Getting To Know New NBC 'Rock Star' Ben Silverman
TVWeek corralled just-installed NBC Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman (pictured above enjoying himself in the general vicinity of soon-to-be sworn enemy Les Moonves of CBS) for a "getting to know you" chat, in which the recently anointed New Peacock Messiah reveals that while he has managed to chug the company's "Choke on Our Quality" Kool-Aid, his acceptance of the gig progressed so quickly that he hasn't yet had time to take care of certain details unimportant to taking the job, like watching all of the network's Fall pick-ups. Reports TV Week:
TelevisionWeek: What are your goals for NBC?
Ben Silverman: To continue the great legacy of NBC and its unbelievable quality of programming. To be the No. 1 network. To be the absolute biggest and best brand in broadcast television. And more important, to be the most lucrative network. [...]
TVWeek: What's your take on the pilots and fall schedule?
Mr. Silverman: I have not seen all the pilots yet. I thought Zach Levi, the star of "Chuck," was phenomenal and really fun, and that show had the kind of environment I want to be in. I always loved "The Bionic Woman" growing up and eagerly await seeing her powers come to fruition, but have not watched it yet. And I'm excited to see "Journeyman," which I hear is phenomenal from everyone I know who has seen it. I'm sure we're going to get some hits out of them.
Now installed in his new position, Silverman should have some time to breathe and catch up on his pilot-watching to see if Bionic Woman actually feels like a hit, and, in the interest of properly instilling the culture of "peace, love, and understanding" discussed in the interview, finally get someone to clean the blood of freshly slaughtered predecessor Kevin Reilly from his office walls. There's nothing like the lingering stench of a recent
execution to stifle an otherwise aspirational, positive atmosphere.
[Photo: Getty Images]