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NBC’s new chief, Bob Greenblatt, the programming executive who transformed Showtime into a pay-TV powerhouse, is telling Tinseltown producers that he’s going to push the boundaries of broadcast television in a bid to revive the Peacock network.
Greenblatt, who built his reputation on shows such as “The L Word,” “The Tudors” and “Dexter,” is eager to ramp up production of edgier, less mainstream programming when he officially takes over as chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment, according to sources.
One source, who recently met with Greenblatt, said he’s prepared to push the envelope as far as his new bosses will let him.
Greenblatt reports to Comcast’s Steve Burke, who will replace outgoing NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker once Comcast completes its takeover of the entertainment giant.
“He’s trying to find his way with Comcast management in terms of how racy they want to go,” the source said.
Greenblatt is arriving at NBC during television’s busiest time of the year — pilot season — when network execs pick new shows for the coming fall schedule. The pressure is on Greenblatt to revive the fourth-place network after the collapse of its prime-time entertainment schedule.
Sources said Greenblatt has been holed up on the NBC lot at the Lew Wasserman building in Los Angeles for weeks quietly reading scripts. Already, his early picks suggest he’s looking to inject some of Showtime into NBC, including programming that touches on gay and lesbian themes and sexual situations.
Greenblatt has greenlighted a romantic comedy, “I Hate That I Love You,” about two lesbians who are introduced by a straight couple, fall in love and immediately get pregnant. The show is from Jhoni Marchenko, a producer on “Will and Grace,” the groundbreaking NBC drama about a gay man and his straight female roommate.
His other early calls include: “Mann’s World” from “Sex and The City” producer Michael Patrick King; a remake of “Wonder Woman” that was reportedly shopped around and rejected by several networks before NBC changed its mind; and the Steven Spielberg-produced musical “Smash.”
Comcast management — Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and his No. 2, Burke — are viewed as buttoned-down executives, but it appears that, for now, they’re willing to let Greenblatt go with his gut.
“Bob’s got the ball. We support him 100 percent,” said one source familiar with Burke’s thinking.
Another source said Greenblatt is also planning to give former NBC entertainment president Ben Silverman a big presence on the network through his Barry Diller-backed production company Electus. Silverman’s firm was behind Showtime’s risqué “The Tudors.”
Meanwhile, NBC’s comedy, drama and marketing departments are on tenterhooks wondering how Greenblatt will shake up their teams. Last week, NBC’s president of primetime, Angela Bromstad, announced she was stepping down.