Late-Night Changes, Seacrest Reality Series Bring Little Excitement To NBC 'Upfronts'

Having announced its fall schedule a month ago, NBC was hard-pressed to drum up excitement Monday at the annual "upfronts" in New York.

Traditionally held in mid-May, the weeklong upfronts are when the broadcast networks announce their respective schedules for the coming television season. In the past, these have been gala, star-filled events designed to dazzle advertisers so they will put their money "upfront" before the season begins in September.

But in these belt-tightening, ratings- declining, writers' strike-hampered times, the upfronts are going low-key.

NBC won't generate much buzz from news about a new Ryan Seacrest reality show and Jimmy Fallon replacing Conan O'Brien on "Late Night" next year.

Fallon, a former cast member on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," showed up at the upfront event to note that taking over "Late Night" is a "dream job."

"To work with writers and try to be funny every night, that's the challenge of live TV," he said at a news conference Monday.

Fallon replaces O'Brien, who is replacing the retiring Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show." Leno plans to step aside some time in 2009.

Seacrest, a self-proclaimed mama's boy, noted his mother is the most important woman in his life, and that's why he is excited about producing "Momma's Boys," which will debut in August after the Summer Olympics.

NBC describes it this way: "Conflict results when numerous mothers and their eligible bachelor sons are housed together with several 'brides-to-be.'"

In April, there wasn't much excitement about the plans NBC unveiled during what network President Jeff Zucker called an "infront" (meaning in front of the network's competitors).

The NBC's fall schedule will include only four new scripted shows, and none are really new.

"Knight Rider" is an update of an old show, and "Crusoe" is based on Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel, "Robinson Crusoe."

"My Own Worst Enemy" is a spin on the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" concept, with Christian Slater as a man with two identities: Henry, a nerdy, middle-class efficiency expert, and Edward, a daring spy. "Kath & Kim" is based on an Australian comedy about a dysfunctional mother and daughter recast with Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.

A new unscripted comedy-reality show, "Howie Do It," involves Howie Mandel doing something improvisational, but there are no details yet.

In case you forgot (and who hasn't?), in April NBC renewed "Heroes," "Chuck," "Friday Night Lights," "Deal or No Deal" "Lipstick Jungle," "The Biggest Loser," "Celebrity Apprentice," "The Office," "30 Rock," "My Name Is Earl," "ER," "Medium," "Life," "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

NBC touted these sterling productions Monday at the NBC Universal Experience, at the corporate headquarters in New York's Rockefeller Center. It involved walking would-be advertisers through a life-size diorama of NBC-owned things such as the Universal theme parks, the network's online products and cable networks such as USA, Sci-Fi and Bravo.

ABC and The CW will hold upfronts today. On Wednesday, CBS will hold its upfront, Fox on Thursday.

Things are tough all over. CBS and ABC canceled their once-lavish upfront parties. ABC, for example, won't have song-and-dance numbers featuring stars from its shows and network management. The CW, owned by CBS Corp. and Time Warner, switched locales from Madison Square Garden to a smaller venue. However, Fox still plans an upfront blowout.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

Storm Over Everest,

9 p.m., WEDU, Channel 3

On this new "Frontline" special documentary, filmmaker David Breashears interviews survivors of a blizzard that killed eight people on the world's highest mountain in 2004.

American Idol, 8 p.m., Fox

The final three contestants, including Syesha Mercado of Sarasota, perform three songs each. Look for footage of Mercado's visit to the Tampa area last week.