executive session-related stories
Posted Aug 5th 2009 2:21PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Industry, The Apprentice, Saturday Night Live, The Office, Heroes, 30 Rock, TCA Press Tour, Chuck, Reality-Free
We just got done with the NBC executive session, where primetime entertainment head Angela Bromstad and alternative programming (read: reality) chief Paul Telegdy took the reporters questions.
Of course, many of the questions had to do with
The Jay Leno Show and Ben Silverman's departure. What the gathered reporters got out of the two executives was evasiveness, referrals to other executives, and a general sense that the two of them either don't know or don't want to provide answers about their own network.
When the question of Leno and
CBS's Nina Tassler's assertion that NBC would declare victory no matter what numbers they got, Bromstad tried to pass us to the session for Leno's show later in the day. Telegdy did the same. But we wouldn't let them off the hook. An example exchange, for instance, went like this:
Continue reading NBC execs don't seem to know much about NBC - TCA Report
Posted Aug 3rd 2009 1:12PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Industry, TCA Press Tour, Reality-Free
CBS programming chief Nina Tassler held court this morning in the CBS executive session. Her network is in an extremely strong position, so there wasn't much in the way of controversy to report, but here are some interesting tidbits from the session:
- Laurence Fishburne's character of Dr. Langston on CSI will assume a more take-charge position this year, he'll also be given a "wardrobe makeover" so he seems, as Tassler put it "more comfortable in his own clothes."
- Jorja Fox will be back for the first five episodes. And one of the main characters will get promoted. I won't spoil it for you, but you can probably figure out who it might be.
- A new Let's Make A Deal with Wayne Brady as host, will be taking the place of Guiding Light. Tassler wouldn't go so far as saying this is a trend towards the return of daytime network game shows, but she did say she wanted to get a new LMAD on the air for a while.
- No plans to bring back Flashpoint right now, though they can. More Canadian cross-production deals on the way, including The Bridge.
- On NBC's late-night / Leno strategies: "Whatever numbers they get, they'll declare victory anyway, so it doesn't matter."
- On the departure of Ben Silverman of NBC: "I'm really just a D-girl, so I wouldn't comment."
Continue reading CBS exec session: CSI changes, Let's Make A Deal... and a few shots at NBC - TCA Report
Posted Jul 19th 2008 12:28PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Industry, Dexter, TCA Press Tour, Weeds, Reality-Free
When I posted
the news items that came out of Showtime's portion of the CBS tour, the one question I got was "When will
Dexter be back?" Well, network president Robert Greenblatt mentioned that the third season would debut in September. No word beyond that. Didn't seem like news to me. But there you are,
Dexter fans; that's all I've got on that.
The executive session was introduced by a semi-funny clip from one of the network's stars, Tracey Ullman. Really, it wasn't that good, so I won't talk much about it here. Greenblatt also showed clips of
The United States of Tara and
Nurse Jackie during his opening remarks. Other than that? Well, isn't that enough?
Continue reading Showtime wrap-up: executive session and four shows talk at once - TCA Report
Posted Jan 19th 2007 11:44AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: CBS, Industry, TCA Press Tour
I've held off reporting on the CBS executive session at the TCA press tour yesterday because there's not much to say. That's what happens when you're the number one network and there aren't many open spots on the schedule.
Unlike ABC and NBC, whose network programming heads went solo, CBS trotted out not only Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, but Nancy Tellem, the president of the CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, and Kelly Kahl, CBS's EVP of programming operations.
The only thing that really concerned the trio was the presence of what NBC's Kevin Reilly called the "Death Star":
American Idol. The concern was so great that the three of them used more science fiction terminology than you'd ever expect network executives to know.
Continue reading CBS execs: we're #1 and we know it - TCA Report
Posted Jan 18th 2007 10:47AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: NBC, Industry, TCA Press Tour
Besides announcing the
renewal of four shows, NBC Entertainment Kevin Reilly spent his executive session talking about "tent posts" and spewing sports analogies. But all of it said that he was pretty optimistic about the future of his network.
He definitely thinks being patient with shows is imperative, especially when you're working from behind as his network is. "Vision is a word that gets thrown around a lot but is in short supply," he spoke of shows like
The Office, that started out slow and built audience. "When you got it, grab it." Among his new "vision" shows are
30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, and
Studio 60.
Continue reading NBC president Kevin Reilly optimistic about the future - TCA Report
Posted Jan 17th 2007 1:20PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, NBC, Industry, Law and Order, My Name Is Earl, The Office, Heroes, Pickups and Renewals, TCA Press Tour
NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly started his network's portion of the TCA press tour by announcing full-season renewals for four shows:
My Name Is Earl, Heroes, Law & Order: SVU, and The Office. This means all four shows will be back for new seasons in the fall. Reilly called those shows, and a number of others, "tent posts" that he thinks will bring the network back to a much stronger position than it has been in recent years.
In other news, Reilly announced the pickup of a new improv pilot called
Thank God You're Here, where improv comics will don a costume unknown to them, enter a scene, and attempt to improvise through it. It will be hosted by David Alan Grier, and the improv comic's skills will be "judged" by Dave Foley. Where does the name of the show come from? Well, when the comic enters with his costume on, the other comics in the scene will say, "Thank God You're Here!" Clever, ain't it?
More on the executive session later today.
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