TV vets Lear, Seinfeld on tap for NBC

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A month and a half into his tenure, NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman is shaking things up at the network.

At his coming-out party during NBC's portion of the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour Monday, Silverman made a flurry of announcements, including several scheduling moves and major comebacks.

NBC is bringing back TV legend Norman Lear with a new project. The network also is bringing Jerry Seinfeld back to Thursday night with a guest appearance on "30 Rock." Fired "Grey's Anatomy" co-star Isaiah Washington is coming back to TV with a five-episode arc on NBC's "Bionic Woman" and a development deal at the network. The Donald Trump-starring "The Apprentice" is returning for another cycle -- a celebrity edition -- and the network has approached Trump enemy Rosie O'Donnell to make her own return to TV by appearing on the reality series.

On the development side, NBC and Universal Media Studios have inked a first-look deal with indie film producer Charles Corwin ("Half Nelson").

The network also is developing "Phenomenon," an American version of the hit Israeli reality series "The Successor" to star illusionist Criss Angel and mentalist Uri Geller.

Additionally, Gary Scott Thompson has come on board NBC's adaptation of the hit Colombian telenovela "Sin Tetas" -- whose main character is a young woman determined to get breast-enlargement surgery to escape poverty -- as executive producer.

SCI-FI MONDAYS

NBC also is introducing a science fiction-themed Monday lineup in the fall, with new one-hours "Chuck" and "Journeyman" flanking the hit "Heroes." "Chuck" originally was slated for the Tuesday 9 p.m. slot.

"All of these shows have male/female demographic interest and balance, and they also have an element of fantasy which runs through them," Silverman said. "(We'll use) our strongest promotional platform in 'Sunday Night Football' to drive viewers and audience into this great lineup of shows."

After its big premiere ratings last week, NBC's new half-hour game show "The Spelling Bee," originally designed as a Friday midseason replacement, is being assigned a slot on the fall schedule as an 8 p.m. anchor on Tuesday. It will be followed by a 90-minute "The Biggest Loser."

"Deal or No Deal" moves from Monday to Friday at 8 p.m. "Friday Night Lights" and "Las Vegas" will swap places, with "Lights" airing at 9 p.m. and "Vegas" following at 10 p.m.

NBC will roll out most of its fall lineup during premiere week, September 24-30. Silverman is working on a major marketing campaign to go with it that probably will include a rebranding of the network.

Aside from the truckload of announcements, Silverman's appearance didn't live up to its billing as the most-anticipated session at the TCA event this summer. There was no controversy and no big entrance -- as when his boss, Jeff Zucker, stepped out in a bulletproof vest a few years ago.

In a low-key fashion, Silverman and fellow NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios co-chairman Marc Graboff fielded questions in strikingly similar dark suits and white-and-blue striped shirts.

"This is not an arranged marriage," Graboff said of the duo's partnership.