On Thursday, NBC Universal announced a few cost-cutting measures, one of which was programming the 8 p.m. hour with reality/game shows, which are cheaper to produce than scripted series. This raises a few obvious questions: Who exactly pays the prizes on Deal or No Deal (pictured)? Who came up with name NBCU 2.0 for this initiative? And what’s going to happen to The Office and My Name is Earl?
We can’t answer the first two questions, but NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly has already said that The Office and Earl will likely stay in their early timeslots. (Love that resolve, NBC.) At least NBCU 2.0 may explain why Friday Night Lights is getting a test run in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip‘s 10 p.m. slot on Monday, Oct. 30. (That was scheduled to be a Studio repeat, Sorkin fans, so the end is not immediately nigh.) And maybe why the network ordered additional episodes of the Bob Saget-hosted 1 vs. 100 after it debuted to decent numbers a week ago.
Is this the right move for the Peacock, which still trails behind CBS and ABC in total viewers? And more to the point: Are we willing to sacrifice scripted series so Carrot Top can host a game show? (You know he’s next… and yes, I’d be wiliing to sacrifice a scripted show for a Carrot Top-hosted game show. Sadly.)
for shame mandi! forsaking what will likely be horrible drek for even worse horrible drek.
As big as those payoffs may seem, my impression is that most Deal or No Deal contestants win less than $150,000 for an episode. Compare the cost of 6 big winners on Deal or No Deal to the cost of the 6 “Friends”. Friends would be $1 million each per episode, so $6 million per episode on cast costs alone. 6 winners of $150,000 would mean two episodes at a cost less than one cast member on Friends. The numbers do make sense.
NBC would be smart to move it’s good shows up to 9 pm. That would allow me to tivo Betty AND the NBC Thursday night comedy line up. And they should give Friday Night lights a better timeslot. The show is great, even if the format leaves a bit to be desired.
oh, oh, poor NBC is going the way of ABC in 2000… might as well call Regis Philbin to talk them through what may be their biggest failure.
Here’s an idea NBC create shows that people actually want to see, not shows about the insides of hollywood tv shows, because frankly we don’t care. and you created two. The Best Drama of Football, sorry to say, happens in the Football field. so, as excellent as friday night lights is, on a Friday night, I’m out trying to get… well what every 20 something does on a friday night.
In 2000, ABC ruined their schedule and fell to the depths, you know what brough them out of those depths. LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, UGLY BETTY, GREY’S ANATOMY… what do those shows have in common, they connected with their audiences cause they were all excellent.
is it really all that difficult to understand that.
God, I am so, so, so sick of reality TV and game shows!!!!! I think this move will send NBC deeper into the toilet. The only chance they have is to continue to develop quality shows like “Heros: and “Friday Night Lights”.
I’m going with Miles here. NBC is definitely going the way of the ABC temp-fix of putting money in high-profile game shows. While at first the Nation LOVES them (God only knows why), the numbers fall as quickly as they rocketed.
NBC has some good shows. What they need to do is STAND BEHIND THEM (Unlike FOX…enough said). Put them in better time slots. Pit like-shows together so people can enjoy everything and not feel so scattered. But most of all…stay away from gimmicky game/reality shows. ABC was the dud of the networks just a few years ago, but finally rebounded when it took time to invest in QUALITY scripted shows like Lost, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, etc. and standing by them (even during little slumps here and there). One would think NBC would be smart enough to pick up on that.
One would think…
If this is the case, where is 30 Rock going?
People really need to stop watching reality TV. I’m doing my part.
I like game shows but they were much better in the morning. Sale of the Century, Super Password, Card Sharks, those were game shows. D.O.N.D and 1 v 100 are good shows but I feel that the bottom is going to drop out like it did with Millionare in 1999.
Between the plastic surgery, drugs, and steroids, I can’t even look at Carrot Top anymore, let alone listen to him. As long as “The Office” and “Earl” are safe, I don’t care what NBC does in its 8 o’clock hour.
For its part, NBC had crafted two incredibly high quality shows this season–Friday Night Lights and Kidnapped–and both of these shows are suffering from low ratings, and the later is being cancelled after 13 episodes.
Studio 60 needs to go. It is too expensive to produce for such terrible returns. 30 Rock is fantastic, and should be paired up with “Earl”,”office” and another good sitcom.
I don’t feel too bad for NBC, they turned down UGLY BETTY, probably to make room for STUDIO 60 or 30 Rock, last nights episode of UGLY BETTY transcended television and became art. It was the funniest, most entertaining, best written and acted hour of television i’ve seen in a long time. As far as NBC’s fall, is just karmic repercussion for all their bad decisions in this past couple of years. I say, they are reaping what they sowed, and I wish them a thousand more 30 rocks… cause well, frankly the only time I tune to NBC is for Heroes, the rest of the time, is like NBC doesn’t even exist.
put scrubs and 30 rock with office and earl!
So much for history repeating itself. In the 80s, NBC had good quality shows that no one watched. They stood behind them. Watched their quality shows win Emmys and surge in the ratings. This years shows have been on a month and NBC is already talking about more reality/game shows. I’m sure Deal or No Deal will be successful for years.
It’s a shame that NBC is looking for a temporary fix rather than a permanent one. This will fail, just as Millionaire failed when they decided to give us Regis overkill. I can’t stomach Howie Mandel ONCE a week, let alone five. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Friday Night Lights finds an audience. It deserves to find one.
These NBC people are GENIUSES! Let’s test our show about football during the 2nd hour of Monday Night Football. Brilliant! Rumor has it Jeff Zucker came up with the idea for New Coke.