Is missing ‘Link’ a cause for concern?
NBC’s syndicated version of “Weakest Link,” trumpeted earlier this month with full-page trade ads, hasn’t yet found a home on NBC-owned stations – including Ch. 4 here in New York.
The show, which still doesn’t have a host, is scheduled for a January 2002 launch – and seemingly would have already been snapped up by NBC stations looking to cash in on the show’s popularity in prime time.
“It should have been an immediate slam-dunk,” says one insider. “But the perception is that NBC stations don’t really think it has potential to be around that long – they think it will be overexposed between two prime-time runs on NBC and a run on PAX.”
Not so says Ed Wilson, President of NBC Enterprises and Syndication.
“We are very pleased with the reaction we have received from the station community,” Wilson says. “And we fully expect to launch ‘Weakest Link’ into syndication on January 7, 2002.”
Insiders say NBC is negotiating “with a number of markets” and doesn’t want to go public with details of the show until it’s a done deal. Another factor holding things up could be that the “Weakest Link” syndicated version doesn’t yet have a host, so stations don’t know what they’re buying into.
“Survivor” winner Richard Hatch was one of the original choices – and hosted the original syndication pilot – but he’s not expected to get the job. Ellen DeGeneres was also mentioned as a possibility, but she’s on CBS’ fall schedule with “The Ellen Show,” so that’s doubtful.
“Weakest Link” host Anne Robinson will not host the syndicated version, says NBC entertainment chief Jeff Zucker.
ABC, by comparison, has thus far held off announcing a syndicated version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
Ben & Jerri has ‘Late Late’ flavor
“Pearl Harbor” star Ben Affleck visits tonight’s “Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn” (12:35 a.m./Ch. 2), where he discusses “Survivor 2” castoff Jerri Manthey.
“They’ve turned her into a villain – she’s a nice girl,” says Affleck, who spotted Manthey at a bar. “I sit down and look over and it’s the curly haired girl from ‘Survivor,'” says Affleck, who went over to say hello. “She’s actually very sweet.”
This just in . . .
* Wednesday’s two-hour series finale of “Star Trek: Voyager” (8-10 p.m.) launched UPN into a rare second-place finish for the night, averaging 8.3 million households.
* Ch. 7’s Bill Beutel profiles Manhattan businessman Ken Brennen tonight at 6. Brennen’s Ghana-based company, Phyto-Riker, is helping fight AIDS in Africa.
* “Weekend with Perry” host Johnny Knox will air a two-hour tribute to late crooner Perry Como June 15 on WRTN (93.5 FM, 3 p.m.) and WLNG (92.1 FM, 10 p.m.) and June 16 on WVOX (1460 AM, 7 p.m.). Special guest: Regis Philbin.