that people want to see. AND I MEAN A SHOW NO A GAME SHOW
Agree. They’ve been riding on that game show trend for 5 years now and I’m not too crazy about Minute to Win It and Guy Fieri. They’re trying to fill in the loss of Deal or No Deal when it didn’t reach a 5th season, but canceled after 4.
Sounds like they are learning from their past mistakes. Examples being passing on “Lost” and the disastrous “Jay Leno Show”.
Had they accepted Lost, the show would have been canceled long ago. Thank God ABC took it. NBC fails.
are you crazy?..the only reason “Lost” stayed on was because it was hit out of the box!..ABC has a terrible track record for nurturing Quality but ratings challenged shows for example, “Pushing Daisies”, “Eli Stone”, “”Better Off Ted”, and “Life On Mars”, Probably would have lasted longer if they had been on NBC!..look at “Community” and “Chuck”, neither one are Ratings powerhouses but NBC has at least given them time to grow!..if they had been on ABC they would be dead by now!
anyone know if undercovers is a serial or procedural show. so like alias or chuck?
Pretty sure that both of them are serial shows. Knowing Abrams history, I gotta believe this one will be the same.
I have no faith in anything NBC does or can do after the way they treated Conan.
I currently watch the Thursday night block of comedy and that is all….I am one of those stubborn people that will never watch a new NBC show. Once Community, 30 Rock and the Office are done so am I.
Unless they have a show on called, “let’s crucicy Jeff Zucker” that I would watch. (not the nail in the hand kind, the string up and leave to bake in the sun for days kinds)
Why are these networks so in love with legal shows? I’m a lawyer, and even I think they’re boring, not one bit creative, and very repetitive.
Paul Reiser? Yuck. And can someone give me a network anthology show that has worked? I’m not trying to be snotty; I wonder if anyone can help me out with this.
I’ve been watching TV since before you’ve been alive (I’m feeling old this morning), and I can’t think of any. And ditto on Paul Reiser. I hated Mad About You because of him. He’s a good stand up comic, but a lousy actor.
Paul Reiser was barefooted in the bed on many episodes of Mad About You in the ’90s. Yuck! Did producers think that they had to expose his bare feet so much? And is there any intersest in a new show with Reiser?
What is your issue with bare feet? That’s weird. Watched MAY all the time and never even noticed.
Hereos not likely to survive? What happened to the 60% chance of having a 13-ep series ending run?
Renew ‘Chuck’ and give it a better time slot!
I so agree with you on the timeslot for Chuck. Chuck is going up against the gauntlet of Monday Night TV with House, HIMYM, DWTS, etc. And yet it is still managing a respectable 6 million viewers.
Does anyone else see tuesday nights becoming Spy-Night TV on NBC? Lead-in with Chuck and follow it up with Undercovers!
That’s a good idea. Or, what about putting Chuck in the once-coveted Thursday night at 10 slot? It’s a perfect ending to NBC’s Thursday night comedy block and might help them regain their ratings for that night.
I like pairing Chuck with the rest of NBC’s comedies on Thursdays
Does this mean it’s time to give up any hope of NBC picking up David Tennant’s Rex Is Not Your Lawyer?
Sadly yes, I was so looking forward to that show. At least NBC’s new line up sound promising.
Rex is Not Your Lawyer was one of the few NBC shows I was looking forward too. I’m definitely not interested in ANOTHER Law and Order. I liked the original Rockford, but I may watch the new one if I hear good things, but it will probably end up like Knight Rider or Bionic Woman. If it had David Tennant in it as a Scottish Rockford, then maybe….
Not necessarily. The buzz on Rex is that it’s only recently quietly gaining steam. Could still happen.