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EXCLUSIVE: It’s like Parenthood for guys. NBC is developing The Crew, a testosterone-heavy underdog family drama set in the world of NASCAR from Heroes writer-producer Joe Pokaski and NBC Universal-based producer Scott Stuber. The ensemble revolves around the family of distinctly different “brothers” on a NASCAR racing team who have their own lives and dreams, opportunities and problems — but as a team share a singular goal to be the best.
There have been a number of NASCAR-themed projects developed at the broadcast networks in the past several years, including an animated Fox series about a dysfunctional family involved in NASCAR starring Jeff Foxworthy. What sets The Crew apart is that it is expected to be done in cooperation with NASCAR. NBC is in negotiations with the racing league for the rights to use its name, logos, tracks, race footage, etc. Stuber already has a similar arrangement with NASCAR on the feature side at Universal Pictures where he is producing a NASCAR drama with Gary Ross attached to direct. CAA-repped Pokaski is writing/executive producing The Crew under his overall deal with UMS which is producing the project.
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And NBC is officially canceled.
If it’s written well it could have potential, and perhaps fill the Friday Night Lights shaped hole that will be in my heart once that show finishes this last season.
Forget this latest attempt to corner the guy market by making a family drama revolved around sports – if that’s what NBC wanted, why didn’t they just try and save “Friday Night Lights”? If they pull another knee-jerk reaction the second it has a low week, it will pushed to Saturdays at 9PM before you know. Of course, if this partnership is the first step NBComcast is making to grab some of the NASCAR race budget, they’ll be forced to keep the show on the air.
Instead of all this theorizing, let’s talk about the brilliance that is “Parenthood” — which, by the way, is for guys! In fact, it’s probably the only family drama on network TV that actually appeals to men and women. Sadly for NBC, they haven’t gotten the word out. Putting it on at 10PM against “Good Wife” (strong female aud) and “Detriot 1-8-7″ (strong “I guess if CSI isn’t on tonight I’ll watch this instead” aud). It’s a 9PM show, and if they don’t move it soon it will die a horrible death, which is a shame. It’s completely turned around Dax Shepard’s career, while highlighting the great range of Craig T. Nelson and Peter Krause. (Lauren Graham is fantastic too, but she’s not really changing up her range – when it ain’t broke…)
There are tons of NASCAR fans, for sure – but if the show delves into too much family stuff, will they care? It’s going to need to be less “Parenthood” and more “Sons of Anarchy” / “Friday NIght Lights” to succeed with the NASCAR crowd.
This is a really good idea. Surprising that it didn’t happen earlier. I would say that it seems like basic cable but the distinction between network and basic cable has eroded to an indeterminate.
Five years too late.
Five years too late is so ON THE MONEY! And, Scott Stuber was also producing a movie 3 years ago. Umm.
Nbc we need Parenthood onair.is my favorite family show,and i cant believe it that Parenthood is her in Norway (europe)to.All my friends and family love thats show,Maybe Nbc have to try to send the parenthood on diffrent day or time,is very good show and alot of familys i now ,feel simalar when you watch the parenthood.so keep the parenthood on televison.LOL FROM NORWAY FANS
NBC should learn its lesson from FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and run away from any sports-themed series; they’re just too niched for a broadcast audience!
After “South Park”‘s brilliant NASCAR episode, this is entirely redundant… although, for all we know, that is indeed what gave NBC the idea of appealing to the demographic…
This show is appropriate to accompany NBC’s own “race to the bottom.” And South Park’s NASCAR episode was one of their worst. Uninspired, one-joke repeated ad-nauseum. I love SP, but they really shat the bed with the NASCAR episode, which was already nailed in Talladega Nights.
So…it was a great show after all! Toldja Steve McPherson…
Hey creators of the new NASCAR series and all other series that are being pitched to NBC — scroll one of two stories up on Deadline and checkout how NBC’s new programs are performing. The answer? Horrible. Now, many of these shows are terrible but a couple are actually pretty good. Yet they too perform poorly in the ratings.
It’s time for show creators to realize that viewers simply refuse to sample new NBC programs. Call it the Conan-effect. Call it bias. Call it that they’re out of the habit of tuning to NBC. The bottom line is by placing your show with NBC, you’ve basically signed on for failure.
The only way a NASCAR show would work would be if it ran counter to NASCARs image. And without NASCAR on board there is no point in it.
But think of the product placement.
True. Nascar doesn’t want a show about an alcoholic driver and his many mistresses focusing on the danger in his life off the track as well as on… But that’s the only way it would be a good show.
the idea that the only way it will work is if it’s ‘counter to NASCAR’s image’ is right on the money…lets tell the truth…what really happened in America when stock car racing began…what started it, and how long did it tke before it became NASCAR…what were the parallel conditions that brought the most popular sport in America into being…who were these people: Depression, prohibition, the invention of the Flathead FORD V8 which made racing even possible, Liquor running, the revenuers…then WWII…would run beautiflly against Boardwalk Empire…anybody listening?!?!
NBC, like CBS and ABC are mere shells of their former selves. Amongst a vast sea of unbelievably rotten programming it doesn’t surprise me that a drama about a NASCAR family would get the green light. Holy Toledo, the rednecks are probably dancing with joy on their tippy toes in their pointy-toed cowboy boots over such a program. Maybe the CMT network should buy into the idea, since all of the programming CMT airs is a pathetic joke!
too bad this one didn’t go to CMT. I don’t think they have that much crap on their air, but this sure would help.
Very interesting. NBC’s challenge will be to find a way to market it to women, as was their problem with Friday Night Lights.
extremely tough show to develop due to story constraints, good luck.
I am glad to see Network interest in the sport…but it will be a tough sell to the MASCAR fanbase and others…if it’s a watered down version of what is really going on, captive fans will turn away…and, NASCAR is in the media daily…we watch the races, we see the interviews and all the press every day…the modern day story of NASCAR is a part of our daily lives already…no family drama can match the real life drama of the sport unless it runs contrary to the projected image of NASCAR…I think the key is the telling the story of the origin of the sport…based on true characaters and events of the times…it is far more interesting, and I have done my homework on this…