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What people are talking about today
The TV upfronts are here, which means networks are putting on elaborate performances to woo advertisers. As Ad Age’s Jeanine Poggi writes, where else can you watch Luis Fonsi and gyrating dancers perform onstage at 11 a.m. on a Monday? At Radio City Music Hall, NBC Universal brought out Fonsi, John Legend, Adam Levine, Jimmy Fallon, Ted Danson, Rami Malek, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live” stars and a few Kardashians. Seth Meyers poked fun at the hoopla, joking that when his 3-year-old wanted to play with him this weekend, he had to decline, saying: “I’m sorry, I can’t. The Procter & Gamble people are in town.”
More on NBC Universal: Linda Yaccarino, chairman for advertising and partnerships, touted the company’s free, ad-supported streaming service set to debut in mid-2020: “Other companies are pushing advertisers out, NBC Universal is bringing advertisers in.” Read more by Jeanine Poggi.
Also: Check out some trailers for upcoming NBC shows, including a sitcom called “Perfect Harmony” that stars Bradley Whitford of “The West Wing” as a music professor tapped to run a small-town church choir. (Actual tagline: “He needs them. They need hymn.”)