NBC Entertainment Chief Tips Plan to Return Network to Its 'Must-See' Glory Days

NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt talked about the struggle to return the fourth-place network to its past glory during a session at the Television Critics Association press tour, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Greenblatt admitted that it has been “a challenging six months,” but he confirmed that the plan is to restore NBC to its former status as “must-see” TV.

“It’s my schedule for better or worse,” Greenblatt said, assuming responsibility for the fall lineup he inherited when he took over in the wake of the Comcast/NBCUniversal merger in January. He focused on a couple of shows he sees as potential highlights -- “Up All Night,” with Will Arnett and Christina Applegate; and “Prime Suspect,” with Maria Bello -- but he acknowledged that his new job is noticeably different from his previous duties as Showtime entertainment boss.

Said Greenblatt: “Cable has been great for writers. Broadcast is more difficult. I certainly don’t want to turn NBC into Showtime. I’m trying to get the greatest writers and producers to come to NBC. But I also don’t want to tie their hands so the creativity gets sucked out of them. What’s really worked for me over the years is to find people who you really like their voice and just stay out of their way.”

The piece notes: “With ‘The Office’ heading into its eighth season without Steve Carell and ‘30 Rock’ on hiatus until midseason due to star Tina Fey’s pregnancy, NBC will devote considerable marketing resources to new comedies especially, as it attempts to launch a comedy block on Wednesdays with ‘Up All Night’ and ‘Free Agents.’”

“Comedy is a goal for us,” Greenblatt added. “We’ve got to have more of it.”

Cable Channel Gets a New Name

A cable channel that has already put a lot of effort into branding itself is now positioning itself to start the process all over again. The channel that was once known as Outdoor Life Network and currently goes by Versus will soon be known as NBC Sports Network, reports USA Today.

Comcast's NBC Sports Group announced the new name today, saying that the network will also sport a new peacock logo as part of the overhaul of the network.

Mark Lazarus, NBC Sports Group head, emphasized that there's more to the name change than just the name. "It's a complete repositioning of the brand," he said. The new look, logo and name will officially launch Jan. 2, 2012.

The channel started up in 1995, and traditionally has specialized in niche sports. It televised a schedule of National Hockey League games in the past, and its showcase event has been the Tour de France.

OLN became Versus in 2006.

CBS TV Studios Exec Jumps to Universal Media Studios

Bela Bajaria will jump from CBS/CBS TV Studios to Universal Media Studios as executive vice president, tasked with turning the division into a standalone studio, reports TheWrap.com. Bajaria has been senior vice president of cable programming for CBS TV Studios and senior vice president of movies and miniseries for the CBS Network.

In a statement, NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt announced that Bajaria will begin with UMS at the end of the month. "She is the breath of fresh air we need as we start to reorganize UMS into a studio that will continue to produce series for NBC as well as the other networks,” Greenblatt said.

Bajaria will report directly to Greenblatt.

Ousted OWN CEO to Head Up New Huffington Post Venture

The former CEO of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN has landed a new media job, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Taking on the job of executive editor of the AOL Huffington Post Media Group’s new site Black Voices is Christina Norman, who was president of MTV before her stint at OWN.

Norman will reportedly launch her new job with an essay for Huffington Post about her departure from OWN.

Said Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the AOL Huffington Post Media Group: “It’s a great lesson for women, that when one door closes, another one opens. There is enormous pressure on high-profile women to succeed, to constantly prove themselves. I met Christina in Los Angeles when she was the head of OWN. After she left, I asked her if she wanted to do something completely different.”

HBO Slates Special to Fill Void Left by 'Hard Knocks'

With the 2011 edition of "Hard Knocks" becoming a casualty of the NFL lockout, HBO will present a 90-minute special about the history of the NFL reality show, reports NFL Films.

Via Twitter, NFL Films revealed that on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 10 p.m. ET, HBO will premiere a "Hard Knocks" anniversary special celebrating the 10 years of the program.

The Emmy-winning series has featured a number of NFL teams over the years, including the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.

Cable Net Beefs Up Its Order for Teen Drama

ABC Family has ordered 22 additional episodes of a new teen drama, reports Deadline.com. With the 10 episodes that were part of the initial order, a total of 32 episodes will make up the first season of the program, "Switched At Birth."

The show stars Katie Leclerc and Vanessa Marano as teenage girls who discover that they were switched when they were babies and ended up being raised with each other's families.

The show, which premiered June 10, will run its first 10 originals through Aug. 8 before returning with the next batch of new episodes in early 2012.

Oscar Winner to Host 9/11 Anniversary Special

CBS will present a television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 disaster with a show hosted by Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, reports the Los Angeles Times.

"9/11: 10 Years Later" will air Sept. 11, 2011, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. It's a follow-up to a 2002 documentary -- which was updated five years later -- from filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet and James Hanlon about the New York firefighters who responded to the collapse of the Twin Towers at Ground Zero. De Niro hosted that special, too.

The new special will focus on the changes to Ground Zero and update the lives of the firefighters involved in the rescue mission.

Jerry Lewis Sounds Off on Reality Shows, Who's the Best Physical Comedian Today ... and Why He Has Banned the Term 'TV' in His House

Film and television icon Jerry Lewis, appearing Friday at the Television Critics Association press tour to promote an upcoming Encore documentary on him called "Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis," took the opportunity to offer his always opinionated observations on a range of television topics, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The longtime host of the annual Muscular Dystrophy telethon declared, "I love the industry. I don't allow my daughter to use the term ‘TV’ around the house. It's television. It's a miracle."

However, Lewis is no fan of the current television fare, mocking reality TV shows such as "The Biggest Loser." CinemaBlend.com quotes him saying, "This business is scrounging around for what to do. The medium is busy knocking its brand out to display the fat lady at 375 pounds (who) in two months is gonna be 240. Who gives a shit?"

Lewis added: "No one rushes home anymore to watch something good. They rush home and hope they see something good."

Lewis broke news during the session, reporting that he will be involved with MDA's telethon beyond this year, contrary to previous reports that this was his final year. He also said John Travolta will remake Lewis' film "The Family Jewels."

On a personal note, Lewis said not a day goes by that he doesn't think about singer-actor Dean Martin, his former partner. Lewis also called Jim Carrey the "most brilliant physical comedian today."

Who Has Turned Down 'Dancing With the Stars' Lately? A Former Monkee and One of the Co-Hosts of 'The View'

One of the co-hosts of ABC’s “The View revealed that she was aggressively pursued to be a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" but turned down the offer, reports TMZ.com. A former member of the 1960s pop group the Monkees also said he took a pass on the dance competition.

Sherri Shepherd, a comedian and actress in addition to her hosting gig on "The View," decided she didn't have time for the reality dance competition. She will be getting married at the end of the summer, during a break from "The View," and she had too much on her plate to perform on the new season of the show.

Meanwhile, former Monkees singer and actor Davy Jones also turned down the show, reports The Washington Post.

Appearing at the Television Critics Association press tour to promote the PBS special "60s Pop Rock: My Music," Jones told the media gathering, “There was a phone call a couple days ago to go on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ you know? If they would have called me three years ago I would have said ‘yes.’ ... What am I dancing against -- a boxer and a baseball player? Do you know what I mean? I’m a song and dance man, you know?"

Baldwin Brother Headed to 'Hawaii Five-0'

One of the Baldwin brothers will be checking into CBS's "Hawaii Five-0" for a multi-episode series of guest appearances, reports TV Guide. Billy Baldwin will play an ex-homicide detective who joins the mob after being kicked off the force for corruption.

Baldwin is the latest high-profile guest star to be enlisted by the show, following Richard T. Jones, Terry O'Quinn and Lauren German.

Baldwin had a similar guest run last season on NBC's "Parenthood," appearing in eight episodes as Peter Krause's boss.