Reilly reups at NBC

Publish date: 2024-05-26

Pact had been anticipated since January

NBC Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly just inked a multiyear deal with the Peacock, which is starting to see a primetime renaissance under his watch.

Pact had been anticipated since January, when NBC U supremo Jeff Zucker publicly stated his wish to have Reilly stay on (Daily Variety, Jan. 18). Reilly also had expressed his desire to stick with the net, telling reporters at the TV Critics Assn. press tour that the job had finally become “fun.”

Contract negotiations began in earnest a few weeks later (Daily Variety, Feb. 5), but some major deal points prevented a pact from wrapping up until this week. Insiders said Reilly was simply looking for clarity on certain aspects of his position, given the recent structural changes at NBC U.

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With the NBC U hierarchy now squared away, both sides were able to come to a quick accord.

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Reilly, whose deal was up this summer, has served as entertainment prexy for nearly three years, taking over the spot from Zucker (who moved back to New York to head up all TV, and now oversees the entire conglom). He reports to NBC Universal TV West Coast prexy Marc Graboff, who announced Reilly’s reup Thursday.

“Continuity is good, keeping the momentum is better, and Kevin is pointing us in the right direction,” Graboff said. “He’s hitting his stride, and bringing the quality back to the network, the buzz. Why mess with success? We just want to give him his leeway to continue.”

Separately, insiders said the Peacock is also in talks with NBC Universal TV Studio president Angela Bromstad about renewing her contract; a deal is expected in the coming weeks.

Reilly’s reupping reps a victory for the former FX exec, who had been plagued by rumors about his long-term future at the network almost from the moment he ascended to his current post in May 2004.

Negative buzz was sparked mostly by NBC’s poor primetime performance in the post-“Friends” era. Peacock still has a long way to go until it’s healthy, but the net finally seems to have gained quite a bit of momentum.

Comeback started last fall with the success of “My Name Is Earl” and the slow emergence of “The Office” as a legitimate hit. Both shows were heavily championed by Reilly, whose pre-NBC track record counts successes such as “The Shield” and the pilot for “The Sopranos.”

The early victories at NBC were followed by the breakout success of quizzer “Deal or No Deal” last winter and fall’s bow of the big hit drama “Heroes,” this season’s top-rated new skein.

Reilly has also won plaudits from the creative community for sticking by low-rated but well-reviewed newcomers “Friday Night Lights” and “30 Rock.” Among regular programs, NBC is up 6% season-to-date among young adults.

“Obviously we’ve got miles to go before we sleep here or take any victory lap,” Reilly said. “But the reason I feel so good is the two key components we’ve been working on the last couple of years: First, to get some momentum and some quality and buzz back into the programming. Piece by piece, we’re beginning to assemble that.

“And the other thing was finding the right team that felt like we were all gelling together,” he added. “And I feel 100% that it just feels right. You don’t do these jobs yourself, and when you’re all rowing in the same direction, it builds confidence.”

Reilly said he has tried to spend his tenure following former NBC leader Grant Tinker’s famous mantra, “First be best, then be first.”

“It’s hard some days when you come in and try to repeat it on a loop to yourself for motivation,” he said. “But with shows like ‘Friday Night Lights’ and ’30 Rock,’ you can start to believe it. You watch the work, and as the tide rises, all ships will go up with it.”

Still, NBC’s sked has numerous trouble spots.

The once-mighty “Law & Order” franchise has faded, in no small part due to years of overexposure by NBC execs looking to plug holes.

A big, expensive bet on Aaron Sorkin didn’t pay off, with “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” barely clinging to life. And NBC has inherited ABC’s annual headache of programming a night part-time following the end of the NFL season.

“I went into the job with my eyes wide open, and knew we’d most likely go down before we went up,” Reilly said. “But I believe in the NBC brand.”

And now, “having done the fire walk,” Reilly said he felt the network was back on the right track.

“Another ‘Deal’ or ‘Heroes,’ and we’re right back where we want to be,” he said. “I feel the talent coming in the door now knows what we stand for.”

Reilly rejoined NBC (where he first worked as a young development exec) in 2003 from FX, first as president of primetime development, moving up to entertainment president in 2004.

At FX, he helped turn around the cabler with original fare including “The Shield.” Prior to FX, Reilly helped build Brillstein-Grey’s (later Brad Grey’s) TV operations, developing hit skeins such as “The Sopranos,” “Just Shoot Me” and “NewsRadio.” Reilly first joined the company in 1994, working his way up to president in 1999.

Reilly’s first stint at NBC included working on the launch of seminal skeins such as “Homicide” and “ER” as the net’s VP of drama development. He started at the Peacock in 1988 as manager of creative affairs, helping develop the teenybopper classic “Saved by the Bell.”

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