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CBS chief: NBC's 'Jay Leno' was 'misguided'; 'Three Rivers' washed up
In light of NBC's reassessment of "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m., they might want to listen to a more successful network.CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler discussed NBC's latest programming situation Saturday (Jan. 9) at the winter TCA Press Tour in Pasadena, concluding that NBC's reading of the TV landscape was "misguided."
"A couple things. One is, through it all you have to realize that ABC, CBS and FOX have all fared very well during this experimental phase for NBC," Tassler told critics. "A lot of people really saw this as a pretty negative impact on our business. But I think right now for us, it just allowed us to get a bigger piece of the ad-revenue pie at 10 o'clock.
"What I have the most trouble with is for their company, their decision to do what they did -- to sort of turn that and say this is a reflection on the whole network business I think is misguided," she continued. "Our business is thriving right now. We've had success with new hit shows, as has ABC, as has FOX. So I think at the end of the day it was an experiment that obviously did not work, but for us, like I said, there is no substitute for developing and producing and launching great shows."
Tassler compares the "Jay Leno" situation to another time in NBC's history.
"But you can harken back to when there was this grand proclamation that 8 o'clock at NBC -- remember that? -- 8 o'clock was over at NBC, they were going to have a whole different strategy developing for 8 o'clock," she said. "Then along came 10 o'clock, and there was a whole different strategy for 10 o'clock."
Tassler appeared to be fairly restrained in her opinions or schadenfreude. This was not the case for Showtime president of entertainment Robert Greenblatt, who referred to picking up a series about a character with a terminal illness ("The Big C") and joked, "I just want to make it clear that we have not picked up the 'Leno Show'... or Conan O'Brien."
Tassler, of course, doesn't really need to concern herself with NBC. She was, however, much more to the point about the Alex O'Loughlin-starring organ donation medical drama "Three Rivers." When asked if it was officially canceled, she replied, "You know what ... yes."Sorry O'Loughlin, fans. RIP "Moonlight" and "Three Rivers." Perhaps the third time's the charm?
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Photo credit: Getty Images, CBS
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You know I really don't like it when another network head openly criticizes another network. CBS has been on top for a number years, but they should bear in mind that NBC was also on top for a number of years and it can just as quickly change for them as it did for NBC.
This CBS twit has very little she can talk about. She makes herself and her network seem all high and mighty. But you can't get around the fact that 5 CBS shows are clones of each other, 7 if you count Ghost Whisperer and Medium and every Jerry Bruckheimer show is the same. And none of their comedies are actually funny. There's no way that many people are tuning in for that formulaic crap. I think they're paying Neilsen to rig the numbers. CBS is a joke. I don't watch anything on that channel.
didn't watch 3 Rivers. that show was a obvious loser from the git-go, it was nothing to do with AOL.
I'm with you AmericanEagle ... I couldn't agree more!
yea shes a twit, i think she canceled the aquaman pilot which at the time was way better than smallville became. Never watched that guys shows, but Simon Baker struck out 2x w/ CBS too and now on an apparent hit show now with them. I think HIMYM is one the best comedies on tv and BBT is good too. 21/2 men seems overrated, but agreed too many cloned shows.
Ms. Tassler shows her lack of class as usual.
Alex O'loughlin need not worry.
JLO will make him a household name when the Back Up Plan hits theatres.
She spoke the truth! Why is that wrong? Everyone else said that NBC was making a mistake, but she isn't allowed to comment? The Biggest Loser is on NBC and that explains everything...
She had a right to gloat. NBC miscalculated in thinking that they can put anything in the 10PM slot and still compete with scripted television, which is arrogant and insulting. They're eating crow now because Leno tanked in primetime, dragging down NBC's 11 o'clock news and Conan.
Having said that, I don't watch CBS except for HIMYM and 2.5Men because most of their shows like CSI, NCIS, Criminal Mind and Cold Case are boring and draw only people over the age of 40.
She's right. Her network sucks -- I don't watch anything on CBS. But the things she said about NBC and its situation were all correct. She has a right to weigh in; there is a misguided notion that this is an industry problem and she is simply saying that is not true... it's an NBC problem, not a network TV problem.