Tweet

Comedy Tonight

Laughs instead of music for NBC's late-night time slot

By Susanne Ault -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/10/2000 7:00:00 PM

NBC is launching a late-night comedy show-its title is still in the works-starting Jan. 5. Replacing music-video series Friday Night at 1:35 a.m., the new effort from NBC Studios will feature five upstart stand-up comics per episode. Going the edgy-comedy route made sense for NBC because "we've considered the 1:35 a.m. late-night time period an experimental one, and this move reflects the network's desire to find new and interesting programming formats," says Entertainment President Garth Ancier.

Developed by Lisa Leingang, NBC Studios vice president of prime time series, the stand-up show will be executive produced by Matt Kunitz (Real World) and taped at Hollywood's Knitting Factory nightclub.

Friday Night, which debuted as Friday Night Videos in 1983, played new and classic music videos, with viewers calling up the show to vote for their favorites. Ancier wished Friday Night's current host Rita Sever well, saying she had done a "terrific job."

Tweet

Talkback

We would love your feedback!

Post a comment

» View All Talkback Threads

Related Content

• Topics
• Author
• Most Popular Pages

No related content found.

Also by this author

• Smooke's dream job

• Rehabilitating NYPD Blue

• Keeping the wheel turning

• Belt-tightening hits NATPE

• Big names keep advertisers

Also by susanne ault

Most Popular Pages

No Top Articles

• Resource Center
• Browse Categories
• Browse Companies

Featured Company

• Digital Rapids

  

  Digital Rapids provides market-leading software and hardware solutions, technology and expertise for transforming live and on-demand video to reach wider audiences on the latest viewing platforms more efficiently, more effectively and more profitably. Empowering applications from..more

---

Most Recent Resources

• The New Normal for Promoting Tune-in
• Achieving Operational Freedom in Digital Media Workflows