NBC’s spring cleaning sweeps away reality shows

Courtesy of The Futon Critic:

While NBC will offer up six original series this summer, just as many won’t be back.

On the heels of its schedule announcement yesterday, Peacock insiders have confirmed “Last Comic Standing” and “Nashville Star” – two veteran franchises absent from said lineup – indeed won’t be back.

Also officially getting the boot: “Celebrity Circus,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Fear Itself,” “The Baby Borrowers” and “American Gladiators.” And while repeats of “Most Outrageous Moments” will turn up a few times in the coming months (May 19, July 21, July 28, August 26 and August 28), original episodes will no longer be produced.

2008-09 season entries “America’s Toughest Jobs” and “Momma’s Boys” likewise won’t be getting second seasons.

And it’s even worse news for “Jobs” executive producers Thom Beers, Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun: the two other series ordered as part of their much-ballyhooed 30-episode deal with the network won’t be turning up on the Peacock at all.

The projects in development for said slots – “Salvage,” “Shark Taggers,” “Swords: Lives on the Line” and late entry “Tornado Road” – however are expected to turn up on cable, where Beers has found success with such series as History’s “Ice Road Truckers” and Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch.”

The only reality efforts surviving the aforementioned bloodbath: “Who Do You Think You Are?” and “Breakthrough With Tony Robbins,” both of which are likely due sometime next season.

Do You Plan to Watch Celebrity Family Feud?

Celebrity Family Feud starts Tuesday, June 24th at 8/7c on NBC, and I am looking forward to it, as I have been a Family Feud since the days of Richard Dawson. This time around, the host is America’s favorite weatherman, Al Roker, who also producing the show. The all-star families include Team Symone (Raven Symone), Team Engvall (Bill Engvall), Team Mo’Nique (’nuff said), and Team Knight (Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry). According to Adrianne Curry’s MySpace blog, she had a blast.

Also, going up against Team Rivers (Joan Rivers) is Team Ice-T, otherwise known as Team O.G. Here’s a clip, and the question is, “Name something that’s slippery and hard to hold on to.”