With Order of Police, NBC Appears to Be Officially Out of Ideas

There is a very good chance that they've stopped trying over at NBC. What other way to explain the news that the struggling network is close to agreeing with producer John Wells and Warner Brothers Studios on an extension for the current (and final) season of ER and a pick-up for the producer's newest show, titled (we're not making this up) Police. The fact that NBC wants more episodes of ER isn't all that surprising. The show has been a ratings grabber in its final go-around, winning its 10 p.m. time slot thus far with help from a cavalcade of former cast members. Our bigger problem is with the six-episode order of Police.

We know that the title of a television show has to be quick, to-the-point and totally descriptive of the content. If The Office was called Dunder-Mifflin, chances are not a whole of lot people would watch it; if Desperate Housewives was called Wisteria Lane, you'd probably think it was a Merchant-Ivory production. So we get that John Wells couldn't very well name his show Parker Center. But, still. Police? Seriously? Why not just name a show Lawyer or Doctor? At least the previous title of the series, LAPD, was a tad more palpable (and incidentally, just as descriptive). When you combine that title with what could be the most generic cast in the history of television--among them, Tom Everett Scott, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz (who has played a cop on everything from Lost to Life) and, apologies, Ben McKenzie (we still love you, Ryan Atwood!)--you have a show that seems dead in the water before it even begins. To wit: Would you ever tell your friends that you couldn't wait to watch an episode of Police?

Anyway! The speculation is that Police will end up replacing ER at 10 p.m. to finish up the season, which spells trouble already for the NBC show Kings. The high-concept take on King David, featuring Ian McShane and a fancy Web site, was supposed to premiere the week after the ER finale on March 19th. Now that's up in the air and there is the thought that maybe Kings will move to another night altogether. Knowing NBC, they'll stick the show on Friday or Sunday, all but certainly killing it before it starts. At least the network won't have to worry about any of this next fall when Jay Leno takes over the 10 p.m. slot. Those concerned about Mr. Leno tamping down creativity needn't worry. If the best NBC can come up with is Police, we won't be missing anything.