Big NBC slate may hurt new shows’ chance to score
By Liana B. Baker and Lisa Richwine
(Reuters) – NBC plans to premiere 16 new shows in prime time starting this fall, by far the biggest crop of launches for any network for the next TV season and one of the biggest new slates in recent years.
The large number of new shows is a function of the network’s status as the ratings cellar-dweller among the big four broadcast networks – the others are CBS, News Corp’s Fox, and Walt Disney Co’s ABC. But the amount of new shows also has the potential to overwhelm viewers.