Big push for ‘SNL’ vet’s new sitcom

The highly competitive November ratings sweeps period is over, but NBC -- in the hunt for some holiday cheer -- is not taking a breather.

The new comedies that NBC unveiled this fall have either flopped (the quickly axed “Coupling”) or delivered unspectacular ratings (“Whoopi,” “Happy Family”). So in hopes of producing a more favorable result, the network is putting plenty of muscle behind this week’s premiere of “The Tracy Morgan Show,” a family comedy featuring the actor and comedian who spent the past seven years in the cast of “Saturday Night Live.”

In an unusually aggressive strategy, NBC will broadcast the sitcom five times in one week. The debut of the series in its 8 p.m. time slot Tuesday will be followed at 8:30 p.m. by another original episode. Another original installment will air at 8:30 p.m. Thursday after “Friends.” An encore of the pilot will air on Dec. 7 after the “Saturday Night Live” Christmas special. The series’ fourth episode will air next week at its usual time.

NBC executives, particularly Entertainment President Jeff Zucker, are extremely high on the series, which stars Morgan as a husband grappling with fatherhood and running a small garage. The cast includes Tamala Jones as his wife and Marc John Jeffries and Bobb’e J. Thompson as his children, ages 13 and 7.

Among the executive producers for the series are “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels and the Marcy Carsey-Tom Werner-Caryn Mandabach team (“That ‘70s Show”). Running the show are executive producers David Israel and Jim O’Doherty, who wrote the pilot. O’Doherty contends that “The Tracy Morgan Show” differs from other network comedies revolving around minority families.

“We’re really trying to put heart into this show,” O’Doherty said. “It’s not about throwing meatballs across the table at each other. Yes, we want to be funny, but it’s important to show that there is a connection with these people.”

-- Greg Braxton