With a New Slate at 8, NBC Looks to Get an Early Jump

Overall, the tough ad crowd did not show a whole lot of love for NBC's new lineup. It didn't even rise to the bait when the "Will & Grace" cast came onstage to sort of hint that the coming season might not be their last after all. In fairness, it was hard to tell if Debra Messing and Eric McCormack were being sort of serious. On the other hand, if they had been the cast of "Friends," their sort-of-not-kidding comments would have caused much whooping and huzzahing from the crowd.

"Fear Factor," the successful reality series in which contestants are forced to perform dangerous stunts and eat wiggly things, was noticeably missing from the prime-time schedule. Advertisers don't much like "Fear Factor"--it's kind of downscale. But it is waiting in the wings for a "mid-season" launch, which these days could mean as soon as about four weeks into the new season. Definitely by the start of the November ratings sweeps.

Replacing "Fear Factor" on Monday at 8 is "Fathom," about seemingly innocent little sea creatures who turn into big scary monsters -- sort of "ET" meets "Aliens" meets "Independence Day," according to Reilly.

NBC brought Stewart herself out to hawk her reality show. Unfortunately, all she did was put on her best finishing-school smile and read blah-blah-so-happy-to-be-at-NBC-blah from the teleprompter, when what we really wanted to see was actual footage from the series.

NBC thinks Martha is the right lead-in for a rock-'em sock-'em Jerry Bruckheimer drama about the Pentagon called "E-Ring" and starring Brad Pitt and Dennis Hopper. This Washington fantasy is replacing NBC's other Washington fantasy, the fading but still very upscale "The West Wing," which is moving to Sundays at 8.

NBC is making no changes to its Thursday lineup, even though it's now getting stomped by CBS because -- did you know? -- NBC's Thursday just delivered its most upscale season ever.

That said, "Friends" spinoff "Joey" is off 59 percent from what "Friends" was doing Thursday at 8 among 18- to 49-year-olds of all incomes, while "Will & Grace" is down 45 percent, "The Apprentice" is down 41 percent and "ER" 23 percent.

Despite fumbling 10 million viewers of any age from its first broadcast to its most recent, "Joey" is back because, Reilly explained to reporters during a news conference before the presentation to advertisers, even though the show is uninspired at times and a "mixed bag" creatively, it is not "broken."

In addition to "Three Wishes," "Inconceivable" is joining NBC's Friday lineup, at 10. It's about a fertility clinic, which just screams "upscale."

Announced bench warmers include not only "Fear Factor" and the sitcom "Scrubs" but also a new comedy called "Thick and Thin," about a fat woman who turned into Jessica Capshaw, and the comedy "Four Kings," about four guys who are friends and live together.

And, once the dust settled, "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" was gone; ditto "The Contender," "Third Watch" and "American Dreams."