NBC's Fall Roster Leans on Comedy and 'The Apprentice'
May 16, 2005 (NY Times) ...And NBC will rely even more heavily on its reality franchise "The Apprentice," which will probably run in two separate editions next fall, one starring Donald Trump, the other starring Martha Stewart...
Facing its most challenging new prime-time season in two decades, NBC is expected to unveil today a schedule of freshman programs that will try to reinvigorate a comedy heritage gone fallow. And it will rely even more heavily on its reality franchise "The Apprentice," which will probably run in two separate editions next fall, one starring Donald Trump, the other starring Martha Stewart.
A heavy bet is on "My Name Is Earl," starring Jason Lee (in plaid shirt).
And in a somewhat surprising move, NBC plans to cancel the fourth entry in its hugely successful "Law and Order" franchise, "Trial by Jury."
NBC will be the first of the six broadcast television networks to present its coming prime-time schedule to advertisers this week in an annual ritual known as the upfront market, in which the networks seek to sell commercial time ahead of the fall season.
Most executives at agencies and analysts at brokerage firms are forecasting flat to slightly higher revenue for the six broadcasters, compared with the upfront market last year. They are almost unanimous in predicting that the cable networks will enjoy a higher percentage increase, reflecting gains in viewership.
The NBC scheduling move that is likely to attract the most comment will be the double run of "The Apprentice," the enormous hit from last season, which suffered a fall-off after the departure of television's biggest comedy, "Friends."
As of yesterday, NBC was planning to include the fourth installment of Mr. Trump's "Apprentice," along with the spinoff with Ms. Stewart on another night, according to an executive briefed on the network's plans who was not authorized to divulge them and thus requested anonymity. What was not clear yesterday was which of the two programs would have its premiere first.
NBC is also taking a leap of faith on a well-reviewed but low-rated comedy, "The Office," and is likely to pair it with what its executives are said to believe is the network's most promising new comedy, "My Name Is Earl."
The other comedies NBC is expected to order are "Thick and Thin," which stars Jessica Capshaw as a formerly fat, now thin, young woman struggling to keep her weight down, and "Four Kings," starring Seth Green, about four young men who wind up inheriting a posh Manhattan apartment. "The E Ring," set in the Pentagon, will have the highest profile of NBC's new dramas, in part because it comes from Jerry Bruckheimer, who is responsible for the three "CSI" shows.
NBC also plans to add a drama called "Fathom," in which strange creatures of unknown origin and potentially malicious intent begin to be detected around the globe.
The last probable new NBC drama is "Inconceivable," starring Jonathan Cake, about the workings of a fertility clinic.
Forecasters estimate that the 2005-6 upfront market will total $9.2 billion to $9.4 billion, compared with an estimated $9.2 billion to $9.3 billion in the 2004-5 upfront market. The NBC total is being estimated at $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion, compared with an estimated $2.9 billion a year ago.
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