Classic television, largely of the short-lived wonder variety, will be the
featured attraction of Trio's primetime lineup for the final two months of
2002.
For starters, the Universal TV Group-owned service will offer Late Night
with David Letterman episodes unseen since their 1982-through-1993 run on
NBC.
Trio will get 80 Late Night segments under a three-year agreement with
NBC, with an option for more, president Lauren Zalaznick announced at a press
briefing in New York Tuesday afternoon.
A total of 32 episodes will appear over Thanksgiving weekend as a four-day
'Give Thanks to Dave' marathon. Another batch will show up New Year's Eve, and
nightly 10 p.m. appearances will begin Jan. 2.
In December, Trio will devote much of the month to 'Brilliant, But Cancelled
TV,' series that lasted one season or less.
Featured material includes segments from two 1950s Ernie Kovacs series
(selected by widow Edie Adams), Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Now and
Again, Action, The Gun, The Famous Teddy Z,
Profit and a 1960s series to be named later.
Comedy Central's TV Funhouse, which ran only two months during the
2000-01 season, will also show up.
The subject of great TV that didn't last long will be explored in three
original programs cablecast that month. Brilliant, But Cancelled and
The Perfect Pitch are specials covering the pilot-decision process, while
Face Time, three 30-minute segments, presents conversations with TV
visionaries, moderated by National Public Radio host Kurt Andersen.
Brilliant and Perfect Pitch are from World of Wonder (VH1's The
RuPaul Show, The Eyes of Tammy Faye), which will provide Trio with at
least four more documentary specials in 2003-04 and serve as a
program-development think tank for the channel.
Also premiering on Trio next month is The Moth, a two-week miniseries
of intimate storytelling performances taped at New York City clubs. The program
will premiere Nov. 18.
Trio currently reaches more than 17 million digital-cable and
direct-broadcast satellite households.
