'The Office' EP Gets Uni Deal, 'The Voice' Lands Season 2 Premiere Date

Bob Greenblatt trotted out on the Beverly Hilton stage Monday for his first official meeting with the media as chairman of NBC Entertainment.our editor recommendsNew Chief Bob Greenblatt Vows Racier Shows to Juice NBC's RatingsQ&A: Bob GreenblattRelated Topics•TCA Summer Press Tour But before getting to reporters' questions during the network's Television Critics Association tour stop, the former Showtime executive took the podium to make a slew of announcements, a calculated bid perhaps to avoid a 45-minute panel devoted to the challenged state of NBC. Among them: a flurry of development deals with high-profile names as well as new projects with Voice coach Adam Levine and Law & Order honcho Dick Wolf. The company has signed an overall deal at Universal Media Studios with The Office and Parks and Recreation executive producer Greg Daniels. Greenblatt said Daniels, whose animated series King of Hill ran for more than 10 seasons on Fox, will look to develop live-action and animated comedies for NBC, a lucrative genre that rival Fox and 20th Century Fox TV has had a lock on. UMS has also brought in Will Ferrell and Adam McKay'sGary Sanchez Productions, the production company's first deal with a broadcast network."I think are as good as anybody at doing comedy," said Greenblatt, who reiterated that he's looking to make noise with his fare. NBC is working on developing a vehicle for Will & Grace star Sean Hayes as well as teaming with Hayes and Todd Milliner's Hazy Mills Productions."Sean is a friend," said Greenblatt. "And I really think it's time for him to star in a comedy again."The network's first project with Hazy Mills is a celebrity game night pilot. Elsewhere at NBC, Greenblatt announced plans to air a Christmas special starring Michael Bublefrom Ben Silverman and Lorne Michaels. Maroon 5 frontmanLevine is developing a karaoke comedy for the network, with Wolf on board to develop a firefighter drama with Wolf Films, where Danielle Gelber, who worked with Greenblatt at Showtime, recently landed. And, finally, reality hit The Voice will indeed premiere Feb. 5 after NBC's telecast of the Super Bowl. It will bow in it's regular time slot the following night from 8-10 p.m. leading into the premiere of Smash. Related Topics Sean Hayes Will Ferrell NBC NBCUniversal The Office The Voice TCA Summer Press Tour 2011