mashunter18
03-12-2003, 01:45 PM
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Starting on Tuesday, April 15, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' "Watching Ellie" will return to NBC's schedule for a six episode run in the time slot currently held by "A.U.S.A." immediately following "Frasier."
"Watching Ellie," which stars Louis-Dreyfus as a cabaret singer, debuted strongly last February, but ratings slid quickly. While 16.7 million viewers watched the show's premiere, only 6.9 million watched its April season finale.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, many of the most intriguing aspects of "Watching Ellie's" format have been scrapped. Gone is the real-time conceit and the single camera style. Now, "Watching Ellie" will be a traditional multi-camera sitcom filmed before a live studio audience. Fewer scenes will take place in the night club where Ellie works.
NBC hopes the former "Seinfeld" star will be a good fit in the post-"Frasier" time slot which has been occupied with minimal success by "Hidden Hills" and "A.U.S.A." this season. Neither show will be in NBC's schedule once "Watching Ellie" returns and both of their futures are in doubt.
"You have two huge personalities in Kelsey Grammer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus," says NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker. "I think the two shows are very compatible."
Zucker says that most of the cast and production team from the show's first season is back on board.
"Watching Ellie," which stars Louis-Dreyfus as a cabaret singer, debuted strongly last February, but ratings slid quickly. While 16.7 million viewers watched the show's premiere, only 6.9 million watched its April season finale.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, many of the most intriguing aspects of "Watching Ellie's" format have been scrapped. Gone is the real-time conceit and the single camera style. Now, "Watching Ellie" will be a traditional multi-camera sitcom filmed before a live studio audience. Fewer scenes will take place in the night club where Ellie works.
NBC hopes the former "Seinfeld" star will be a good fit in the post-"Frasier" time slot which has been occupied with minimal success by "Hidden Hills" and "A.U.S.A." this season. Neither show will be in NBC's schedule once "Watching Ellie" returns and both of their futures are in doubt.
"You have two huge personalities in Kelsey Grammer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus," says NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker. "I think the two shows are very compatible."
Zucker says that most of the cast and production team from the show's first season is back on board.