Kevin Reilly defends The Office, My Name is Earl...

[Kingdom]

Maybe NBC should cancel Jeff Zucker.

NBC Execs Differ Over Programming 8:00 P.M. Hour

Displaying a striking disagreement among NBC Universal's top executives, Kevin Reilly, the company's entertainment president, took issue Thursday with Jeff Zucker, the company's TV chief, over Zucker's remarks on Wednesday that the network plans to eliminate scripted shows during the 8:00 p.m. hour, replacing them with game and reality series. As reported by today's (Friday) Daily Variety, Reilly told a Beverly Hills luncheon Thursday, "You can't be exclusive with reality at 8:00. You have to be in the scripted business. It's not an absolute." Appearing to publicly overrule Zucker, Reilly said that the network plans to continue airing My Name is Earl and The Office during the 8:00 p.m. hour on Thursdays. Other analysts questioned the strategy further, suggesting that dumping low-cost shows into the 8:00 hour would affect ratings for the 9:00 hour. Only last May Zucker had said that he planned to concentrate on strengthening the 8:00 hour, calling it "the key driver" of the rest of the schedule. Meanwhile, today's New York Post, citing sources close to NBC, reported that "the relationship between [Zucker and NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright] recently has been steeped in tension." The Post noted that Zucker recently passed on Ugly Betty, which has become a big hit on ABC -- at 8:00 p.m.

[Fishercat]

While I like that he is sticking with scripted shows (I love Reality too, but...), I would really like for shows like MNIE/Office/etc. to not be against competition like Survivor every week, or even worse later, CSI and Grey's. Seriously, is it that hard to throw it up on Wednesday/8 (before Lost (ABC)), or Tuesday at 9 (although House will give an issue), or on a Monday even. MNIE-Office-Heroes-S60?

[ATLien]

I don't really care as long as they don't cancel them, because I just record them with a DVR anyways.

[Kingdom]

While I like that he is sticking with scripted shows (I love Reality too, but...), I would really like for shows like MNIE/Office/etc. to not be against competition like Survivor every week, or even worse later, CSI and Grey's. Seriously, is it that hard to throw it up on Wednesday/8 (before Lost (ABC)), or Tuesday at 9 (although House will give an issue), or on a Monday even. MNIE-Office-Heroes-S60?

At this rate, put them in S60's time slot if that show is eventually cancelled (it may not even last till the holiday break).

[missionhockey21]

It's numbers have been dropping steadily and I can't imagine that it's an affordable show either. It looks likely to me that they'll be using a mid-season replacement on that one.

(Oh, and crab juice for life.)

[Fishercat]

From what I heard, the decline for the episode two weeks ago in 18-49. I could be wrong.

Yeah, the show's expensive as hell and the ratings are too low for it (although, it has a big portion in the 100k+ area, so that is a plus), I'd just like a full season, then it can die.

[ATLien]

Did the pilot really cost $7 million for S60?

[Kingdom]

6 million of it went towards Bradley Whitford's hair.