ITV

Tag: NBC’s

  • 8-year run of NBC’s ‘Will & Grace’ to end in May

    MUMBAI: NBC has confirmed the long expected end of the Will & Grace. The sitcom concludes its eight-year run on 18 May with a one-hour series finale. The finale will be preceded by a 60-minute retrospective.
    In India the series is aired on Zee Cafe.
    “It is a bittersweet moment for all of us at NBC to confirm that this will be the final season of the comedy Will & Grace,” said NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly . “For seven years the show assembled one of the finest comedic casts on television, bringing to life the hilarious, groundbreaking scripts from Max Mutchnick, David Kohan and their writing team to create what has truly become one of the classic comedies on television.”
    Starring Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, “Will and Grace” continues to focus on the bizarre but abiding friendships between four Manhattan friends.
    Post Will & Grace, McCormack and Sean Hayes will each devote themselves full-time to their budding independent production companies. Debra Messing will focus on movies, and Megan Mullally on her new daytime talk show.
    Writer/creators Mutchnick and David Kohan and their veteran director, James Burrows, have already started a gradual transition to a new sitcom collaboration, Four Kings. But not before sending off Will & Grace in a style that will be long remembered.
    The news comes as NBC unveils its mid-season schedule. The network also announced plans to join ABC and CBS in the telenovela genre with the launch of an English-language adaptation of El Cuerpo del Deseo (Body of Desire), a hit telenovela for sister Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo.

  • NBC’s ‘Law and Order: Criminal Intent’ completes 100 episodes

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate NBC Universal’s drama show Law & Order: Criminal Intent now in its fifth season on NBC will celebrate a milestone, its 100th episode this week.
    The 100th episode airs on 15 January 2006. It will feature the original cast members Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, Courtney B. Vance and Jamey Sheridan.
    The New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, will present a proclamation to Criminal Intent on behalf of New York City Mayor Bloomberg. In india the Law and Order franchise airs on Star World.
    The 100th episode is called Slither. It has been penned by executive producer Rene Balcer, who shepherded the series from its inception, features guest star Michael York Austin Powers as a high-class, slimy European gang leader with a taste for aging blondes and fine wine, who befriends, kills and robs tourists. Detective Goren, however, is shocked to discover that the master murderer shares a connection to his deadly nemesis, Nicole Wallace (Olivia D’Abo).
    During season four in a network first, NBC offered viewers the chance to decide the fate of Wallace by voting online. The viewers chose to keep D’Abo’s character alive and she has since returned to torment Detective Goren.
    NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly says, “We are extremely proud of Law & Order: Criminal Intent as it continues to deliver the kind of numbers few other series could manage in this competitive time period. This can be attributed to Dick Wolf and his powerhouse team of Rene Balcer, Fred Berner and Peter Jankowski and their incredible gift of turning ripped from the headlines news into compelling fictional drama.”
    Dick Wolf who created the Law And Order franchise says, “Reaching 100 episodes is always a major accomplishment, and for Criminal Intent to be the third Law & Order -branded series to reach this milestone is extraordinary. I have to credit Rene, the writing staff, the superb cast and the entire production team for making this possible. The show has proven to be one of the toughest shows on the network, standing up to the stiffest competition around, while still maintaining its popularity for five years and counting. I thank everyone who has helped us reach this goal, and those who will continue as we go for the next 100.”
    Balcer said, “After 100 episodes broadcast on three networks in the US, shown in over 150 countries, available on DVD, VOD and iPod, on airlines, as a video game and soon in a French-produced series, I have only six words to our fans: thank you, thank you, thank you. Some people may say the story is everything, but I believe the fans are everything.”
    This season the show added new partners Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan and Annabella Sciorra as Detective Carolyn Barek. NBC says that not since Maverick in 1957 has any television series accomplished such a feat.

  • NBC’s Sleuth adds on DirecTV & Dish platforms

    MUMBAI: NBC Universal’s new network Sleuth has announced carriage deals with satellite platforms DirecTV and Dish Network this summer.
    Sleuth, the 24-hour crime, mystery and suspense channel debuted on 1 January. It is the first network to offer a digital triple pack service, which features a standard definition digital channel (SD), hi-definition simulcast channel (HD), and a video-on-demand (VOD) channel offered as a digital bundle.
    This added to their existing carriage agreements with Time Warner Cable, Knology and other platforms. It would put the network in more than 22 million homes.
    Sleuth offers an exclusive lineup of exciting television shows, movies and other mystery and crime programming from NBC Universal’s vast collection of feature films, classic television shows, reality series and documentaries, from Miami Vice and Homicide to Scarface and Casino.

  • NBC’s new legal drama series is full of ‘Conviction’

    MUMBAI: Encouraged by the success that its legal show Law And Order has received over the years US broadcaster NBC has announced that it has ordered another legal show Conviction. The show will air sometime next year.

    The broadcaster states that Conviction is a character-oriented story. It focusses on young assistant district attorneys in New York who are confronted with tough, high-profile cases that challenge their limited experience — and force them to mature quickly or be overwhelmed. The series will be shot entirely in New York and the first-season order will be 13 episodes. The cast will be announced at a later date. the show is being produced by Dick Wolf who was also responsible for Law And Order which airs in India on Star World.

    NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly says, “This new drama series from Dick Wolf is a high-octane rush that will take the popular legal genre to the next level and offer stories crafted by a veteran storyteller and his creative team”.

  • NBC’s ‘Will And Grace’ kicks off final season with live episode

    MUMBAI: It is time for another sitcom to come to an end. The eight and final season of NBC’s sitcom Will And Grace kicks off tomorrow 29 September with a live episode. In India the show airs on Zee Cafe.
     
     

    The first episode will feature returning guest star Alec Baldwin. The episode will include 100 audience members who contributed a total of $10,000 for the American Red Cross and Hurricane Katrina victims. Two versions will be telecast, one live for the East Coast and one for the West Coast, resulting in different jokes to be used in each separate broadcast.
     
     

    Multiple Emmy-winning director James Burrows will direct the premiere. The charity-givers in the live audience bid on nbc.com for the privilege of attending the show. Each of the 100 people paid $100 – amounting to $10,000 – which was donated to the American Red Cross disaster relief fund.

    The prior season ending left Grace played by Debra Messing in a romantic bind with a married man while Will played by Eric McCormack discovered that Karen’s ex-husband Stan — thought to be dead — was in fact, alive.

    The season premiere will follow up on these plot lines, and also offer viewers more news on Jack’s played by Sean Hayes new job as the host of his own talk show. Baldwin returns as Will’s new boss who is secretly working for Stan while also romancing Karen.

  • NBC’s ‘Law And Order’ franchise celebrates 600 episodes next month

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC has announced that its drama show Law & Order brand will celebrate its 600th combined episode next month.

    There are four franchises- Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial By Jury. This achievement commemorates over 15 years of criminal justice programming that draws its inspiration from the real-world cases topping the headlines. In India the shows air on Star World.
     
     

    The flagship show Law & Order which is the second longest running drama in the history of US television, enters its 16th season on 21 September with Red Ball. The broadcaster states that the episode has a contemporary, multi-faceted plot and challenging moral dilemmas.
     
     

    On the heels of its sixth and highest-rated season to date Law & Order: Special Victims Unit returns on 20 September. With a succession of episodes touching on hot-button social issues SVU features an array of guest stars including Marcia Gay Harden Mystic River, Lynda Carter Mary Stuart Masterson Something the Lord Made and Teri Garr.

    Golden Globe winner and two-time Emmy nominee Mariska Hargitay and series star Christopher Meloni continue to deliver commanding performances. In “911” to air October 5 and described by executive producer Neal Baer as “the most ambitious show we’ve ever done,” Detective Benson is the sole lifeline for a little girl held captive and it’s up to her to locate the child before the predator can return. Additionally, Meloni will take center stage in a subsequent episode as Detective Stabler continues to grapple with his suppressed rage. “We’re going to find out what’s under Stabler’s anger and launch him on a new path” added Baer.

  • NBC’s new drama show get a ‘Windfall’

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC has picked up a new drama series – Windfall. The show goes on air later this year.

    NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly says, “With its dueling themes of dreams coming true and ‘be careful what you wish for,’ Windfall is both fun and provocative. We feel like we found a diamond-in-the-rough when this pilot became available.”

    In Windfall money changes everything for a group of 20 young adult friends who pool their cash to buy and win a record $386 million lottery jackpot. Unfortunately their initial ecstasy gets tempered by the thorny, romantic and social complications caused by instant wealth.

    Their good fortune prompts each winner to react differently, and the overwhelming cash windfall presents unexpected marital, ethical, legal and criminal problems for the wide range of newly rich celebrants.

    The cast includes Luke Perry Beverly Hills, 90210, Jason Gedrick Boomtown and Lana Parrilla Boomtown.

  • ABC, CBS, NBC’s ad revenue down 21 % for Q3

    MUMBAI: Combined ad revenues for US broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC were down by 21.5 per cent for the third quarter and by 8.3 per cent for the first nine months of 2005, when compared to last year’s results.

    Total net revenues of $2.2 billion for the third quarter of the year ended 30 September 2005 were down by approximately $605 million from the third quarter of last year, led by a $707 million decline in sports advertising.

    When compared with results from third quarter 2003 total net revenues for the quarter were four per cent higher, with sports advertising down by slightly more than one per cent.This data is contained in a report put out by the Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association’s (BCFM) report on figures compiled by Ernst & Young.

    Categories that gained ground when compared with last year’s third quarter results included prime time, which was up by 8.5 per cent and the AM daypart,up by six per cent. The AM daypart was higher by more than seven per cent for the first nine months of 2005, followed by year-to-date gains in news, up three per cent, and prime time, up by $87 million over last year to-date results for 2004.

    The children’s category was down by more than five per cent for the quarter and 12 per cent for the year-to-date.

     
     
    The report notes that while the dramatic decrease in network advertising revenues for the third quarter is shocking it is not surprising. The loss of over $700 million in ad revenues from sports programming caused by the lack of a Summer Olympics this year was to be expected, though it is still a large number.

    At the same time, prime time revenues partially lessened that impact with nearly $100 million more in revenues. Still, the networks need to be concerned as to the long term growth history. Looking back to 2003, another year without a Summer Olympics, the total network revenues have increased only by three per cent per year, above the inflation rate but lower than the overall economic growth of the US.

     
    BCFM provides education, networking, information, and signature products to meet the diverse needs of financial and business professionals in the broadcast, cable and electronic media industries throughout the US and Canada.

  • ‘Third Watch’ Season 2 debuts on Star World 29 December

    MUMBAI: Star World will flag off season two of Third Watch on 29 December at 10 pm on Star World.
    NBCs Peabody Award-winning drama, which begins its fourth season on US television, is an intense drama about the brave and dedicated people who serve as police, paramedics and firefighters on the ‘third watch’ — the shift from 3-11 pm.
    The show that premiered on 30 September 1999, is a part of NBCs Monday-night line-up starring Michael Beach, Coby Bell, Amy Carlson, Eddie Cibrian, Molly Price, Kim Raver, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, Jason Wiles, Tia Texada, Bonnie Dennison, Nia Long and Chris Bauer, says a company release.
    The drama series is produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
    The series is based on lives of Kim Zambrano (Kim Raver) and Bobby Caffey (Bobby Cannavale), paramedic team 55-2 devoted to the people they help and their counterparts from firefighting department- the battle-weary Monte “Doc” Parker (Michael Beach) and Carlos Nieto (Anthony Ruivivar). They deal with the daily tragedies of the job to going beyond the call of duty to help people in the community.
    Just across the street, working arm in arm with the paramedics and the firefighters, are the police of the 55th precinct. Maurice “Bosco” Boscorelli’s (Jason Wiles) glory-hungry “supercop” mentality, his long-suffering partner Faith Yokas (Molly Price), streetwise veteran cop John “Sully” Sullivan (Skipp Sudduth), and Ty Davis Jr. (Coby Bell), the son of Sully’s former partner killed in the line of duty, form the crime fighting angel of the third watch.
    The cops and emergency personnel in this tight-knit group know each other well as they work side by side in harsh, urban conditions. The show about these unsung heroes stife to keep the streets safe continues to regale the Star World audience.

  • Battle over VUE assets ends in NBC’s favour

    MUMBAI: The protracted three-month old battle between various media firms over the assets of Vivendi Universal Entertainment has come to a close. As expected, NBC has walked away with the spoils.
    At the time of filing, the two parties were in a meeting to ink a letter of agreement for a deal which will reportedly bring in $3.8 billion in cash to the cash-strapped Vivendi and an additional $1.2 billion in assumed debt. Reuters has valued the deal for Vivendi at approximately $13.6 billion.
    The new entity is to be called NBC Universal, making it the third largest media company in the world after Walt Disney Co. and Viacom in that order. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Ltd. will now come in at Number 4.
    Vivendi will merge assets including Universal film studios and the five theme parks, as well as the USA and Sci-Fi TV networks – with NBC.
    All this of course indicates that Vivendi is keen on staying in the media business for a while longer. Earlier, there was talk that it would restrict itself to just the music segment. The broadcaster’s parent General Electric will have a 80 per cent stake in the company. The troubled French media group will have the minority 20 per cent stake. Since Vivendi has reportedly valued its 20 per cent stake in the future NBC Universal group at $9 billion, the total value of the company therefore stands at $ 45 billion.
    The new company is expected to generate $13 billion in annual revenues and $3 billion in operating cash flow.
    As reported earlier by iIndiantelevision.com, the deal will enable NBC to look beyond just the other broadcast networks ABC, CBS, Fox and take on their owners Disney, Viacom and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Analysts have noted that the deal will allow NBC access to more programming without difficult negotiations with its competitors. Reports indicate that the deal makes sense in the US where the new regulatory environment no longer separates production and broadcasting. The proposed merger, which is expected to be completed by end-September is also expected to pass through European Union regulatory scrutiny without a hitch.
    It is however doubtful as to whether NBC sees a great deal of value in the theme park arena. In all probability it will operate them until an attractive exit is found.
    While NBC has been in the forefront for a while now the former owner of Universal Edgar Bronfman Jr who sold out to Vivendi three years ago and who is on Vivendi’s board of directors had still held out hopes of a deal going in his favour. He has however finally resigned to losing out. MGM was one of the first parties to pull out of the race for the VUE assets. The other serious suitiors at one time or another included Liberty Media, Viacom and cable company Comcast.
    But this does not mean that Bronfman has totally de-linked from making a play for Vivendi assets. Still up for grabs is Universal’s music assets Universal Music Group which is not part of the current deal. It is seen as a straight play with none of the complexities that this deal came with and will be a more straightforward pitch for Bronfman.

    Also Read:
    NBC expected to clinch deal for VUE assets

    NBC emerges as front runner in Vivendi US showbiz deal