NBC announced that "The Voice" will premiere after the Super Bowl and that the network has made development deals with "Will & Grace" star Sean Hayes and "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" executive producer Greg Daniels.
The network has also hired former CBS executive Bela Bajaria to head Universal Media Studios, NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, where he previewed NBC's 2010-11 schedule.
UMS has also reached a deal with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez productions.
Greenblatt says he has been closely involved in the network's upcoming season since taking over the job with Comcast's acquisition of the network.
"For better or worse I was very engaged in these pilots," he said, adding dryly: "I will take credit for all of these shows if they work and blame people who no longer work for NBC if they don't."
Greenblatt said "The Voice" will premiere after the Super Bowl Feb. 5, and will air in its regular Monday timeslot at 8 p.m. the next night. It will be followed by the new musical drama "Smash" at 10 p.m. "The Voice" was the best-rated new show of the 2009-10 season and a welcome hit for the fourth-place network.
He also announced plans for a half-hour comedy show produced by "The Voice" coach Adam Levine that focuses on karaoke, and a drama about firefighters from "Law and Order" mastermind Dick Wolf.
The two-year deal with Daniels, who also executive produced "King of the Hill," calls for him to produce live-action, animated and reality shows.
The deal with Hayes would bring the actor and producer — whose successes include TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" — back in front of the camera.
Greenblatt spoke after an introduction from "Community" star Joel McHale in which McHale challenged reporters to count the number of times network executives used the word "exciting" to describe their shows. Greenblatt used it again and again, admitting he had borrowed it from McHale.
