ben silverman

How Are Ben Silverman’s Shows Doing, Anyway?

What a long, strange trip it’s been for NBC wunderkind (and Vulture hero) Ben Silverman. In the two years since he was named the Peacock’s co-chairman, he’s provided us with more hours of entertainment than we ever thought possible for a single network programmer — but what of his TV shows? On the occasion of tonight’s premiere of Office non-spinoff Parks & Recreation — possibly the first NBC program created under Silverman’s leadership that we’ve ever been unironically excited for — we decided to look back on all the shows he’s ostensibly been responsible for as co-chairman. How’d they do?


Below, you’ll find the names of all 23 series created after Silverman took command of TV’s fourth-place network in May of 2007, along with their total number of aired episodes. Of those 23 (we didn’t count Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, because come on), three look like they may see another season, five will almost certainly not return, and fifteen have been axed. We blame the writers’ strike! Please enjoy our chart-based analyses .


Still Alive (For Now!)
Celebrity Apprentice (19)
Chuck (32)
Superstars of Dance (5)

On Life Support
Howie Do It (14)
Kath & Kim (17)
Kings (4)
Knight Rider (17)
Life (32)

Canceled
American Gladiators (21)
America’s Toughest Jobs (10)
The Baby Borrowers (6)
Bionic Woman (8)
Celebrity Circus (6)
Chopping Block (3)
Crusoe (12)
Fear Itself (8)
Journeyman (13)
Lipstick Jungle (20)
Momma’s Boys (6)
My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad (8)
My Own Worst Enemy (9)
Quarterlife (1)
The Singing Bee (19)

Related: The Poehler Effect

How Are Ben Silverman’s Shows Doing, Anyway?