Troubled NBC Looks for Ratings Amid Laughs

NBC is looking to comedy to help it climb the ratings ladder: Nearly 25% of the network's fare next season will consist of sitcoms, up from just 14% last fall. Execs are aiming to recapture the highly-educated young adults that helped propel Seinfeld and Friends, the Los Angeles Times reports. And "audiences have been very receptive to comedy and light fantasy drama the past couple of seasons," says chairman Bob Greenblatt.

"I'm determined to build momentum from night to night, something that's eluded us in recent years," he notes. New comedies include Go On, with Matthew Perry playing a sportscaster; The New Normal, Glee creator Ryan Murphy's new show about a gay couple and their surrogate mom; veterinary comedy Animal Practice, and the self-explanatory Guys With Kids. Meanwhile, the network is adding new dramas from seasoned creators JJ Abrams and Dick Wolf. The Times has the full schedule. (More NBC stories.)