• by Paul Gough , December 4, 2002

With the first Sweeps of the season behind it, NBC is planning a few new programs for mid-season replacements.

NBC, which won the November sweeps by 20% in the crucial 18-49 demographic, credits its success to its regular programming. That puts it in good shape for the rest of the season without a reliance on specials to boost ratings, NBC executives say.

One new NBC show, Kingpin, is generating buzz more than three months before its March premiere. The series, which stars Steven Bauer and Sheryl Lee, follows Drug Enforcement Agents trying to take down a narcotics ring. It’s produced by Spelling Television Inc. and NBC Studios. In a recent news conference, NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker said the network already has three of the limited run series’ six episodes in hand.

“I can tell you there’s nothing like it on network television. We’re beyond excited and cannot wait for March. I think it will really be something special,” he said.

After a December of mostly original programming, NBC plans to run political drama Mr. Sterling in Providence’s old time slot. The show, which stars Josh Brolin, is premiering this month and will be in the 8 p.m. Fridays spot by next month. Another program with political overtones, A.U.S.A – assistant U.S. attorney – stars Scott Foley and will begin in February. Julia-Louis Dreyfus’ sitcom will be relaunched sometime during the season, with specific dates being announced in January.

Speaking of Providence, NBC is taking another look at the long-running show and may not cancel it after all. NBC announced a month ago that the show would end in December after a five-year run. Zucker said there’s a possibility that it might return sometime before the end of the season. Zucker told the cast as much when he visited the Providence set before Thanksgiving.

The show, which was a midseason replacement in 1999, has been heavily promoted in its final scheduled shows. But a change has been made to the promotions, with “Series Finale” being changed to “Finale.”

“Either way, it would have to come off the air at this point” because star Melina Kanakaredes is about to deliver her second child.

But the program, which had been performing well in its time slot, ran a close second with a 2.9 rating and a 10 share among adults 18-49 and 10.7 million viewers overall. Nielsen said it tied for first among viewers 25-54 and was first in key adult-female demographics.

Zucker said he had felt that it was better to take the show off the air a couple of months before it was ready rather than leave it on the air too long.

“I’m not sure that I made the right decision,” he said.