NBC at TCA: Executive Session Live-Blog

It’s NBC time at TCA, and Jennifer Salke (President, NBC Entertainment) and Robert Greenblatt (Chairman, NBC Entertainment) are here to talk about their network.

Follow along for a live-blog…

8:51 AM: NBC is running a sizzle reel for its network.

8:54 AM: Greenblatt says they held back some of their higher profile shows for a midseason launch.

8:55 AM: Greenblatt says they have ordered a new series, TELENOVELA, from Eva Longoria. She will produce/star in it. (The series is about the behind-the-scenes drama of a telenovela.)

“Zachary Levi is going to be joining the cast [of HEROES REBORN],” Greenblatt says. Levi’s role is being kept under wraps.

The network has ordered a miniseries, FREEDOM RUN, about the underground railroad. It’s based on a book, and focuses on three couples. They are also working on a Broadway adaptation of the miniseries, too.

NBC has also closed a deal with Dolly Parton, to create movies based on her music/life.

The Jennifer Lopez series, SHADES OF BLUE, is going into production in June.

9:02 AM: We just saw a (very interesting) trailer for AQUARIUS.

9:04 AM: Greenblatt says they just optioned the rights for THE WIZ. The next musical will either be that or MUSIC MAN. He says there “aren’t enough of those family-orientated projects.”

9:06 AM: Greenblatt points out they wouldn’t have been able to get the cast they got for THE SLAP if it wasn’t a limited series.

9:07 AM: “It’s an important night for a lot of reasons,” Greenblatt says of moving THE BLACKLIST to Thursdays. “We think while the move of BLACKLIST is certainly risky, the only way to reinvigorate that night is to jump-start it…we’re trying to create a night of high-quality drama.”

Salke points out that there are TGIT fans who are now torn…she expects it to do well in L+3/L+7 as well.

9:10 AM: “The day after the ratings, I emailed both Amy and Mike and said, ‘Want to do another season?’ They, of course, did not respond immediately,” Greenblatt says. He was joking, but he’s happy about the ratings. He acknowledges there might be a final season bump for it. But the timing is right to end it.

“We are really challenged by the comedy brand we’re trying to build on this network,” Greenblatt says.

What kind of show are they thinking defines them now? “We drifted into single-cam for the right reasons,” Greenblatt says. They’re going more into multi-cam now.

“We’re talking about doing a live comedy, we’re talking about limited comedy,” Salke says. They’re trying to do what they can to get a hit.

9:12 AM: Will it be safe to say NBC won’t be working with Cosby again? “I think that’s safe to say [that],” Greenblatt says.

9:14 AM: HANNIBAL will be back in the summer

9:16 AM: “We wish the show had done better live,” Salke says of CONSTANTINE. She acknowledges that people are watching in different methods, but the live numbers aren’t what they wanted it to be. Still, she says: “I think it’s fair to say we’re still talking about [a possible season 2].”

9:17 AM: Greenblatt says they felt comfortable with Cosby’s deal, initially, because it wasn’t critical — Greenblatt says 2 or 3 women accusing him wasn’t an issue, but 15 women — all telling the same story — was: “I didn’t think it was a problem until it was critical.”

9:19 AM: Why schedule the musicals on a school night? Greenblatt says it’s difficult to schedule them — Friday and Saturday nights are difficult to get viewers.

9:21 AM: The odds are “great” that the CHICAGO shows will be back, Greenblatt says.

9:22 AM: “I think there is a way to have your cake and eat it, too,” Salke says of the balance between serialization and more close-ended.

9:24 AM: They’re working on their TV Everywhere project. It’s a slower process and they deal with an affiliate by affiliate basis.

9:27 AM: “We get the diversity angle, and the growing audience,” Greenblatt says of bringing shows with people like Jennifer Lopez and Eva Longoria to the network. Salke says they’re excited about the idea of having an all Latino cast.

9:29 AM: Greenblatt says that he’s been “disappointed” by what STATE OF AFFAIRS has done the past few weeks. It had done well, initially, but now is struggling. He thinks it’s a “really fine show,” and they’re baffled by why people haven’t been tuning in.

Greenblatt calls ODYSSEY a “13-episode thrill ride.”

9:32 AM: “I don’t know if I can definitively say yes or no to that,” Greenblatt says of doing a slice-of-life show like PARENTHOOD. He acknowledges it’s “hard to do something like that.” Even the best writers and best cast often aren’t enough for it to get the eyes it deserves.

9:34 AM: “ABOUT A BOY is going to come off to make room for these multi-cams,” Greenblatt says. That being said, “ABOUT A BOY is not over yet.”