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Upcoming NBC Sitcom Retools to Give One Star a ‘Better Platform to Do Her Thing’

Aug 2, 2011  •  Post A Comment

NBC is making key changes to one of its highest-profile new shows to give one of its stars more play, TV Guide reports.

Appearing at the TCA press tour, NBC Entertainment Chief Bob Greenblatt discussed changes that are in store for the Will Arnett-Christina Applegate sitcom “Up All Night.” “We decided to change the workplace altogether to give Maya [Rudolph] a better platform to do her thing,” Greenblatt said.

Rudolph’s role has been rewritten to make her the host of a daytime TV show — an Oprah Winfrey wannabe — rather than her original job, which was the boss of Applegate’s character at a PR firm.

Rudolph’s character, Ava, aspires to be as big as Oprah. Executive producer and "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels explained: "This character’s journey is going to be someone who is trying to get there. She’s certainly not at the point of celebrity."

As part of the retooling, Applegate’s character will become a producer on Ava’s show instead of a PR rep. Some scenes from the pilot will be reshot before the show premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 10 p.m. ET.

“Up All Night” will switch to its regular time slot on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. ET.

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