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Poker After Dark Comes to NBC From Behind Casino
Doors
by Dorothy Vick, News Staff Writer
December 19, 2006
A new poker show is
scheduled to air on NBC starting January 2. Dubbed
"Poker After Dark", the show is scheduled to run
from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. every Monday through Friday,
and will be hosted by model and poker host, Shana
Hiatt. Unlike other poker shows currently
broadcasting on the telly, in which much of the
activity revolves around standard Texas Hold'em
poker tournaments, "Poker After Dark" will follow
the developments of a single poker table over the
course of a week (Monday through Friday), with a
table winner taking home a $120,000 pot every Friday
night.
Saturday night's
broadcast will feature Shana Hiatt and the winning
player giving commentary on a recap of the action
leading up to the win, offering valuable insight
into the winner's strategy and/or blind luck, if you
will. Saturday night's show will follow Saturday
Night Live, which means there will be a great
opportunity for "Poker After Dark" to attract a
large audience. NBC's President, Marc Graboff, said
there is a late night demographic who are thirsty
for original programming, and that "Poker After
Dark" was conceptualized with this demographic in
mind.
The popularity of poker
is still strong, with many Americans still going
online to play in poker tournaments despite a U.S.
legislative ban. Considering there are more and more
people playing poker from home as well, and that the
poker industry is certainly becoming a viable
professional sport, the show was given the green
light by NBC Universal Television's executives.
Professional poker
players - many of which have obtained celebrity
status - will be on the show every week. Already
scheduled for the lineup is Daniel Negreanu, Chris
Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson and Howard
Lederer. With the beautiful Shana Hiatt calling the
action in front of the camera and behind the mic in
the back rooms of various Las Vegas casinos, the
show will surely get an audience just on fan-appeal
alone. The hope is that more serious poker players
will develop out of the mix and "Poker After Dark"
will become something of a cult show in its own
right.
Producers for the show
- Mori Eskandani and Eric Drache - have over a
sixty-three years combined experience in the world
of poker, and have already produced several
successful televised poker shows, including NBC's
"Poker Superstars" and "Heads Up Championship", and
two seasons of the Game Show Network's "High Stakes
Poker". Knowing the ins and outs of what it takes to
properly tape and score live poker action, NBC is
confident the two men will come through once again
with "Poker After Dark".
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