NBC’s long-running newsmagazine will see a limited spinoff focusing on short material that does necessarily warrant an hour-long investigation.
Known as Dateline: On Assignment, the new series starts on Sunday, May 8th, with a six-episode order. Lester Holt serves as anchor and features investigations with other news veterans such as Matt Lauer, Tom Brokaw, and Richard Engel. Original Dateline correspondents Josh Mankiewicz and Kate Snow are also set to make regular appearances.
“It’s a little bit back to the future for us,” says executive producer David Corvo.
In a way, the new series is in direct competition with CBS’ 60 Minutes, television’s longest-running newsmagazine, which attracts over 12 million viewers each week.
“It was more about stretching our own wings than trying to measure up against them,” Corvo explains in regard to CBS’ long-time show. “They do what they do and they do it brilliantly. We’re trying to use some of the muscles that we don’t use on Friday. And who knows where it goes down the road.”
Note that the original Dateline will continue to air on Fridays with single, hour-long investigations that include narrative and true crime. However, the Saturdays showing has been placed on hiatus in favor of On Assignment.
News divisions have been on a race to leverage the returning popularity of true crime series, partly thanks to the Serial podcast and HBO’s The Jinx.
“We’ve been approached by a lot of channels. So we’re trying to figure out how we make that a television series,” states Corvo. “It seems like everyone I know in Hollywood is being asked if they know how to do unscripted longform crime.”