It does seem that NBC always keeps fumbling. So I’m not sure which is funnier this morning: that NBC didn’t have any security keeping journalists away from its tech rehearsal at a NYC Hilton hotel. Or that The Hollywood Reporter just revealed bits and pieces of NBC’s upfront presentation – from the 2010-2011 schedule (Deadline TV’s analysis here) to Alec Baldwin’s taped comic intro (as his 30 Rock character Jack Donaghy praising advertisers as “the bright shining sun in our money universe”), to Entertainment President Angela Bromstad’s strategy speech, to Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin acknowledging that the network has made some mistakes this season but is moving on with a stronger new slate, to even the pre-prepared jokes.
Both reporter James Hibberd and NBC have confirmed that he obtained this info by sneaking into the network’s upfront presentation rehearsal. No executives were there, but it didn’t matter: the run-through script was unveiled. Wrote Hibberd about what he heard: “Gaspin also jokes that having this year’s NBC upfront at a Hilton hotel instead of a posh theater allows him to gain some Hilton Honors rewards points. The downside to having an upfront at the Hilton is it makes it easier for a reporter to crash your upfront’s tech rehearsal.” The result is that a pissed-off NBC has banned THR from covering the network’s upfront or interviews or calls. (This is the 2nd time that NBC has iced THR recently.)
Meanwhile, insiders have confirmed to me that the following NBC schedule is accurate barring any last-minute changes before it’s officially released at 5 PM ET. It consists of an action-adventure Monday night, a crime drama Wednesday night, and an all-comedy Thursday night. The new sitcom Outsourced replaces Parks & Recreation which shifts to midseason along with new comedies. Despite expectations, NBC did not launch a new comedy block in addition to Thursday although Bromstad will say the network was tempted. ”But ultimately we decided [Thursday is] where our audience expects them.”
MONDAYS
8 P.M. CHUCK
9 P.M. THE EVENT
10 P.M CHASE
TUESDAYS
8-10 P.M. BIGGEST LOSER
10 P.M. PARENTHOOD
WEDNESDAYS
8 P.M. UNDERCOVERS
9 P.M. LAW & ORDER: SVU
10 P.M. LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES
THURSDAYS
8 P.M. COMMUNITY
8:30 P.M. 30 ROCK
9 P.M. THE OFFICE
9:30 P.M. OUTSOURCED
10 P.M. LOVE BITES
FRIDAYS
8 P.M. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE / SCHOOL PRIDE
9 P.M DATELINE
10 P.M. OUTLAW (AKA GARZA)
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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That will teach THR.
NBC won’t let them have the info they already got.
Note to COMCAST: Fire Jeff Zucker.
I must have missed the announcement that Parks & Rec was canceled…
Midseason. They are shooting Season 3 right now as Amy is about to give birth pretty soon.
It’s not. It was just moved to midseason
I saw a snesk peek at Undercovers, The Event and Love Bites. I expect that Undercovers and Love Bites will get great ratings at least initially.
Saw the same sneaks, and while I agree with you on The Event, I predict a steep slide for Undercovers unless they retool it before the fall. Didn’t you think it seriously dragged in some places, especially for a high concept spy show? They can fix most of the things I didn’t like with some good editing, but the question is: will they?
Nothing here I want to see.
Parenthood is the best series they got — and what support with THE BIGGEST LOSER. Katim’s and crew deserve better…
The Biggest Loser is NBC’s highest rated show. Its just that NBC as a whole has some pretty low rated shows (except of course for NFL Football)
Cant believe NBC is going to air Love Bites thursdays at 10!I dont think ABC is going to move Private Practice from that slot and both shows are after the same demographic. If NBC leaves the show there, its going to tank.
Is Parks & Rec coming back midseason?
Maybe I missed you mentioning this elsewhere, but what happened to Parks & Rec?
Who cares anyway? Outside of a few appointment tv shows, most people time-shift and make their own viewing schedules.
It’s the fact that most of their shows suck that no one is watching, not what time they are scheduled…
NBC should stand for “Nobody Cares”
Adding this incident to a long list of recent missteps, NBC is truly becoming the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. What THR did certainly isn’t original: one of NBC’s own PR executives did likewise years ago as a trade reporter. But it’s NBC’s fault for not taking the usual reasonable steps to safeguard confidential information, particularly when it knows that beat reporters hang around presentation locations during rehearsals in the hopes of scoring something exclusive (i.e. doing their jobs).
Maybe next they’ll boycott you guys for Nellie’s exclusive on Law and Order. These days, NBC should be making media friends, not blacklisting them.
So basically they screwed up but they’re punishing THR… classy, NBC!
Gutsy move, Hibberd! kudos!
Where’s Parks and Recs? That was renewed.
Where is Parks and Recreation. The one regularly funny show from thursday? Is it midseason now?
Where’s Parks and Recreation?
Parks and Rec?
Seems pointless to ban him from the presentation when he already saw it. Seems equally pointless to ban him and THR from the calls, what’s to stop him from standing next to someone else on the call that isn’t banned?
They should be cool about it, give him props for doing his job.
What happened to Parks and Rec? It’s been so good.
Nikki and Nellie,
Last year NBC annouced “SNL Weekend Update Thursday” would air 3 episodes in the fall and 3 in the spring. The 3 in the spring never happened, despite a red-hot year for SNL. Can you find out why? Tension with Lorne??
Finally 30 Rock loses it’s comfort zone and will wither away into nothing. Nice to see NBC wouldn’t lead off the night with the show because they know the ratings would be even worse.
What do have against 30 Rock? It’s a great show.
Uh, what happened to Parks & Recreation?
Um… Parks & Recreation?
I thought Parks and Rec was renewed for a third season?
really, is this at all relevant anymore? are jeff zucker and angela bromstad and their way of doing business relevant anymore? time to “refresh” .
Do NBC execs actually think that this schedule will get them out of 4th place? Most of the shows they picked up are DOA, thus being kept for midseason. Talk about recasting and reshooting most pilots!
Did they also think that L&O:SVU did so well this year at 9 so they thought let’s do it again?
The reason behind a bucketload of series orders is the lack of faith. Oh,OUTLAW got the what should have been the L&O Friday slot.
Why do things like this never happen at any other network?