NBC Entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt says his mantra for developing new shows has been “bigger, louder and more event-like.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that the mantra has led the network to push into new territory, taking risks with shows like “Smash” (which the article notes didn’t work out) and achieving some success through programs such as “Grimm” and “The Blacklist.”

“The first couple of years there was a certain amount of rooting around until we saw what worked," Greenblatt told the publication.

The network is experimenting with different formats, such as a 12-episode miniseries called “A.D.,” which is billed as a sequel to History’s successful miniseries “The Bible.” Greenblatt said he’s also working on live broadcasts, such as the forthcoming “Peter Pan,” which will follow the success of last year’s “The Sound of Music Live!”

Given three to five years to fix NBC’s rating slump, Greenblatt is finding some success with the strategy, the story says.

"Prime time is a lot like building a house brick by brick," NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke told the publication. "A lot of people said you don’t have enough bricks when you’re in fourth place to fix one night a year. But now I tell people NBC has the most upside of any business we have."

Bob Greenblatt