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Fred Armisen let us know he was leaving Saturday Night Live back in May — we just couldn’t hear him. “I think it’s clear. I didn’t do any kind of official announcements, but I really felt like it was obvious,” he said in an interview with Splitsider, making us feel pretty silly for wondering all these weeks. He’s referencing the May 18 SNL season wrapper, in which the final sketch featured him, Bill Hader, Jason Sedeikis and Taran Killam as Brit rockers on the final night of their tour. Another clue we missed: Armisen’s Portlandia co-star Carrie Brownstein was among the musicians onstage. Armisen, in Friday’s interview, called it “an ending that was a love letter to all the music I grew up with, and also to my friends and to SNL and to [exec producer] Lorne [Michaels] and to the cast.” Armisen said he left, after 11 years on the NBC late-night show, because it put him in good company: Hader was leaving, and Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg had left. And, besides, Portlandia was taking more of his time. Plus, he explained, it was “just a feeling.”
Fred Armisen Says He Left ‘Saturday Night Live’ In May
UPDATE: NBC Turns To Christ For Ratings Help In Snagging Follow-Up To ‘The Bible’
UPDATE: 10:38 AM: NBC: turning to Christ to deliver it from its ratings hole. The network announced this morning it had bought the sequel to History’s hit miniseries The Bible from Mark Burnett — who also exec produces the broadcast network’s 
The Voice and Celebrity Apprentice. At the recent Produced By Conference, Burnett said he was working on a sequel to the 10-part miniseries that ranked as the top cable entertainment telecast of the year to date and helped make History the No. 1-ranked cable network for the month of March. “I could spend the next 10 years just distributing the Bible series” and the movie version he’s adapted, Burnett quipped happily at that confab. In this morning’s announcement, NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said he followed closely the development of The Bible “and knew that the story was far from over after Christ’s Crucifixion. In fact, what happened in the aftermath — which is essentially the beginning of Christianity — is utterly fascinating.” Greenblatt said he’d told Burnett after seeing The Bible’s opening numbers that NBC was “on board with no hesitation for the follow-up miniseries.”
The Bible opened with 13 million tuned in — about as many people as watched the opening of CBS’ Stephen King project Under The Dome — before factoring in DVR viewing on subsequent days. For No. 1-rated CBS, that is a big number – for ratings-starved NBC, it’s manna from heaven. Only two shows on NBC clocked a bigger crowd than that during the recently concluded TV season: Sunday Night Football and both nights of The Voice. In its first week of home video release, The Bible was the top-selling miniseries of all time and the No. 1 ranked TV series on DVD and Blu-ray over the past five years — surpassing 1 million units sold in the past three months. Read More »
NBC’s Craig Robinson Comedy Remains In Contention With Cast Options Extension
UPDATED: Another NBC pilot that narrowly missed the cut to series is staying alive. I’ve learned that the network has extended the options on the entire cast of the untitled Craig Robinson pilot, which … Read More »
John Mulaney’s NBC Comedy Pilot Eyes Series Pickup At Fox With Script Order
EXCLUSIVE: The untitled John Mulaney/Lorne Michaels multi-camera comedy pilot, which missed the cut at NBC last month, has found a … Read More »
NBC’s ‘Assistance’ Gets Order For 3 More Scripts, Actors’ Options Extended
I hear NBC is keeping comedy pilot Assistance in contention with an order for three more scripts. Additionally, I hear producing studio Universal TV has extended the options on several cast members, including star … Read More »
NBC Eyes 10/90 Order For Roseanne Barr Comedy Co-Written By Linda Wallem
EXCLUSIVE: Roseanne Barr is nearing a return to primetime. I’ve learned that NBC is finalizing a deal for a new comedy series the Roseanne alumna is co-writing with Nurse Jackie co-creator/former co-showrunner Linda Wallem. 
I hear the project, a multi-camera family comedy, is intended as going straight to series under the 10/90 model used by Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury for the Tyler Perry sitcoms on TBS and most recently Anger Management at FX. Universal TV is producing in what would be the studio’s first stab at the 10/90 template. This also would mark the first broadcast network to take on the model, which involves a straight-to-series 10-episode order that triggers a 90-episode back order if a ratings mark is hit. I hear Barr and Wallem are currently working on the script in Hawaii where Barr resides. Read More »
UPDATE: ‘GMA’ Regains Ratings Top Spot Day After ‘Today’ Wins With Paula Deen
UPDATE, 10:06 AM: One day after Today‘s Paula Deen “get”, ABC’s Good Morning America was back on top, nearly 600,000 viewers ahead of Today and 31% in front in the adults 25-54 demo, which is the currency of news programming ad sales.
PREVIOUSLY, THURSDAY AM: NBC News boasted this morning that its Paula Deen interview on Today beat ABC’s genre-leading Good Morning America on Wednesday morning. It’s the first time Today has outstripped GMA since the Friday of Hurricane Sandy week, in November. According to early calculations, Today averaged 4.84 million viewers and GMA 4.67 million. To put this in perspective: One day earlier, GMA had clocked nearly 800,000 more viewers than Today, using the same early measurement system.
Related: Paula Deen On ‘Today’ Tearfully Begs Sponsors Not To Dump Her Read More »
NBC’s Salt Lake Affiliate To Carry ‘Saturday Night Live’ For First Time In Fall
NBC’s Utah affiliate KSL-TV has decided that it will air Saturday Night Live, starting this fall. The station, owned by the Mormon church made the announcement on its Facebook page:
Programming Note: Starting this fall, KSL is pleased to welcome Saturday Night Live to its weekly line-up, on Saturday nights at 10:30. More changes and updates to the fall line-up are coming soon – stay with us and we’ll keep you posted!
KSL has not aired SNL since becoming an NBC affiliate in 1995. The station said it was because its own local sports talker, SportsBeat Saturday, had the slot. KSL actually offered to air the show in another time slot — it was NBC that decided instead to move SNL to a different station in the market, reminds The Salt Lake Tribune. With the sport show’s ratings on the wane, KSL decided to welcome SNL to its lineup, in its regular time slot, which is 10:30 PM in that time zone.
KSL is more famous among The Reporters Who Cover Television for its annual announcement about which new NBC series it will not air, owing to content concerns. Most recently, the station ixnayed The New Normal, the comedy about a gay couple having a baby via a surrogate. The station CEO said that one felt “inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time.” The station also scrubbed Hannibal, citing its extreme violence — but after airing a handful of episodes. Read More »
NBC’s ‘I Am Victor’ Extends Options On John Stamos & 5 Co-Stars, Eyes New Pilot
EXCLUSIVE UPDATED: In another indication that they are high on drama pilot I Am Victor, I’ve learned that NBC and pilot’s producer Universal TV have extended the options on six cast members, led by star John Stamos, who plays the title character, an LA divorce attorney. Also picked up are Matthew Lillard, who plays Victor’s best friend; Angela Sarafyan, who plays Victor’s sassy assistant; Kosha Patel and Josh Zuckerman, who play young legal associates/interns; and McKaley Miller, who plays Victor’s daughter.
Earlier this month, the network commissioned a rewrite by Mark Goffman who wrote the original pilot. Based on Jo Nesbo’s book, I Am Victor centers on Victor Port (Stamos), a high-powered divorce attorney with a unique view of relationships. As we reported, the project is being retooled and likely will focus more on Victor’s legal cases while still dealing with his personal life as NBC brass liked the show’s legal world and Stamos, who tested very strong. Read More »
NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates
NBC is launching the bulk of its fall lineup during premiere week, which kicks off September 23 with the season premiere of The Voice and the series premiere of hot new drama The Blacklist. NBC’s flagship new comedy, The Michael J. Fox Show, also will debut during premiere week with two-back-to-back episodes following an hourlong season opener of Parks And Recreation. NBC’s two other Thursday comedy newcomers, Sean Saves The World and Welcome To The Family, will be introduced the following week, along with new Wednesday drama Ironside starring Blair Underwood. Grimm and new drama Dracula will be held back, debuting on Friday, October 25 as a Halloween-themed event. The Biggest Loser returns October 8. Here is the premiere schedule, with new shows in bold: Read More »
Sony TV’s ‘The Blacklist’ Lines Up International Sales
New NBC drama The Blacklist got a lot of attention at the upfronts, landing the network’s best fall launchpad behind The Voice on Monday, and was a hit at the LA Screenings. Now the Sony … Read More »
Rob Yarin Stepping In As Executive Producer Of NBC’s ‘Meet The Press’
Betsy Fischer Martin was 
promoted in March to Senior EP at Meet The Press and Managing Editor of Political Programming at NBC News. As she transitions to the latter gig full time, Hardball veteran … Read More »
Ratings Rat Race: NBC Wins With Stanley Cup, ‘MasterChef’ Down, ‘Baking’ Flat
NBC aired Game 4 of NHL Stanley Cup Final last night, the second game from the championship series to air on the network following the opener. Chicago’s thrilling 6-5 overtime … Read More »
Changes At NBC’s ‘Today’: Joe Michaels Moved To Senior Director
In the latest upheaval at NBC‘s ratings-challenged Today show, longtime director Joe Michaels has been named senior director of the show, the network said today. No word from NBC on what his specific responsibilities will be, but … Read More »
NBC Greenlights Animated Special ‘How Murray Saved Christmas’
NBC has ordered hourlong holiday musical special How Murray Saved Christmas from The Simpsons‘ writer/producer Mike Reiss. It’s scheduled to air in December 2014. Based on Reiss’ best-selling children’s book of the same name, the … Read More »
UPDATE: Dan Harmon Apologizes For Comments Slamming ‘Community’ Season 4 & Sony Bosses
UPDATE: Dan Harmon took to Twitter and his blog to apologize for the “very un-Community” comments in Sunday’s podcast rant. He offered a mea culpa to the show’s fans, its crew, and the writers on the fourth season that Harmon was absent for: “I’m sorry I pooped on your work.” Harmon also apologized for using language that “dehumanize[d] the developmentally disabled” and for “using the word ‘rape’ in a comedic context.” Harmon’s now back at work on Community Season 5.
PREVIOUS, MONDAY PM: At Sunday’s taping of his Harmontown podcast, returning Community creator and exec producer Dan Harmon unloaded on the show’s fourth season, which carried on under writers David Guarascio and Moses Port after NBC replaced Harmon as showrunner last year. “It’s very much like an impression and an unflattering one,” he said. “It’s 13 episodes of ‘I’m Dan Harmon!’ I’m going back to work tomorrow morning and I’m just like, do I talk like that?” Harmon, who is heading back for Season 5 with writer Chris McKenna, compared catching up on the Guarascio and Port-led fourth season to “flipping through Instagram watching your girlfriend blow a million [people].”
Related: Dan Harmon Reacts To His Dismissal As ‘Community’ Showrunner Read More »
ABC Executive Quinn Taylor Moves To NBC To Head Longform Programming
Another veteran ABC executive is heading to NBC. I’ve learned that Quinn Taylor, SVP Movies, Miniseries and Acquisitions at ABC Entertainment Group, will be leaving the network after almost 20 years to join rival NBC, … Read More »
CORE Media And Noreen Halpern’s Scripted Venture Inks Drama Series Deal With NBC
Halfire-CORE, CORE Media Group’s scripted production venture with veteran Canadian producer Noreen Halpern‘s Halfire Entertainment banner, has closed a deal with NBC. Under the 3-for-1 agreement, Halfire-CORE will develop three lower budget drama projects for NBC, one of which is expected to go to series. No concepts or writers for the projects have been identified yet, but the producers are expected to begin the process shortly.
The pact illustrates Halfire-CORE’s strategy of entering the scripted primetime space by bypassing the traditional pilot cycle and going with a straight-to-series model instead. It also extends on NBC’s efforts in the lower-cost drama arena where the network has been probably the most active broadcast network, experimenting with different templates and partners, including Gaumont (Hannibal) and Georgeville TV (Crossbones). 
I hear the Halfire-CORE deal came out of Halpern’s existing relationships with NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt and scheduling chief Jeff Bader, with whom Halpern worked at ABC on Rookie Blue, one of several series she shepherded in her previous role as head of scripted for Entertainment One. Graboff, of course, also has a relationship with Greenblatt, with whom he worked for almost a year before leaving to head CORE, and with NBC where he spend more than a decade. Read More »
NBC Stations Renew ‘Steve Harvey’ Through 2016
NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution’s Steve Harvey has solidified its status as the breakout new syndicated talk show of 2012-13. On the heels of the Endemol USA-produced talker getting an early renewal for next season by stations — including the core NBC Stations group, in January – the show now has been picked up for two additional seasons, through 2016, in more than 65% of the U.S. “Steve Harvey’s engaging, funny and warm style has been a hit with our audiences,” said Valari Staab, President, NBC Owned TV Stations. “The show has strengthened our daytime lineups and proven to be a strong lead-in to Ellen and, in turn, our local newscasts.” Steve Harvey got off to a solid start last fall and by the May sweep, it was the #1 new first-run show with women 18-49 and women 25-54 nationally, topping fellow rookie Katie, and was the only new show to build over its lead-in and improve the year-ago time period. Read More »
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