Brian Damage
01-08-2009, 09:59 PM
It will be a longer goodbye for NBC's veteran medical drama "ER," whose final 15th season has been extended by three additional episodes.
As part of NBC's deal with producer Warner Bros. TV and "ER" executive producer John Wells, NBC also has ordered six episodes from the Wells-produced new cop drama "Police."
NBC and Warner Bros. had been in intense negotiations over the past few weeks for a "Police" series pickup.
The network had been asking for a 12-episode midseason order, while WBTV had been reluctant to deficit such a large order in light of NBC's recent decision to launch a Jay Leno-fronted talk show in the 10 p.m. hour next fall, which would limit the network's needs for drama series.
Meanwhile, NBC, WBTV and Wells had also been talking about adding additional three episodes to the 19-hour final season of "ER," which has performed in the fall, regularly winning its Thursday 10 p.m. slot.
It is not clear how the extended season of "ER" will affect new drama "Kings," which was slated to air in the slot following the "ER" series finale March 12.
It's possible for "Police" to succeed "ER" Thursdays at 10 p.m. as it was originally envisioned and for "Kings" to move to another night.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i4d62455821370cfbea5148fad698bd95
As part of NBC's deal with producer Warner Bros. TV and "ER" executive producer John Wells, NBC also has ordered six episodes from the Wells-produced new cop drama "Police."
NBC and Warner Bros. had been in intense negotiations over the past few weeks for a "Police" series pickup.
The network had been asking for a 12-episode midseason order, while WBTV had been reluctant to deficit such a large order in light of NBC's recent decision to launch a Jay Leno-fronted talk show in the 10 p.m. hour next fall, which would limit the network's needs for drama series.
Meanwhile, NBC, WBTV and Wells had also been talking about adding additional three episodes to the 19-hour final season of "ER," which has performed in the fall, regularly winning its Thursday 10 p.m. slot.
It is not clear how the extended season of "ER" will affect new drama "Kings," which was slated to air in the slot following the "ER" series finale March 12.
It's possible for "Police" to succeed "ER" Thursdays at 10 p.m. as it was originally envisioned and for "Kings" to move to another night.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i4d62455821370cfbea5148fad698bd95