Thank ‘The Voice’? NBC chairman Robert Greenblatt renews contract through 2017
Whether you love or hate Robert Greenblatt, you’re going to be seeing even more of him for quite a while as the man responsible for steering the occasionally-sinking ship that is NBC.
It was announced today that the network chairman has seen his contract renewed for an addition four years, meaning that his current tenure now could end in 2017 rather than its original end date at the end of 2014. Greenblatt, who was formerly known for his work turning Showtime into a hub or original content courtesy of programs such as “Dexter,” “Weeds,” and “Nurse Jackie,” has been with NBC since 2011. So far, his biggest achievements have been allowing “Sunday Night Football” to stay dominant, and working to cultivate a major smash hit in “The Voice,” which helped the network this past year improve the distance between it and most of the other competitors. For most of the jokes we make about NBC, its average rating in the 18-49 demographic has decreased at a smaller rate than some of its other competitors.
While there have been some wins for Greenblatt in his tenure, there have also been blemishes. “Smash” was a much-hyped show that he had worked on developing ever since his days at Showtime, and it fell apart almost immediately after its pilot. Meanwhile, “Revolution” struggled creatively last season despite getting off to a great start, and the much-hyped “Million Second Quiz” this summer disappointed thanks to confusing rules, almost canceling out what were some exciting ideas in its premise.
In the end, though, there are reasons to believe he is still the right man for the job. He’s got new shows coming up featuring Sean Hayes and Michael J. Fox doing what they do best in making people laugh, and “The Blacklist” is one of the most-promising shows of the fall. He’s also returned “The Sing-Off” to the holiday season and has an intriguing midseason roster, including the high-concept “Believe” that could become what “Revolution” hoped to be.
“The Voice” will kick off NBC’s fall season on Monday. Watch a preview here, and we will be back over the weekend with some more previews.
Photo: NBC