NBC rolls out reality shows after Olympics

  • By Victor Balta / Herald TV columnist
  • Wednesday, August 18, 2004 9:00pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

When the torch goes out, we’ll finally get to see if NBC has any spark left.

The burning question all of last year was, what is NBC going to do when “Friends” and “Frasier” go away?

Network executives were said to have been running around like peacocks with their heads cut off.

But what was lost in all the unease and tension was the fact that both shows – which still anchored their respective nights – were well beyond their prime and that the network needed to get its feathers a little ruffled.

In the end, some old favorite reality shows will be sprinkled in with some new dramas and a couple of new comedies, including the highly anticipated “Friends” spinoff, “Joey.”

Using the Olympics as an opening act, NBC plans to start rolling out its fall lineup a little ahead of the competition, with some premieres igniting the day after the stadium lights go down.

NBC got into the reality game a little late, but scored quickly – at least in the eyes of viewers who keep tuning in – with “Fear Factor.”

This fall, the network is cranking it up, flexing its reality muscle – or Donald Trump’s muscle, anyway – with “The Apprentice 2.”

At times, NBC will seem like the new “Reality 24/7” cable channel that’s in the works. No time will seem more like that than the day after the Olympics.

A three-hour reality block kicks off the fall lineup, with a 90-minue “Fear Factor” season premiere followed by the debut of the new season of “Last Comic Standing” for another hour and a half.

The most recent season of “Last Comic” did so well that NBC bigwigs made sure there was room for it in the fall. It will settle into an 8 p.m. Tuesday time slot the night after it debuts.

The other highly promoted comedy this season is “Father of the Pride,” an animated series that looks at the suburban life of the performing white lions that work for Siegfried &Roy. It premieres at 9 p.m. Aug. 31.

“Pride” comes from the makers of “Shrek,” which gives it some clout to begin with, and includes the great John Goodman (“Roseanne”), Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Carl Reiner (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”).

Call me crazy, but even in the aftermath of Roy Horn being attacked by one of the tigers during a performance in October 2003, pretty much anything involving the flamboyant pair has extreme funny potential.

Horn, by the way, totally supports the series and appeared with his partner on a videotaped promotion of the show for advertisers in May.

But the one show that everyone wants to see, if only to throw eggs and tomatoes at their televisions, is “Joey,” where Matt LeBlanc tries to reprise his “Friends” character after a move to Los Angeles to try to jumpstart his acting career.

Now, I could be a complete madman, but I think “Joey” is going to work.

You knew the spinoff had to be coming. It almost always does, and it usually doesn’t work.

Remember “AfterMASH” from “MASH”? “The Ropers” from “Three’s Company”? “Joanie Loves Chachi”?

But sometimes it does. Of course, there’s “Frasier” from “Cheers.” But there’s also, “Benson” from “Soap,” “The Jeffersons” from “All in the Family,” “Green Acres” from “Petticoat Junction,” and “The Tortellis” from “Cheers.”

(All right, I’m kidding about “The Tortellis.”)

So many questions center around whether “Joey” can go it alone. But he isn’t trying to.

He’s teaming up with his sister, Gina, played by Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) and her 20-year-old graduate student son, Michael (Paulo Costanzo, “Road Trip”).

The new setting and introduction of family members we didn’t know before worked for “Frasier” and “Joey” just might benefit from the same strategy.

“Joey” is executive-produced by Kevin S. Bright, Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan, who all had their hands in “Friends.” Goldberg-Meehan and Silveri wrote the pilot and Bright directed it.

Have a little patience. It shows promise.

Columnist Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Everett P. Fog, 15, in front of an Everett mural along Colby Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Hello, Everett! No escape when your name is same as the town

Everett P. Fog, 15, sees and hears his first name wherever he goes. His middle name is also epic.

Jared Meads takes a breath after dunking in an ice bath in his back yard while his son Fallen, 5, reads off the water temperature on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chill out: Dive into the cold plunge craze

Plungers say they get mental clarity and relief for ails in icy water in tubs, troughs and clubs.

Schack exhibit to highlight Camano Island watercolorists

“Four Decades of Friendship: John Ebner & John Ringen” will be on display Jan. 16 through Feb. 9.

XRT Trim Adds Rugged Features Designed For Light Off-Roading
Hyundai Introduces Smarter, More Capable Tucson Compact SUV For 2025

Innovative New Convenience And Safety Features Add Value

Sequoia photo provided by Toyota USA Newsroom
If Big Is Better, 2024 Toyota Sequoia Is Best

4WD Pro Hybrid With 3-Rows Elevates Full-Size

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser (Provided by Toyota).
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser revives its roots

After a 3-year hiatus, the go-anywhere SUV returns with a more adventurous vibe.

Enjoy the wilderness in the CX-50. Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda CX-50 Adds Hybrid Capability to Turbo Options

Line-Up Receives More Robust List Of Standard Equipment

Practical And Functional bZ4X basks in sunshine. Photo provided by Toyota Newsroom.
2024 bZ4X Puts Toyota Twist On All-Electric SUV’s

Modern Styling, Tech & All-Wheel Drive Highlight

Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatch Delivers Value

Plus Functionality of AWD And G-Vectoring

2025 Mazda CX-90 Turbo SUV (Provided by Mazda)
2025 CX-90 Turbo models get Mazda’s most powerful engine

Mazda’s largest-ever SUV is equipped to handle the weight, with fuel efficiency kept in check.

Provided by Bridges Pets, Gifts, & Water Gardens.
Discover where to find the best pet supplies in town

Need the perfect store to spoil your furry friends? Herald readers have you covered.

VW Jetta SEL is a sedan that passes for a coupe. Photo provided by Volkswagen U.S. Media.
2025 VW Jetta Offers Greater Refinement, Technology And Value

A Perfect Choice For Small Families And Commuters

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.