NBC - NBC LAYS ON THE SILVERMAN TOUCH

NBC LAYS ON THE SILVERMAN TOUCH

Meeting with TV newspaper columnists and critics for the first time on Monday, NBC Entertainment Co-chairman Ben Silverman ticked off a slew of major changes that the network will undergo under his aegis. Among them: Jerry Seinfeld will appear in a recurring role (as himself) on 30 Rock starting with the season premiere; Isaiah Washington, dumped from Grey's Anatomy in the wake of an anti-gay slur directed at a fellow cast member, will guest star on the upcoming Bionic Woman series; Norman Lear, the creator of such trailblazing shows as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Maude will produce a new one-hour comedy for the network; and The Apprentice will return with a celebrity version. (Silverman suggested that "it'd be great to get Rosie [O'Donnell]" for the show and that Donald Trump had asked him to extend an invitation to her. An O'Donnell spokeswoman later responded: "It will never happen in this lifetime or beyond.")

17/07/2007