Fourth-Place Peacock Goes Light on New Shows

NBC puts quality ahead of quantity, sticks with light, cerebral, heroic for fall
By Greg Atwan,  Newser Staff
Posted May 15, 2007 8:23 AM CDT
Fourth-Place Peacock Goes Light on New Shows
The Stars of Friday Night Lights   (Associated Press)

NBC offered surprising few new plays for its 2007-08 season, with only one new comedy, five new dramas and a slew of cancellations. The network has been bringing up the rear in a generally bearish market, but signaled it would continue to push shows with critical acclaim but middling commercial success, among them 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights.

The Office got a 30-episode order, as did lineup ace Heroes, including a six-episode spinoff. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Donald Trump's strident reality show The Apprentice were conspicuously absent. NBC's entertainment president says the network won't repeat last year's mistake of front-loading its fall, "so we don't fall apart in the spring." (More NBC stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X