Ladies and gentlemen… The first cancelation of the 2011-2012 TV season is… [Drumroll…] NBC’s “The Playboy Club.”
If you picked “Free Agents” or “H8r” or “Prime Suspect,” your effort was valiant, but you fell just short.
On Tuesday (October 4), following another night of dismal ratings in the 10 p.m. hour, NBC announced that “Rock Center with Brian Williams” will premiere on Monday nights at 10 p.m. starting on October 31. NBC will air repeats of “Prime Suspect” in that time slot for the next few weeks, ending the “Playboy Club” run after only three episodes.
The cancellation of “The Playboy Club,” which starred Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian, wasn’t really surprising, especially after a third airing in which the ’60s-set drama drew under 3.4 million viewers and only a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49.
Regarding “Rock Center,” the newsmagazine will be NBC News’ first new primetime broadcast series to launch in nearly 20 years. In addition to Williams, the series will feature reporting from Harry Smith and Kate Snow, as well as Meredith Vieira, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Richard Engel, Matt Lauer and Ann Curry.
“Brian Williams already anchors America”s most watched, honored and respected nightly news broadcast. ‘Rock Center’ now gives him, and our all-star cast of journalists an opportunity to take viewers on a weekly journey of discovery,” states NBC News President Steve Capus. “Smart, original and occasionally irreverent, we hope it will become a destination for viewers looking for something special.”
Adds NBC Entertainment President Robert Greenblatt, “There’s no one more enlightening or personable in the news business than Brian Williams. We welcome Brian and this fresh new take on a primetime news show to our schedule, especially as we head into an election year.”
“Rock Center” will be broadcast live from Studio 3B in Rockefeller Center.