Upfronts analysis: NBC
UPFRONTS: Programming insider Marc Berman gives his insights into NBC’s programming and scheduling plans for next season, which were unveiled ahead of its Upfront on Monday.
NBC has an immediate goal for 2013/14: develop enough new comedies and dramas to take advantage of the promotional lift from the February 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and devise two schedules for the upcoming season.
And there is no shortage of new product. Seventeen new primetime series have been announced – eight dramas, six sitcoms and three non-scripted – with a trio of new comedies and dramas slated for this fall. Anything confirmed for midseason must be taken with a grain of salt, of course, until the results for this fall are in.
With Sunday Night Football and three hours of The Voice in the line-up, NBC’s new season automatically seems like it has momentum. But don’t be fooled. There is work to be done, and plenty of it, but NBC is at least making an attempt. Unlike recent seasons, when the schedule remained populated with low-rated sitcoms, the departures of – deep breath – Go On, The New Normal, Guys With Kids, Up All Night and 1600 Penn (not to mention tired The Office and 30 Rock) means it could be a fresh start for the network.
What is immediately concerning about its two-hour Thursday comedy block, however, is kicking it off with perennially ratings-challenged Parks & Recreation. While Amy Poehler and company could be considered the sacrificial lamb opposite CBS’s red-hot The Big Bang Theory, the immediate lack of audience at 20.00 could negatively impact the entire evening. But moving returning drama Parenthood to Thursday at 22.00 (which showed surprise interest in this abbreviated season) will certainly help the local news at 23.00. Anchoring any evening is imperative, but never forget the financial value of the local news.
NBC has cut back its number of weekly comedies from six to four this fall, opting to populate the Wednesday 20.00 hour with relocated Revolution. New sitcoms About a Boy and The Family Guide will air in the Tuesday 21.00 hour in midseason. Revolution, of course, owes whatever audience it has to lead-in The Voice on Monday, and opening an evening is a particularly challenging task for a series moving from 22.00 to 20.00. Don’t expect much.
The Voice will continue to fill the Monday 20.00-22.00 block, leading into new drama The Blacklist, which will certainly benefit from the singing competition. Yes, lead-in still matters. And, in a surprise move, another one-hour edition of The Biggest Loser has made the cut this fall on Tuesday at 20.00, leading into the live The Voice Results Show at 21.00. Since there is no reason to believe The Voice will falter next season – a luxury Fox does not have with returning The X Factor and American Idol – relocated Chicago Fire is poised for growth in season two at 22.00 on Tuesday. In other words, NBC is will be off and successfully running on Monday and Tuesday.
Returning Law & Order: SVU in the Wednesday 21.00 hour is no longer the force it once was, but it is compatible with the revival of Ironside with Blair Underwood at 22.00. And, let’s be honest: aforementioned Revolution at 20.00 in midweek can’t do any worse than the sitcoms floundering in that hour this season.
Like any of the competitors, programming Friday is an uphill battle, given the deteriorating HUT levels. But a weekly edition of the most famous vampire in history, Dracula with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, should certainly work well out of small cult hit Grimm, which is heading back to Friday at 21.00 out of Dateline. And Sunday is a lock because of football. Saturday, of course, is a breeding ground for encores and no network is expected to aggressively programme it.
All in all, you have to give credit for NBC for being both aggressive and eliminating much of the low-rated clutter. As long as The Voice and Sunday Night Football hold up, and they will, there is every reason to believe the Peacock net could make inroads next season. Much of that potential growth, however, depends on the new Thursday comedies and the star power of a name like Michael J Fox. Given the low benchmark of comparison this season, expect momentum for NBC in 2013/14. This is a definite step in the right direction.
