NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt revealed Jimmy Fallon will host the 74th annual Golden Globes in January, and announced Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys will join The Voice this fall, while reminding viewers that the network remains the number one broadcaster across the board.

“Jimmy’s playful, disarming comedic brilliance makes him the ideal host to enhance and elevate the sense of fun and irreverence that’s made the Golden Globes one of the premier events of the entire broadcast year,” Greenblatt said.

Greenblatt and NBC President Jennifer Salke gave a “state of the union” during the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Tuesday.

“Welcome to NBC, where we’re committed to making television great again,” Greenblatt joked.

Pointing to gains three years in a row and a 17 percent rise over six years, the company, he said, has “defined a lot of doom and gloom of network trends” and is “thriving in era of unprecedented change.”

NBC has hit an eight-year high in total viewers, which is due in part to the network’s focus on sports rights and licensing, a large roster of great producers, and strong scripted and unscripted programming that includes a dedication to rebuild its comedy DNA.

In that regard, NBC is excited about new series The Good Place starring Kristen Bell, and Superstore.

“The premiere episodes of Superstore and The Voice last year were equal,” Greenblatt said, adding that 29 million people tune in each week.

“We think the millions of people who will flow into it that night will love what they see,” he said, as The Voice returns August 21. Auditions for The Voice will air following the closing ceremony of the Olympics. In addition there will be an Olympics-themed episode of Superstore on Friday, August 19.

Salke said moving the comedy to Thursday nights, considering its buzz and success at 8 p.m. on Monday in January.

“We think Superstore is really something special,” she said. It represents a sophisticated, smart show that has heart, is not trying to please the whole world, but resonates with certain audiences. The same, she suspects, will hold true with The Good Place.

“I think we’re back in our sweet spot,” Salke said.

Salke also described NBC’s commitment to remakes, such as Taken, a series set to premiere in 2017, that serves as a prequel to the film series of the same name.

Remakes are difficult to tackle, as the network found out with the less-than-stellar performance of Heroes Reborn.

“You’re trying to jump start the marketing with something that’s beloved,” Salke said. “But if you disappoint those people, it’s flat-out rejection straight out of the gate.”

NBC plans to continue to experiment in this department.

“Stay tuned for two or three big tries in that area,” Salke said.

NBC is also thinking about its OTT strategy, and how to craft an approach that appeals to the network’s cable business and distributors.

“Hopefully in the next couple of months we’ll have something to talk about,” Greenblatt said.

In the meantime, NBC is collaborating with companies such as Vox, Buzzfeed and Snapchat to integrate supporting content on multiple platforms.

While the network has had many pitches for time traveling series over the years, it greenlit Timeless based on the depth of characters, and thoughtful story arcs.

“I just thought it was a crowd pleaser,” Salke said. “It felt like something the family would want to watch … there seems to be a huge appetite for it.”

NBC is also launching Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, a special honoring the singer that will air December 20, just in time for the holidays.

And with return of Celebrity Apprentice with actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replacing GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, Greenblatt spoke about the role of television giving way to celebrity status, and how that reverberates with real-world consequences.

“We were happy to have a show that was doing well, with a guy who was a big TV star,” Greenblatt said. He said there’s no correlation between the show’s success and Trump stepping into politics.

“I think it surprised all of us that he would want to do that,” Greenblatt said. “But I guess that’s what’s great about this country.”

[Image via Deadline]

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