November Sweeps - The NBC Gauntlet
 

<B>N </B>ovember <B>B </B>egets <B>C </B>elebrities

November Sweeps will be from October 31 - November 27, and as usual we can expect the networks to bombard us with motivation to watch their silly shows. NBC is typically the worst offender and has already begun a huge November ad campaign to make us feel like the fate of the world rests on our watching their shows.

So, let's play a game. There is no prize, other than the claim that you've accomplished the impossible. I will also tip my hat to you.

The Challenge: find an episodic TV show (a real show, not a news magazine) that airs in NBC primetime that will <I>not</I> have a "very special guest star" during November Sweeps.

I contend this cannot be done - prove me wrong. :)

das

<B>Guest Star Tally</B>

<I>American Dreams</I> - Usher
<I>Law & Order: Criminal Intent</I>
<I>Boomtown</I> - Joe Penny (not a HUGE star, but come on ... he was Jake)
<I>Fear Factor</I>
<I>Third Watch</I>
<I>Crossing Jordan</I> - Mariel Hemingway
<I>Just Shoot Me</I> - Gina Gershon - Rena Sofer
<I>In-Laws</I>
<I>Frasier</I> - Ana Gasteyer (and Bebe Neuwirth)
<I>Hidden Hills</I>
<I>Ed</I> - Kelly Ripa
<I>The West Wing</I> - Christian Slater
<I>Law & Order</I>
<I>Friends</I> - Freddie Prinze, Jr. - Hank Azaria - Christina Applegate - God knows how many others
<I>Will & Grace</I> - Gene Wilder (and Harry Connick, Jr)
<I>Scrubs</I> - Heather Locklear
<I>er</I> - Don Cheadle (and Sally Field)
<I>Providence</I> - Lauren Holly, Betty White
<I>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</I> - Gloria Reuben, Bruce Davison, JoBeth Williams

Law & Order (the main one, definitely not SVU) usually gets by without many very special guest starts. There have been a few here and there (Julia Roberts, Gary Busey, Joe Piscopo), but this is a tactic that they rarely rely on.

Yeah, they can live by "ripped from the headlines" or "a twist ending so shocking Sam Waterston wets his diapers." :)

In any case, we may have a winner. Then again ...

das

what celebrities does NBC have lined up for the shows? i've only heard about freddie prinze jr on friends... as a nanny ha ha. ;)

Joe Piscopo? rotfl

Who is going to guest star on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (my favorite of the Law & Order shows), das?

Do you know?

Have they ever had any guest stars before? None that I can remember.

Can't stand SVU, btw.

Ed....Ed gets no love from the network.

it DID get renewed... which is some loving...

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth conscience •<HR SIZE=1>Who is going to guest star on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (my favorite of the Law & Order shows), das?

Do you know?

Have they ever had any guest stars before? None that I can remember.<HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm not sure. They had Olivia d'Abo two weeks ago in a really cool episode. But she's obviously not a Brad Pitt or Sally Field caliber guest star. And Michael Gross was on last season, but again, not a huge guest star.

They may make it through OK.

das

Oh man! Olivia D'abo was on?!?! She needs her own show just so I can stare at her! :D

I heard Law & Order is going to have Nick Nolte play himself ;)

he may be one of those reoccurring character actors that plays multiple roles because i've seen him in two shows now where he plays different guys. so maybe he wouldn't count as a guest star

i don't think good morning miami will have a guest but then again, that show may not last til november :D

Ya know ... I was kinda joking when I started this thread, but after two weeks of these damn promos, it needs new life.

Here's my tally so far from the ads I've seen ... help me fill out the list?

<B>Guest Star Tally</B>

<I>American Dreams</I> - Usher
<I>Law & Order: Criminal Intent</I>
<I>Boomtown</I> - Joe Penny (not a HUGE star, but come on ... he was Jake)
<I>Fear Factor</I>
<I>Third Watch</I>
<I>Crossing Jordan</I>
<I>Just Shoot Me</I> - Gina Gershon - Rena Sofer
<I>In-Laws</I>
<I>Frasier</I> - Ana Gasteyer (and Bebe Neuwirth)
<I>Hidden Hills</I>
<I>Ed</I> - Kelly Ripa
<I>The West Wing</I> - Christian Slater
<I>Law & Order</I>
<I>Friends</I> - Freddie Prinze, Jr. - Hank Azaria - God knows how many others
<I>Will & Grace</I> - Gene Wilder (and Harry Connick, Jr)
<I>Scrubs</I> - Heather Locklear
<I>er</I> - Don Cheadle (and Sally Field)
<I>Providence</I> - Lauren Holly, Betty White
<I>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</I> - Gloria Reuben

das

Just a bump on this thread b/c it looks like L&O:SVU has Bruce Davison on next week's episode.

and JoBeth Williams ... top list updated.

das

Add Christina Applegate to the Friends list. She plays Rachel's sister. Incidentally, that role was played by Reese Witherspoon just season or two ago. I hope Rachel has more than one sister.

I'm not sure if i would really count "American Dreams" as having Usher on there simply for sweeps considering there have been more than a few current day artists playing artists of yesterday.

Unless they are promoting it with only mentioning Usher like 57,000 times. (i've not seen the promo)

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth UAIOE •<HR SIZE=1>I'm not sure if i would really count "American Dreams" as having Usher on there simply for sweeps considering there have been more than a few current day artists playing artists of yesterday.

Unless they are promoting it with only mentioning Usher like 57,000 times. (i've not seen the promo) <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, they promoted the hell out of it, especially here in Atlanta, his hometown where the local NBC affiliate went apeshit over it. The only other guest that got any kind of promotion I recall was Michelle Branch, but she just briefly sang. Usher not only sang, but had a few scenes of dialogue.

Anyway, <I>Crossing Jordan</I> just made the list with Mariel Hemingway.

das

Third Watch will have Patti D'arbanville & Julian Gamble (Law & Order, Invisible Man)

Hidden Hills will have Christian de la Fuente.

Must be an Atlanta thing, i've not seen much mention of him being on there. (other than the usual mentioning of it)


I believe other than Michelle Branch...i think there was a Backstreet Boy on there...uhh...the one who went solo..whats his name. He was on there for like 10 seconds (if that)

It saddens me that i know that a Backstreet Boy was on that show (possibly)

I officially tip my hat to the following posters:

<B>Red Dog</B>
<B>conscience</B>

So, here's the tally (not counting <I>Fear Factor</I>) ...

18 Prime Time Series
13 Had "Can't Miss" Guest Stars

Of the 5 that did not, two are brand new shows that will get dropped at the end of the season, so it's not surprising they didn't get the network love. <I>Third Watch</I> aired filler episodes, so they could surround sweeps with two heavily promoted two-parters.

So, by my count, there were really only two NBC shows that were actually above this cheap gimmick: <I>Law & Order</I> and <I>Law & Order: Criminal Intent</I>. Luckily <I>SVU</I> makes up for it a revolving door of guest celebrities including, most recently, Illeana Douglas.

To those shows and the posters who knew they would escape <B>N</B>othing <B>B</B>ut <B>C</B>elebrities, the hat is hereby tipped.

das