Today we call this short-form content. In late summer 1993, NBC named it “must-see television.”
In the summer of 1993, NBC was far ahead of its time, embarking on an image campaign that would define the network’s dominance in the 1990s. The fact that this lyrical slogan still resonates on NBC more than 30 years later highlights how deeply ingrained shows like “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” “Frasier” and “Emergency Room” are in pop culture and the hearts of their fans.
Warren Littlefield and Don Ohlmeyer, NBC’s top entertainment leaders at the time, knew they had a strong hand playing Thursday night during the 1993-94 season. Let’s consider the lineup. “Mad About You” (Season 2), “Wings” (Season 5), “Seinfeld” (Season 5) and “Frasier” will have a debut slot that will be limited to 10 p.m. by the final season of “LA Law.”
Mad About You, starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt, aired on NBC from 1992 to 1999.
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NBC was becoming a home for witty, urban comedies aimed at young people and high-end drama series that pushed boundaries. And it was happening just as TV advertising demand was completing a harsh transition toward focusing on youth demo ratings rather than the broadest household audience that had dominated television for decades.
In preparation for NBC’s big fall launch campaign, marketing executives John Miller and Vince Manze were tasked with creating an overarching marketing slogan to promote Homicide on Thursday night. In the years since then, numerous explanations have been given of how “Must See TV” came to be, but neither Miller nor Manze claim authorship. Littlefield and others blame NBC advertising producer Dan Holm.
In June 1999, Manze told Variety magazine that the motto was born from a meeting of a propaganda group. “Someone said that, so we said, ‘OK,’ and that was that,” Manze said.
“Wings” aired on NBC from 1990 to 1997
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What everyone clearly remembers is why we developed a bespoke marketing campaign for the evening. Ohlmeyer and Littlefield recognized that the viewing landscape was changing when cable television first began to challenge network TV’s dominance.
“In a world of so many options, marketing and branding became increasingly important,” Littlefield told the American Television Archive in 2011.
From the late summer of 1993 until the mid-2000s, “Must See TV” promotions were a staple of NBC. Spots around the fall and midseason premiere dates were elaborate and featured stars from various shows interacting in cheeky ways. In hindsight, industry insiders say “Must See TV” was a visionary example of content marketing. And it wasn’t just promoting the show. It defined what viewers could expect from NBC, especially the shows that earned the “must-see TV” seal.
of approval.
“Frasier,” starring Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, and Eddie, aired on NBC from 1993 to 2004.
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“It created a framework for lumping new shows together with successful ones, and it gave viewers a concise explanation: Well, if you liked ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Friends’ and ‘Mad About You,’ you’re going to love this show,” says Brian Lawrie, a veteran media critic and former chief television critic at Variety.
Jennifer Storms, NBCUniversal’s chief marketing officer of television and streaming, emphasizes that the “Must See TV” era left a strong foundation that continues to help define aspects of NBCUniversal’s brand.
Listen to the full interview with Jennifer Storms on today’s “Daily Variety” podcast here.
“This was a promise to consumers, but it also cemented NBC’s reputation as the network that defined reservation viewing,” Storms said. “We not only branded the show, we branded the night, we turned the schedule into a cultural ritual, and we created a social contract with consumers. That was the first water cooler moment. And it did incredible things for us and continues to this day.”
As NBCUniversal evolves across more stages and screens, it’s important to set the tone and tone that turns platforms like NBC, Peacock, and Bravo into destinations.
“We’ve evolved that and now across the company we always want to talk about the emotions, feelings and experiences around content,” says Storms. “As we move forward today, we continue to make (NBC Marketing) even bigger and more relevant.”
Of course, in the past and even today, no one can hit 1,000 hits. At its peak in the 1990s, NBC famously had a string of short-lived comedies that struggled even with the benefit of airing behind Friends and Seinfeld, including “The Single Guy,” “Boston Common,” “Veronica’s Closet,” and “Union Square.”
“The comprehensive approach we took with Must See TV was a smart way to make it bigger than one show,” says Laurie.
NBC’s competitors have tried to develop branding initiatives to define their own identities, but most have failed. ABC stumbled with its over-the-top “TV Is Good” campaign, launched in 1997. But while ABC’s success with the quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” helped (temporarily) end NBC’s Thursday monopoly within three years, CBS attacked Thursdays from a different angle with “Survivor.”
In the late 1990s, NBC expanded its “Must See TV” brand to Tuesday nights and then Wednesday nights. But as in the modern era of “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Community” and “Parks and Recreation,” Thursday remained the pinnacle.
The ensemble “LA Law” was NBC’s flagship Thursday 10pm show from 1986 to 1994. Cast members from top left: Susan Ruttan, Corbin Bahnsen, Alan Rachins, Jimmy Smits, Richard A. Dysart, Michelle Green, Blair Underwood, Michael Tucker, Susan Dey, Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy of Everett Collection
The impact of the “Must See TV” campaign so encompassed NBC that it was retroactively applied to NBC’s powerful Thursday lineup in the 1980s, which featured “The Cosby Show,” “Cheers,” “Family Ties,” “Night Court,” “Hill Street Blues” and “LA Law.” But in reality, no such on-air branding was used at the time. (NBC itself confused the issue in 2004 when it ran a promotion celebrating the 20th anniversary of “The Cosby Show,” “20 Years of Must-See TV.”)
In Rowley’s view, the message of “You Must Watch TV” also clearly defined the concept of scheduled viewing. “If you don’t look, you’re missing out on the topic.” But it worked because the anchor shows were good on the level of “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “ER.”
“‘Must see’ implies a commitment to see it. If you don’t see it now, you’re going to be left out. I don’t know what people are talking about at the water cooler,” Rowley says. “This was a very effective tool to tie the show together and make the evening feel like an event.”
This story is part of a retrospective series celebrating NBC’s 100th anniversary, published by Variety in partnership with NBCUniversal.
(Top photo: “Seinfeld” aired on NBC from 1989 to 1994)
