"We're going to have to pay" -- so said NBC Universal television entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin to CEO Jeff Zucker upon his arrival to the sinking ship of a network last summer. Gaspin's prescription for what has ailed NBC since the days of Ben Silverman -- as outlined by Bill Carter in today's New York Times -- is simple: Spend money to make money. So how do they plan to do it?
Today, Gaspin's done just that by picking up the J.J. Abrams hour-long spy dramedy, Undercovers (the pilot alone reportedly cost $10 million). Still, NBC has just seven hours of programming locked up for the fall (the Thursday comedies, Parenthood, two Law & Orders and, probably, Chuck). What will fill in the remainder of the schedule? And, more important, which make the most financial sense?
· DON'T bet on Jerry Bruckheimer's Chase
Blasphemy, or an acknowledgment that the Bruckheimer brand of procedural drama has somewhat run its course? NBC is very close to picking up the Bruckheimer pilot, Chase, about a team of U.S. marshals hunting down fugitives. For the price it will cost them to go to series on a show that isn't being produced in-house, this just seems like an unworthy risk. At least Undercovers can take advantage of the Abrams void left when Lost goes off the air; Chase just sounds like a show worthy of TNT. Resist the temptation.
· DO bet on Love Bites
With Grey's Anatomy sinking -- and possibly facing massive cast turnover by this time next year -- the time is right for another female-centric series to capture the hearts and minds of the Sex and the City crowd. Enter Love Bites from former Sex and the City writer Cindy Chupack. This stuff writes itself.
· DON'T pay for stars
A remake of The Rockford Files with Dermot Mulroney? Kathy Bates as a sassy lawyer in a new legal drama from David E. Kelley? What decade is this? For a long time it was thought that NBC couldn't attract any stars; now that they possibly can, though they should do their best to avoid them. With few exceptions -- The Good Wife comes to mind -- television dramas work best when they can give audiences a star on the rise instead of an old one. Think Simon Baker in The Mentalist.
· DO expand comedy to another night
The one undeniable success NBC has had over the last few years is a golden touch with situational comedy. Even if the ratings for Parks and Recreation and Community aren't strong, their critical acclaim and demo-friendly numbers mean something. Gaspin has talked about expanding the NBC comedy brand to another night, and he's right. With tons of comedy pilots -- including Beach House with Matthew Broderick and Friends with Benefits -- there's no better time for NBC to take another night (say, Tuesday) and schedule it out with comedies. What will make this switch even better? Shifting 30 Rock off Thursdays and making it the centerpiece of a new comedy block.
· NBC Changes Strategy of Cutting Prime-Time TV Costs [New York Times]