NBC (GE) is trying to leverage its only new hit of the season to try to help another start off strong. They are taking their popular "Heroes" and offering it as a lead-in to the new series "The Black Donnellys," which will follow the show at 10 p.m. tonight.
The show is about organized crime in New York and four Irish-American brothers. They've been promoting the series strongly for several months.
Another strategy they'll implement is giving the show another look for viewers as it will also be broadcast on the USA Network on March 6 and Bravo will air the first two episodes on March 11.
It does make it difficult for the network and its catch-22, where they really don't have any other high-profile show to provide lead-ins for new shows with. They are facing a long, uphill battle to gain market share again. Some of their other highly marketed shows haven't done well like "Studio 60" and "Friday Night Lights."
When I first read the description for this show, I was pretty excited. I love crime shows and there really aren't any good mob shows on TV right now. I was hoping for a NBC meets the Sopranos type of experience. Something edgy with an American dysfunctional family thrown in to give it character.
After seeing a couple previews for the show though I've completely removed it from my TiVo even before it airs because it looks so bad. On one hand they are trying to market to the male audience with the crime factor, but then they go wimpy on us with a "family" storyline that looks soooooo boring that I'm not even willing to check it out. It may be unfair of me to say this without seeing the pilot first, but I think this show is going to seriously bomb. We'll see how the reviews end up looking, but I think the marketing people over at NBC killed this by trying to be all things to all people.
Posted by: Davis Freeberg | February 26, 2007 2:50 PM | Permalink to Comment