NBC Says It Must Challenge ‘Millionaire’

Not content to keep letting “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” dominate prime time, NBC is hoping to find some way to siphon audience from ABC’s quiz show sensation.

Presenting series candidates for next season to advertisers Wednesday, NBC Entertainment President Garth Ancier said the network must challenge “Millionaire” more aggressively or risk allowing the show to remain a monster hit almost by default.

“What we’re doing now is going out and seeing which groups are least loyal to ‘Millionaire,’ ” Ancier said.

Although NBC’s development slate includes such recognizable faces as “Seinfeld’s” Michael Richards and Wayne Knight as well as “Married . . . With Children’s” Katey Sagal, the network is also committed to finding fresh new talent in an attempt to be “younger” and “hotter,” as Ancier put it.

That strategy--to a degree emulating the WB network--is not without peril, as NBC discovered with the teen drama “Freaks and Geeks,” which was yanked from the schedule this week. “Dateline NBC” will fill the show’s 8 p.m. slot beginning Monday.

NBC irked producers this year by providing only enough money to create “presentations” on its dramatic shows as opposed to full series prototypes. Because they run only about 30 minutes, NBC pays $1.35 million for each presentation, compared to $2.2 million for pilots. NBC hopes the approach will free the network to test more concepts, with the 28 series hopefuls for next season representing a substantial increase over last year.

Roughly one-fourth of those prospects will become series in the fall, with the networks to unveil next season’s lineups in May. Citing the number of channels now available, Ancier acknowledged that networks can no longer rely on programs such as “Friends” and “Frasier” to support weaker “satellite shows” airing adjacent to them.