BOMB, SHELLED: NBC is moving Smash to Saturday nights at 9pm, in a slot currently occupied by Chicago Fire reruns in-between something called "American Ninja Warrior" and reruns of NBC's highest-rated show, Saturday Night Live. NBC promises to air all nineteen episodes.
In other Peacock news, Vince Vaughn joins Melissa McCarthy as an April SNL host, and based on the title of an upcoming amateurs v. pros cooking show to be hosted by Adam Richman, Dave Grohl needs to call his lawyer.
We enjoyed the hell out of American Ninja Warrior on Saturday. It's sort of "Wipe-Out" but without the awful scripted commentary, just mildly ridiculous live-ish commentary.
ReplyDeleteFour thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. I actually think there is room for original scripted programming on Saturdays.In particular, Golden Girls had a very long and successful run on Saturdays, as did Dr. Quinn and Walker, Texas Ranger. College Football also does quite well there in the Fall. It's finding the RIGHT programming that can succeed there (I don't think Smash is it).
2. Given that there's already substantial outdoor in NYC touting the Ready For Love premiere and the Sunday timeslot, I'm kind of shocked they're doing this. I'd figured they'd give Hannibal the benefit of a Voice leadout on Tuesdays and let Smash quietly die on Thursdays. I suspect part of it is content--it's far easier to make supersized two-hour editions of reality stuff (Celebrity Apprentice/Voice/Ready for Love) than it is to have two hours of a scripted program ready to go.
3. I'm going to be very interested to see how The Voice and (even moreso) Revolution return from the long hiatus. I suspect The Voice will be fine (was anyone really watching for Aguilera/Cee-Lo who won't watch now that they'll have Shakira/Usher?), but Revolution is a much dicier proposition, particularly since the ending of the midseason finale suggested a partial abandonment of the hooky premise.
4. I'm actually surprised that the only person from Smash attached to a pilot at this point is Davenport (a British pilot, but a pilot). Messing will probably get her pick of comedy pilots next year, and I hope we get to see Borle and Hilty in something better.
If Grohl calls his lawyer, I hope his lawyer's response is "oh, you invented the phrase 'food fight'? Well then stop calling me."
ReplyDeleteYeah, "Food Fighters" and "Foo Fighters" have different commercial impressions. It's not a winning trademark claim.
ReplyDeleteI mean, if I did a show about garbage and called it "Garbage," I would ignore the C&D from Butch Vig and Shirley Manson. If I did a show about eagles or about airline pilots and I called it "Eagles," I wouldn't expect Glenn Frey and Don Henley to come calling. So if I did a competitive reality show about food, "Food Fighters" just seems kind of obvious."
ReplyDeleteSo you're saying I should stick with the campaign finance law and the elections and whatnot.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a very optimistic view of Don Henley's litigiousness and Glenn Frey's overall egotism.
ReplyDeleteI just assumed you were working for the network, since a high-profile conflict with Dave Grohl seems like about the only way they'd get people to watch their show.
ReplyDeleteAlso Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that NBC is bringing back The Sing Off, probably for the holidays next year. No word on Ben Folds yet.
ReplyDelete