NBC Taps Reilly to Run Entertainment

Kevin Reilly clearly has some big shoes to fill. If he isn’t careful, he may also find that the laces are tied together.

On Monday, NBC named the 41-year-old Reilly its new entertainment president, replacing the network’s golden boy, Jeff Zucker. Reilly, a programming veteran, has the formidable task of steering NBC when it is on top of the ratings -- but, in the opinion of some, may be about to stumble.

NBC currently leads in the demographic category most important to advertisers -- viewers aged 18 to 49 -- with four of the top 10 shows. But with the mega-hit “Friends” set to end its long and lucrative run this week, it will fall to Reilly to usher in a new batch of winners.

“Atlas had the weight of the world on his shoulders, but if you’re Kevin Reilly you are now carrying even more weight than that,” said Shari Anne Brill, director of programming for the ad buying firm Carat USA. “Having that baton passed to you right now is probably a dubious honor.”

Reilly insists that he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“Sure, it would be easier to stoke the fires and keep that No. 1 machine cranking,” he said. “But the fun part comes when you find that new face that pops off the schedule, or when you pick a new show and have the magic come together.”

Monday’s announcement sets the stage for next week’s expected unveiling of a new NBC Universal management team.

General Electric Co.-owned NBC is getting close to completing its $14-billion acquisition of Vivendi Universal’s U.S. entertainment assets, which include the Universal movie studio, film library, theme parks, television studio and three cable networks.

Up for an expanded role is Bravo President Jeff Gaspin, who has ridden high on the success of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” He is expected to run all of NBC Universal’s non-news cable networks.

Unsettled, meanwhile, is the fate of NBC Studios and Universal Television. Many people believe that the units will be combined and run by Universal TV chief David Kissinger and NBC Studios Executive Vice President Angela Bromstad.

The restructuring comes as NBC tries to shore up the considerable fortunes of the flagship broadcast network and its prime-time schedule, which this year is expected to deliver $750 million in profit.

“NBC’s lead among 18-to-49-year-olds is tenuous,” said Donna Wolfe, an executive vice president for the advertising buying group Universal McCann. “He will have to try to build on a razor-thin lead over CBS and Fox.”

Indeed, some say NBC has failed to develop new shows -- especially comedies -- that have the kind of massive audience appeal that “Friends” and “Frasier,” which is also ending this season, have enjoyed.

“Coupling,” a much-hyped show about hip characters in their 30s that was supposed to be the next “Friends,” died last fall after it fell short of expectations. “Emeril,” “Watching Ellie” and “Hidden Hills” also crashed in recent years. Along the way, NBC essentially abandoned its 20-year tradition of a Must-See-TV Thursday comedy block.

“They’ve had a string of comedies that have flopped,” said Steve Sternberg, an executive vice president for the ad buying firm Magna Global USA. “They really haven’t had a new scripted hit for the past few years, short of ‘Las Vegas’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘American Dreams.’ ”

When NBC unveils its fall lineup this month to advertisers, the schedule probably will include about four hours of new shows. Several nights, particularly Monday and Thursday, remain strong. But Wednesday and Friday ratings have softened. And Tuesday’s problems will be compounded by the loss of “Frasier.”

Advertisers are also wondering whether NBC is in danger of wearing out its most successful ratings machine by producing a third spinoff of Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order” franchise.

NBC executives are negotiating with Wolf over his deal to produce the four shows for the network, which would comprise 18% of its prime-time schedule.

Reilly’s ascension to NBC’s top programming position has been expected since last year, when the 39-year-old Zucker was elevated to be head of the entertainment, news and cable group for the network in New York.

Reilly started his career in Hollywood as a publicist at Universal Pictures. He joined NBC the following year, in 1988, eventually overseeing pilots for “ER” and “Homicide: Life on the Street.”

He left NBC in 1994 and joined Brad Grey Television. There Reilly helped to develop “The Sopranos” for Time Warner Inc.’s HBO and the NBC comedy “Just Shoot Me.”

He then went on to News Corp.’s FX cable channel, where he bet right on such shows as “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck.” He was working at FX when NBC lured him back last summer as head of prime-time development.

Zucker, who will still be Reilly’s boss, dismissed those who suggest that NBC finds itself in a precarious position.

In an interview, Zucker predicted that Thursday night would be even stronger next season. One factor: The network should be able to charge advertisers more for the unscripted Donald Trump show “The Apprentice,” because it is now a ratings giant.

“We’re heading into next season in an incredibly strong position,” Zucker said, adding that he fully trusts Reilly to take over in Burbank.

Reilly’s responsibilities will include prime time, late night and daytime programming and development and scheduling.

“Kevin has incredible drive and a good eye for development,” Zucker said. “He’s perfectly positioned to take us into the next era of NBC entertainment.”

That may be, but at least one old hand believes that Reilly has his work cut out for him.

“Hire a personal trainer because you’ll need a suit of armor in that job,” former NBC executive Warren Littlefield said he told Reilly last summer.

Littlefield, who served as NBC’s entertainment president through most of the 1990s, laughed Monday as he recalled that advice.

“NBC is going through a transition period,” Littlefield said. “They were a network with a very strong comedy franchise and they’ve got to keep it alive.”

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Times staff writer Scott Collins contributed to this report.

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Leader of the pack

NBC holds four of the top 10 spots for the most popular TV shows this season for viewers ages 18 to 49 and is the top network for that group.

Average number of prime-time viewers, 18-49 (In millions)

NBC 5.4 Fox 5.2 CBS 5.1 ABC 4.2 WB 1.9

Top shows Rating 1. American Idol Tues. (Fox) 11.3 2. American Idol Wed. (Fox) 10.4 3. The Apprentice (NBC) 10.1 4. Friends (NBC) 9.0 CSI (CBS) 9.0 6. ER (NBC) 8.8 7. Survivor: All-Stars (CBS) 8.3 8. My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance (Fox) 7.9 9. Survivor: Pearl Island (CBS) 7.7 10. Will & Grace (NBC) 7.4

All data cover the period of Sept. 22 to April 25. Each rating point represents 1,084,000 households.

Source: Nielsen Media Research