“Tune in, and then mentally tune out”

That’s NBC’s big strategy to lure you back to the network, according to this story in Variety. Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment alongside Ben Silverman (who will unveil the networks new fall – and year-round – schedule on Wednesday), declares:

"People need to escape. Ben's programming strategy is to find some shows where people can tune in and then mentally tune out. That's his directive, and I think you'll see that reflected in the programs."

Given that we could all use a breather from the impending financial apocalypse (not to mention if Cheney decides to invade Iran as an October surprise), and given that the brain-dead “Deal or No Deal” outperformed the dour “Journeyman” this past season, you can’t really argue with Silverman’s strategy. The question, of course, is whether the programming will be up to snuff. Some of the series that may make the schedule include the “Knight Rider” retread and shows about a telepathic paramedic, an “adrenaline-charged” “Robinson Crusoe,” a sexy former FBI agent and “My Own Worst Enemy,” starring Christian Slater as a suburban man leading a double life as a spy (which sounds like the Schwarzenegger vehicle “True Lies”). Draw your own conclusions.

(Aside: Do you think advertisers will be lured by the image of slack-jawed viewers mentally tuned out? Or is that their target audience?)

NBC’s other bold initiatives are to cycle out failing shows quickly with similar new series in the same time slot and to try to whittle down the number of repeats to just about none – which, naturally, will mean a lot more reality shows plugging holes in the schedule.

"Repeats don't work anymore, but we have a finite amount of money to spend," Grabhoff told Variety. "We're trying to do some things that are cheaper so that we can have more original programming."

The other networks, meanwhile, will unveil their fall schedules during the traditional May upfront. It’s gutsy for NBC to move its announcement up so early, particularly given how pilot season was left in tatters by the writers strike. One just hopes the schedule that results isn’t obviously slapdash. We’ll find out Wednesday – if I don’t mentally tune out during Silverman’s phone press conference.