Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek Tom Llamas (courtesy: NBC News) With his recent appointment as anchor and managing editor of *NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas*, Tom Llamas steps into a role steeped in prestige and responsibility. As the face of NBC's flagship evening broadcast and host of the primetime streaming newscast *Top Story with Tom Llamas* on NBC News NOW, Llamas is now one of the most visible and influential journalists in American media. Llamas brings a dynamic blend of on-the-ground experience, breaking news savvy, and digital fluency to the job. In addition to anchoring the nightly network broadcast, he plays a key role in leading breaking news coverage across both NBC News and NBC News NOW. His leadership during the 2024 election cycle, including his high-profile presence on Election Night and the September presidential debate, helped drive NBC News NOW to record viewership milestones. His command of the Big Board and ability to explain complex electoral trends in real time proved ins...

Tis the season for your holiday favorites and WKYC Studios and NBC have a whole host of popular favorites to air in November and December. Here is a list of what you can expect this year: Wednesday, November 27 th 9:00pm – 11:00pm: A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE THANKSGIVING   Thursday, November 28 th 9:00am – 12:00pm: THE 93 RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE    12:00pm – 2:00pm: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA 2:00pm – 5:00pm: THE 93 RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (repeat from 9 am) Friday, November 29 th 8:00pm - 10:00pm: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA (repeat from Thursday)  Saturday, November 30 th 8:00pm – 11:00pm:  MOVIE: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE                                                           Tuesday, December 3 rd 8:00pm ...

NBC News will celebrate the 50th anniversary of veteran anchor and special correspondent Tom Brokaw with “Tom Brokaw at NBC News: The First 50 Years,” a prime time special on Sunday, January 29 at 9 p.m. The two-hour special features his most memorable highlights and famous interviews from the start of his career reporting on Ronald Reagan’s first run for office to his most recent coverage of the 2016 presidential election, as well as never-before-seen moments from Brokaw’s tenure at NBC News and new conversations with special guests.  Brokaw and his guests will share insights and discuss topics from the last half century including race relations, politics, the women’s movement, technology, and global affairs. Brokaw’s in-depth conversations with A-list leaders of business, politics and culture include guests Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Tom Hanks, Jon Stewart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Colin Powell, David Letterman, Sheryl Sandberg, Lester Holt, Maria Shriver, Lorne Michaels, Nikki...

Saturday Night Live is getting ready to ring in the holiday season. Emma Stone returns for her third time as host on Saturday, Dec. 3 with Shawn Mendes as musical guest. Stone can next be seen in the film, “La La Land.” Mendes’ latest album, “Illuminate,” debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. WWE superstar John Cena will make his “SNL” debut as host on Dec. 10 with musical guest Maren Morris. Cena has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including the comedies “Trainwreck” and “Sisters.” Morris’ major label debut album, “Hero,” debuted on two Billboard charts and her debut single, "My Church,” went platinum. On Dec. 17, Casey Affleck will make his “SNL” debut. Affleck currently stars in the drama “Manchester By the Sea” recently winning Best Actor Awards from the Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Circle and National Board Of Review. Chance The Rapper will return for his second time as musical guest. His latest album, “Coloring Book,” was released to critic...

Al Roker, the weather anchor for NBC’s “Today,” and Hoda Kotb, co-host of “Today’s” fourth hour, will welcome 2017 co-hosting NBC’s live, high-definition coverage of the “128th Rose Parade” from Pasadena, California, on Monday, January 2 (11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET) This year marks the milestone 90-year anniversary of NBC broadcasting the parade, beginning on radio in 1927 and then televising the popular annual event beginning in 1954. This will be Roker’s twentieth year as host and the fourth year for Kotb. The event will be held on January 2 this year due to the parade’s ‘Never on a Sunday’ rule. “Echoes of Success” is the theme of the 2017 Rose Parade, the most popular New Year’s celebration in the world. Three Olympic legends are honored as this year’s Grand Marshals – six-time Olympic gold medalist and track and field star Allyson Felix, five-time Olympic medalist and long distance swimmer Janet Evans and five-time Olympic medalist and diver Greg Louganis. The fun kicks of...

NBC has announced the schedule for "Sunday Night" and "Thursday Night" Football for the upcoming season. 2016 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Thurs. Sept. 8         NFL Kickoff     Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos Sun. Sept. 11          Week 1              New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals Sun. Sept. 18          Week 2              Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings Sun. Sept. 25          Week 3              Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys Sun. Oct. 2             Week 4              Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers *Sun. Oct. 9           Week 5              New York Giants at Green Bay Packers *Sun. Oct. ...

Special to the Director's Cut Blog Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports  The NFL announced Monday that NBC will join CBS and NFL Network for TNF telecasts during the 2016 and 2017 regular seasons. Thursday night games became a fixture in 2006 on NFL Network, which will continue to simulcast all games in the package, before CBS joined it in 2014. Over the next two seasons, CBS and NBC will broadcast five games apiece while NFL Network will retain exclusive rights to eight other games. CBS had produced eight games in both the 2014 and '15 seasons. “We are continuing to make Thursday Night Football bigger and better. CBS has played an integral role over the last two seasons in helping build Thursdays as a night for NFL football, and we're excited to have them on board again," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. “At the same time, we're thrilled to add NBC to the Thursday Night Football mix, a trusted partner with a proven track record of succes...

TEGNA, parent company of WKYC-TV, announced today that TEGNA Media and NBC have agreed to a renewal of the affiliation agreements of all 17 TEGNA Media NBC stations (including WKYC-TV). TEGNA’s entire portfolio of NBC stations will now be under one common, long-term agreement.  TEGNA Media is the largest independent NBC affiliate group. “We are pleased to be extending our deep and longstanding partnership with NBC,” said Dave Lougee, president, TEGNA Media. “NBC’s content, from sports to news to primetime, combined with TEGNA Media’s trusted, innovative and impactful local programming is highly valued by our viewers.” “We are happy to extend our affiliation with TEGNA, NBC’s largest affiliate station group,” said Jean Dietze, President, Affiliate Relations, NBC Broadcasting. “We’ve had a strong, successful partnership with Dave and his team for many years. We look forward to continued collaboration to provide high-quality network broadcast content to complement TEGNA’...

NBC will premiere the new drama "Do No Harm" on Thursday, January 31, from 10-11 p.m. following the hour-long series finale of the Emmy Award-winning "30 Rock" at 8 p.m. earlier that same night. In addition, "Rock Center with Brian Williams" will move to Fridays beginning February 8 from 10-11 p.m. right after "Dateline NBC" which also makes a move to an earlier 9 p.m. slot. The announcements were made Friday by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. "January 31 will be a special night as one classic series will mark its finale with a great hour-long sendoff episode while a promising new drama will make its debut on Thursdays," said Greenblatt. "'30 Rock'" is acclaimed as a legendary comedy and we will see a truly memorable and fitting last episode. In "Do No Harm," viewers will have a unique new dramatic storyline with an exciting new star in Steven Pasquale that takes them into dark and unc...

Special to the Director's Cut By Lynn Elber, AP Television Writer NBC says "The Voice" is teaming a crooner and a country singer for the show's new season. The network said Monday that Michael Buble will serve as adviser to coach Blake Shelton's team of contestants when the singing contest returns in September. Buble, who described himself as a "big Blake fan," said he's having a terrific time working with Shelton and his singers. Buble started taping his appearances on "The Voice" Monday in Los Angeles. NBC has yet to announce advisers for the show's three other coaches, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and Adam Levine. Kelly Clarkson, Jewel and Baby Face were among last season's advisers, guiding contestants in their choice of songs. "The Voice" is back for its third season Sept. 10.

Special to the Director's Cut Blog David Bauder, AP Television Writer Only a year after becoming Matt Lauer's co-host on NBC's "Today" show, Ann Curry may soon be losing that job. A source with knowledge of the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak on the matter said Wednesday that NBC is discussing a plan to ease Curry out of the co-hosting role. The New York Times first reported these discussions on Wednesday. Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosts the show's third hour, is at the top of the list of Curry's possible replacements. NBC News executives did not immediately return requests for comment. Today" lost in the ratings this spring for the first time since 1995 after a string of 852 consecutive weeks. Since then, "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" have been trading wins

Special to the Director's Cut By Deborah Yao, AP Business Writer PHILADELPHIA -- General Electric Co. has reached an agreement to buy the 20 percent stake in NBC Universal held by French media conglomerate Vivendi SA, The Associated Press has learned. The agreement would pave the way for GE to sell control of the TV and movie company to Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable TV provider. That deal, which would make Philadelphia-based Comcast one of the nation's largest entertainment companies, is valued at about $30 billion. An understanding between GE and Vivendi has been reached but has yet to be formalized, according to a person with knowledge of the talks who requested anonymity because the talks were private. The Wall Street Journal reported that GE would pay $5.8 billion for the stake. -- Source: The Associated Press

Special to the Director's Cut By Stephanie Stanton Stars of the hit TV series "ER" ditched their scrubs for red-carpet attire to attend a posh Hollywood wrap party. Laura Innes who played Dr. Kerry Weaver on the show expressed her excitement.."I just feel like wow... This is a gas... It's just a great time." Cast members past and present were among the hundreds on hand for this goodbye bash. Ellen Crawford who played nurse Lydia Wright was one of those in attendance. "It's exciting... a little sad... It's very bittersweet, I have a little tear. It's been a great run." The show's executives also shared some final thoughts... "Thank you for everything you've done all these years." Meanwhile, a video tribute and a wall of photos highlighted some of the show's memorable moments. One section of this posh Hollywood nightclub has been transformed into the "ER" set. These are actual props fr...

NBC announced Wednesday a new comedy-reality series created by superstar comedian and producer Jerry Seinfeld's Columbus 81 Productions. Mr. Seinfeld has partnered with Ellen Rakieten, a 23-year veteran of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on this project. This new series titled "The Marriage Ref" (working title) will feature opinionated celebrities, comedians and sports stars who will candidly comment, judge and offer different strategies for real-life couples in the midst of a classic marital dispute. The announcement was made today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Describing his new creation, Mr. Seinfeld said, "This is not a therapy show, it's a comedy show. After nine years of marriage I have discovered that the comedic potential of this subject is quite rich." "It will be revealing, edgy, controversial and very, very funny. Picture well-known people weighing in on a couple's relationship i...

As Jay Leno winds down his tenure as host of "The Tonight Show" this May, NBC takes a look back at 50 years of the program from Steve Allen to Conan O'Brien's pending debut. The Tonight Show Experience Timeline: Explore 50 years of comedy history with video, photos, and milestones. 50 Years of Memories... 1 Website... Click on the picture to begin your multi-media experience:

"Superstars of Dance" is a breathtaking international dance competition led by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, two of the masterminds behind "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance." The series is hosted by Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance") and co-hosted by Susie Castillo ("House of Payne"). The unique series pitches the masters of various dance genres from eight countries against each other. Equal parts sporting event, rock concert and artistic exhibition, "Superstars of Dance" is poised to become one the greatest spectacles of dance performance ever seen on television. Eight countries will participate in the competition with each team comprised of two soloists, one duo and one larger group. Viewers will get to know the competitors and the coaches through the trials and tribulations, both behind the scenes and on the stage. The stakes are high for these artists, as they are not ...

Update: 12/9/08 - It's Now Official! NEW YORK -- Jay Leno is staying at NBC, and he's moving to prime time. The network announced on the "Today" show Tuesday that Leno will host a show on weeknights at 10 p.m. Eastern, after he leaves the "Tonight" show. The network had announced earlier that Conan O'Brien would move to the "Tonight" show and succeed Leno. The deal not only prevents Leno from moving to another network and competing with O'Brien, it also has the potential to be a big cost savings for NBC. Dramas at 10 p.m. Eastern used to be a mainstay of network schedules, but they have been fading -- particularly on NBC. One reason is digital video recorders; more people are watching shows they taped earlier than the live 10 p.m. shows. The deal was first reported Tuesday in The New York Times. ------ Our Original Posting from 12/8/08 Things at NBC are moving fast and we have learned another piece of the puzzle which seems to be coming tog...

Earlier this year, we discussed on the Director's Cut Blog about the possibility of NBC changing its prime time strategy as the network finds itself with very disappointing numbers. At that time, we suggested the network may reduce the hours or the days it programs, more in line with the Fox TV model. Finally, NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker said Monday afternoon that it's a very realistic possibility. All options are now on the table for the struggling network which has yet to regain significant footing. According to today's Hollywood Reporter, Jeff made the comments as part of Monday's keynote at the annual UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. "Can we continue to broadcast 22 hours in prime time? Three of our competitors don't," Zucker said. "Can we continue to broadcast seven days a week? One of our competitors doesn't." Again, we have nothing specific on this more than what we read...but scaling back prime time to 2 hours (from...

Update: David Gregory was offically introduced as the new host of "Meet the Press" as we mentioned in our previous article last week. -------- The New York Post reported today that NBC has apparently settled on David Gregory as the new host of Sunday morning's "Meet the Press." The problem is someone leaked the information to the media before NBC wanted it out, which is to come this week when Tom Brokaw will pass the chair to David. As we reported earlier, Brokaw's last show as moderator is to be this Sunday, December 7th. This leak has led the network brass to be a little cranky and refusing to confirm or deny that Gregory is its choice. However, given the star power of Gregory, we are pretty certain he's got the job. The Post also reports that NBC Political Director Chuck Todd, himself a contender for the job, may have been the source of the early announcement. Stay tuned on this soap opera. We wonder aloud why everyone seems to think keeping secrets ...

By Frank Macek The Director's Cut is hearing loud rumors that this may not be the final curtain for "ER," the medical drama that was supposed to wrap up its 14th and final season this year. With NBC still struggling to find footing with many of its newest shows this year, NBC is said to be considered keeping the show in production. "ER" has been doing very well again in its Thursday Night 10 PM timeslot against "Life on Mars" from ABC and "Eleventh Hour" for CBS. We'll probably get some sort of announcement by the end of the month as negotiations are continuing between NBC and Warner Brothers, the show's production arm.