Some good news -
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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — After acknowledging that NBC had a "really bad fall," the network's entertainment chief moved swiftly Friday to assure viewers that "Community" and "Law & Order: SVU" aren't leaving.
Although the Thursday night comedy "Community" was taken off the midseason schedule, entertainment president Bob Greenblatt said that he wanted to "dispel any notion that it is quietly disappearing." He didn't say, however, when it would be back.
At a news conference, Greenblatt also aired a video clip of star Mariska Hargitay saying that she's committed to "Law & Order: SVU" through next year. She'll even get a love interest: Harry Connick Jr. has signed on for several episodes later this season.
For NBC, keeping any audience it still has is important. The fourth-place network has continued its slow decline this fall, with Sunday night football keeping its heart beating. Viewership was off 5 percent from last season, the Nielsen ratings company said.
"We had a really bad fall, worse than I had hoped for but about what I expected," Greenblatt said.
Still, he said that he hoped new shows like "The Voice," ''Up All Night" and "Whitney" can provide building blocks for the future, even if they are only modest successes now.
NBC has been outspending its rivals in series development recently, following many years when the network kept such spending down. Greenblatt said NBC's new corporate owners, Comcast Corp., have shown a willingness to invest money and patience in rebuilding the network.