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January 23, 2006
`West Wing' To End 7-Year Run; Momentum Seen For `Housewives'
By ROGER CATLIN
Hartford Courant
PASADENA, Calif. -- "The West Wing" will end its term May 14 at the close of its seventh season, NBC announced Sunday.
The disclosure was part of a newsy final day of the nearly two-week TV Critics Association winter press tour Sunday at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel.
NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said the intent to end the highly honored show with a one-hour episode preceded by an hourlong retrospective was to "give the show the send off it truly deserves."
The demise of the show, which has won four consecutive Emmys as outstanding drama, is not because of the sudden death of actor John Spencer Dec. 16.
"That was a shocker to us all," Reilly says. "The discussion of making this the final year was determined before that.
"It's no secret that the ratings have been tough the last couple of seasons," he says. "There's a point where you want to send off a show with dignity and some semblance of success."
"The cast was just officially notified very recently," he says. "I don't think anybody was shocked by this."
Reilly wouldn't reveal details of the finale, but he said that executive producer John Wells "walked us through everything that's happening. I don't use the word `extraordinary' very lightly but it will include a great sendoff to John Spencer."
In other announcements Sunday, "Will & Grace" will conclude its eight-year run with an hourlong finale May 18.
The game show "Deal or No Deal" introduced just before Christmas on NBC returns for a week of shows Feb. 27 before becoming a weekly Monday night fixture March 6.
Other new shows premiering after the Olympics include:
"Conviction," from Dick Wolf of "Law & Order" fame, which will begin March 3 alongside a relocated "Las Vegas," moved from Mondays to Fridays; and "Heist," a cops and robber drama from the makers of "Lucky," starting March 22.
When "The Apprentice" returns for a new season Feb. 27, it will be in the Monday night slot formerly occupied by "Las Vegas."
Full season orders have been made for both "The Office" and "My Name is Earl," though "The Office" ends its season March 30 to allow its star, Steve Carrell, to make a movie. Its slot will be taken by a new comedy, "Teachers."
The NBC summer schedule will include the ensemble drama "Windfall," the reality series "Treasure Hunters" and the return of "Last Comic Standing." The network may also import a telenovela from its Spanish sister network, Telemundo.
Reilly also mentioned one drama planned for the fall, "The Black Donnellys," from Paul Haggis of "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash" fame.
A session about the comedy hit "My Name is Earl" went on Sunday despite the absence of its star, Jason Lee. Reilly said Lee will be prevented from working for two to three weeks because of chicken pox, something of particular concern to the network executive. "I just hugged him at the Golden Globes and I've never had chicken pox."
Posted by Jo at January 23, 2006 07:23 AM