Prime-Time Leno Isn't Part of This Q& A Script

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Jan. 15 NBC dodged questions about its decision to do away with scripted programming at 10 on weeknights to make room for a Jay Leno talk show.

Fox took questions about it.

CBS took questions about it.

NBC chickened out.

At the winter TV press tour, NBC co-whatevs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, who'd held a well-scripted news conference to unveil the deal several weeks ago, declined to take the stage to answer TV critics' questions about the historic move. Instead, they trotted out the two latest people charged with trying to develop actual programming that actual people might watch to bring NBC out of the ratings toilet and back into the game. They are Angela Bromstad, president of prime-time entertainment for both NBC network and the Universal Media Studios, and Paul Telegdy, executive vice president of alternative programming (reality TV, etc.) for NBC and Universal Media Studios.

They filibustered for the first half of their allotted Q&A hour with such announcements as picking up Tina Fey's "30 Rock" (duh), "The Office" (duh) and "The Biggest Loser" (duh, duh, duh).

And, they announced that Amy Poehler's new "The Office"-esque comedy, a mockumentary about local government, will premiere on April 9. And no, it doesn't have yet a name.

Plus, they announced they'd picked up a new cop drama from John Wells, which they love so much they're going to super-rush it onto the air April 9 in what will be its regular Thursday 10 p.m. time slot, which has to be the fastest fast-track ever -- though, as with all NBC debut announcements, it's best if you write these on your calendar in pencil.

For instance, one TV critic noticed that Wells's new drama was getting "ER's" coveted time slot, which was odd because, just a few weeks earlier, NBC had announced that Ben Silverman's pet project, the Ian McShane drama "Kings," was getting that time slot.

Oh, yes, Angela said, that's true: "Kings" is moving to Sundays at 8. And, she was happy to report, the executive producer of "Kings" couldn't be happier with the move.

Anyway, they also announced that "ER" fans will get three more episodes than NBC previously announced -- again, see what we mean? -- so that Wells will have time to get his super-rushed LAPD drama on the air. The "ER" swan song is now scheduled for April 2.

"With all due respect to you, NBC has made some pretty historic moves, and we don't get to talk to the top executives," one critic said to Bromstad and Telegdy.