Four Reasons

After a year-long run, it is time to retire the TV Surveillance column and moniker, as I am certain that I have suggested what television programs to watch in every single creative way possible. Like all the greats, I know how to go out on top.

But just because Surveillance is gone doesn’t mean I am. I’ll still be talking television, but instead in a format that will give you four points on why I believe something.

Featured this week: NBC’s decision to move Jay Leno back to 11:35 p.m. and why it’s an overwhelming train wreck of an idea.

Reason 1: It’s yet another slap in the face to Conan O’Brien. NBC has mishandled Conan’s move to “The Tonight Show” from the beginning. First, they signed him up without really considering Leno’s feelings and then to pacify the great-chinned one, cleared out the 10 p.m. slot.

That meant Conan had to not only compete with Leno for guests (since they are both located in L.A.), but also promotional time. Conan’s new show debuted in June to solid promotion, but quickly NBC turned its promotional might behind the unfunny Leno.

Now, reports claim that NBC told Conan to either accept his new post at 12:05 a.m. or get lost, and even if NBC PR say there is no tension, there has to be. Conan’s always been an underdog, but he doesn’t deserve this – no matter how much he’s getting paid.

Reason 2: The 10 p.m. hour is now on an island. With the “The Jay Leno Show” filling five hours of primetime weekly, NBC was light on pilot development for the 2009-10 season. The network even canceled critically acclaimed “Southland” because it was “too dark” for 9 p.m.

After the Winter Olympics NBC will be looking to fill those five hours and doesn’t have many options to choose from. “Heroes” will be over for the season very soon, “Trauma” has already been canceled and aside from “The Marriage Ref” and “Parenthood,” there isn’t much ready for spring.

What does that mean? More “The Biggest Loser,” “Dateline” specials with Chris Hansen running creepy sting operations and re-runs. And NBC is still waffling on airing “Friday Night Lights” despite these problems? Yikes.

Reason 3: It’s a financial and affiliate disaster. The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend that the cost of the whole shuffle is near $200 million when considering the loss of revenue local affiliate news casts saw. Even NBC staple series like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” took a major financial hit because its ratings dropped so mightily from being switched to 9 p.m.

And the financial cost isn’t the whole problem. Local affiliates have been steaming over the Leno-at-10 p.m. from the beginning, and some even threatened not to air “The Jay Leno Show” earlier in the fall. Now NBC is asking local affiliates to accept this new late night strategy and deal with reruns or reality programming at 10 p.m. that could actually obtain lower ratings than Leno’s terrible hour.

Reason 4: NBC is still failing to admit its failures. NBC’s self-inflicted problems have been discussed ad nauseum over the past few years, but this situation reveals one of their major problems – they fail to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

After this announcement, NBC brass have thrown around platitudes like “right idea, wrong time” and “people just had more choice at 10 p.m.” C’mon. It was an utter failure on basically every level and until NBC starts being more honest with their statements, critics won’t give them any benefit of the doubt when they screw up big again – and we all know they will.