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Turns out that the Saturday night movie showcase that KCET launched recently — and that has been advertised over there on the right side of this page — was just the first stage. Variety reports that the PBS channel located on Sunset Boulevard is looking to devote the 10 pm weekday slot to new kinds of local programming. Long-ago network programming whiz Fred Silverman helped come up with themes for each night of the week, though the actual slate of shows would jump around and hasn't been finalized. In fact the whole thing is kind of wait-and-see if they do it, but it would be different for KCET.
- Mondays: Lisa McRee, who lost her hosting gig when "California Connected" was dropped, would do interviews under the banner "Strictly Personal" for at least ten weeks a year. Also in the works is ten weeks of a "College Bowl"-style quiz show, a focus on hometown heroes and videos from viewers.
- Tuesdays: City-themed programming including documentaries, a voice of the people show and town hall meetings. "If You Ran the City" would "team mayors from around the L.A. area with ordinary citizens to brainstorm solutions to city problems."
- Wednesdays: Arts and performance is the theme. "Curtain Call" would do TV adaptations of local theater productions. There may also be a showcase for young filmmakers and KCET's own knockoff of "American Idol."
- Thursdays: An hour-long entertainment guide and a local version of "Check, Please!," the Chicago restaurant review show.
- Fridays: As Variety puts it, "Silverman is hoping to use this night to develop a series of interactive quizzers and contests that would open up new revenue streams to KCET and offer cross-promotional opportunities."
Previous TV posts on News & Chatter; the latest on Chris Albrecht's abrupt departure from HBO is at LA Biz Observed.