Monday, May 16, 2011

NBC at the Upfronts

Perhaps it's fitting that NBC--the network which once gave us "must see TV"--kicks off this week of upfront presentations by the television networks to media planners, buyers and advertisers. NBC has given us anything but "must see TV" of late given the network's fourth place standing among the major networks in terms of total viewership.

Here are the highlights of what advertisers will see today from the network of the Peacock:

- Wonder Woman, the re-make from David E. Kelley and starring Adrienne Palicki (Tyra on Friday Night Lights) didn't make the cut for the fall lineup.

- Christina Applegate, one of my favorite comedic actresses, is back in Up All Night, a sitcom about a working mom and stay-at-home husband, played by Will Arnett. Applegate was last seen on Samantha Who?, an engaging comedy which only lasted one season. Up All Night will air on Wednesdays, followed by Free Agents, a comedy starring Hank Azaria which is about co-workers on the romance rebound.

- Smash will premiere on Mondays next year--it's a musical set behind the scenes of a Broadway show and is based upon an idea from Stephen Spielberg.

- The Firm, based upon John Grishman's novel and movie of the same name, will air on Sunday nights.

- Awake is a brain-twister show set in two alternate realities--one in which the protagonist's wife dies in an accident and the other in which his son dies.

- Mario Bello will star in Prime Suspect. This show is a remake of the British detective series which starred Helen Mirren.

- Finally, The Playboy Club--perhaps NBC's riskiest bet--is a prime-time soap opera about this famed Chicago hideaway and the club's various ties to celebrities and gangster types. There's no word whether Playboy owner Hugh Hefner might be asked to make a cameo.

The shows which didn't make NBC's fall lineup include Law and Order: Los Angeles and The Event.

No comments:

Post a Comment