TCA: Bob Greenblatt: Broadcast is ‘Bastard Child’ of TV
NBC Entertainment honcho Bob Greenblatt came to the Television Critics Assn. press tour armed with stats that indicate NBC’s progress during the past season.
But when pressed by reporters Greenblatt was quick to express frustration at the lack of respect given to broadcast fare creatively vis a vis cable competition. He cited the lack of Emmy nominations traction for NBC’s family drama “Parenthood” as a prime example. The show was high on many critics lists of undeserved snubs in this year’s Emmy derby.
“The bastard child is now broadcast television,” Greenblatt said. “Our peers in the industry don’t look at the work we do – they look at the shiny new bulb in the cable world. Cable can do things we can’t do. It’s just a facto of life.”
Greenblatt recognized the irony of his comments given his previous incarnation as head of Showtime, where he made the pay TV outlet a player with edgy shows like “Dexter” and “Weeds.”
“I wish we could get more respect for the work we do,” Greenblatt said referring collectively to the broadcast nets.
He also noted the disparity between broadcasters that serve up far more new shows than most cable nets in a given year.
“If we could put on one show a year, trust me, it’d be the best show you ever saw,” he said.
Related stories
TCA: Showtime's David Nevins Addresses 'Borgias' Protesters, Netflix, 'Dexter' Spinoff
NBC Wraps Upfront With Increase In Volume
TCA: CW's Mark Pedowitz Confirms 'Flash,' Admits Ratings 'Naivete'
Get more from Variety.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
