For New Season, Networks Look to Go Big, Brash

As they ready their fall lineups for advertisers, the major networks are stepping off last season's beaten path of struggles and flops. “We were looking for fresh,” says NBC Entertainment’s new president. “I really want people to see the concept for a show and go: ‘Oh wow. What’s that?’” To that end, his network is planning shows like Smash, the big-budget story of a Broadway musical’s creation. The series will have original songs penned by Broadway legends—and it’s getting some help from Steven Spielberg.

Networks are also looking to the supernatural for a boost. Fox’s Terra Nova—which also boasts Spielberg's input—is a prehistoric story calling for dinosaurs and perhaps the biggest-ever budget for a drama, the New York Times reports. Then there’s ABC’s Once Upon a Time, a mystery with characters like Snow White and Rumpelstiltskin. And Spielberg’s not the only big name involved: Lost's JJ Abrams has developed new shows, and Tim Allen will star in a new sitcom. Click through for more on the upcoming season. (More NBC stories.)