{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Rock Center With Brian Williams Logo.jpg | runtime = 42 minutes | creator = | executive_producer = | presenter = Brian Williams | country = United States | language = English | company = NBC News | network = NBC | first_aired = {{Start date|2011|10|31}} | last_aired = {{End date|2013|6|21}} | num_seasons = 2 | num_episodes = 76 }} '''''Rock Center with Brian Williams''''' is an American weekly television newsmagazine that was broadcast on NBC from October 31, 2011, to June 21, 2013 and hosted by former ''NBC Nightly News'' anchor Brian Williams. It aired on Mondays until January 30, 2012,<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-rock-center-20111031,0,2606567.story | title=Brian Williams rolls out 'Rock Center' | work=Los Angeles Times | date=2011-10-31 | accessdate=2011-10-31 | first=Scott | last=Collins}}</ref> and then began airing Wednesdays starting February 8, 2012. It was produced in Rockefeller Center's Studio 3B,<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna44348036 NBC News article] about the start of "Rock Center"</ref> the same space as NBC Nightly News, and formerly that of the ''Today Show''.

Named after the location of the NBC News headquarters in the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center, the program was the first new NBC News program to launch in primetime on NBC since ''Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric'' debuted in 1993.<ref name="HitFix">{{cite web | url=http://www.hitfix.com/articles/nbc-cancels-playboy-club-schedules-rock-center | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006152809/http://www.hitfix.com/articles/nbc-cancels-playboy-club-schedules-rock-center | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 6, 2011 | title=NBC cancels 'Playboy Club,' schedules 'Rock Center' | work=HitFix | accessdate=2011-10-31}}</ref>

''Rock Center'' was designed to be more serious than NBC's existing prime time newsmagazine, ''Dateline NBC'', which had increasingly delved into human interest and true crime stories,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rock-center-brian-williams-nbc-252539 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | first=Marisa | last=Guthrie | title='Rock Center' Looks to Bring More Hard News to Primetime | date=October 24, 2011}}</ref> and had switched from a multiple-story format into a single story format.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.entertainmentheartbeat.com/?p=2245 |title=Kate Snow On Why 'Rock Center With Brian Williams' Is Different And Better &#124; Entertainment Heartbeat |publisher=Entertainmentheartbeat.com |date=2011-11-07 |accessdate=2013-05-13}}</ref>

On May 10, 2012, NBC announced that ''Rock Center'' had been removed from the schedule for the remainder of the May 2012 sweeps period due to low ratings. Three days later, on May 13, 2012, NBC announced that ''Rock Center'' would be renewed for a second season during its 2012–13 upfront presentation.<ref name="2012-13 Fall Schedule">{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/13/nbc-2012-13-season-schedule-announced-includes-fall-cycle-of-the-voice-community-on-friday-more/133828/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516041609/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/13/nbc-2012-13-season-schedule-announced-includes-fall-cycle-of-the-voice-community-on-friday-more/133828/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 16, 2012|title=NBC 2012–13 Season Schedule Announced: Includes Fall Cycle of 'The Voice,' 'Community' on Friday & More|last=Seidman|first=Robert|work=TV by the Numbers |date=May 13, 2012 |accessdate=May 13, 2012}}</ref> The series was also shown on MSNBC.

On May 10, 2013, the series was canceled after two seasons. The last program aired on June 21, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/10/rock-center-with-brian-williams-canceled-by-nbc/182039|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607024336/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/10/rock-center-with-brian-williams-canceled-by-nbc/182039/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 7, 2013|title='Rock Center with Brian Williams' Canceled by NBC After Two Seasons|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|work=TV by the Numbers|date=May 10, 2013|accessdate=May 10, 2013}}</ref>

==Correspondents== * Harry Smith * Kate Snow * Ted Koppel as special correspondent * Chelsea Clinton as special correspondent<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/business/media/chelsea-clinton-hired-by-nbc-news.html?ref=media | work=The New York Times | first=Bill | last=Carter | title=Chelsea Clinton Hired by NBC News | date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> * Bob Costas – NBC Sports anchor; Host, ''Football Night in America'' * Meredith Vieira – NBC News Special Correspondent * Richard Engel – NBC News chief foreign correspondent * Nancy Snyderman – NBC News chief medical editor * Matt Lauer – Co-Anchor of ''Today'' * Ann Curry – NBC News National & International Correspondent * Natalie Morales – news anchor of ''Today''<ref>{{cite web | title=Natalie Morales named correspondent, 'Rock Center with Brian Williams' | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna44348036 | publisher=NBC News | date=2011-10-18 | access-date=2011-10-31}}</ref>

==Notable segments== The program received considerable attention for its November 14, 2011 broadcast, in which Bob Costas interviewed former Penn State Nittany Lions football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.<ref name="admission">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15730317 |title=Jerry Sandusky regrets showers with boys at Penn State |date=November 14, 2011 |accessdate=November 14, 2001 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Sandusky proclaimed his innocence in light of recent child sex abuse charges against him, despite acknowledging inappropriate contact with the victims, and denied the alleged cover-up by his former employers. Sandusky would insist that he is not a pedophile. It was Sandusky's first public interview since the abrupt firing of head coach Joe Paterno the week before, whom Sandusky had served as defensive coordinator under for decades with the Nittany Lions.

The Sandusky interview, entitled ''Sandusky Speaks'', was one of three 2011 ''Rock Center'' segments that were nominated for News & Documentary Emmy Awards in 2012; the other two were ''State of Shame'' and ''The Price of Gold''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/news_33rd_nominations.html |title=The Emmy Awards – - 33rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards nominations |url-status=dead |accessdate=26 July 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602021026/http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/news_33rd_nominations.html |archivedate=2 June 2013 }}</ref>

==Timeslot changes== ''Rock Center'' changed its nightly timeslot five times since its inception, initially broadcasting on Monday evenings at 10 p.m. ET. The program enjoyed a temporary stint on Wednesday at 9 p.m., until a return to its original timeslot. The program was later moved back to 9 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, until it was removed from the schedule. With its second season renewal, the program moved to Thursday nights at 10 p.m., following NBC's revamped Thursday evening comedy lineup,<ref name="2012-13 Fall Schedule"/> but ended its run on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET.

==Reception==

===Ratings=== The show premiered to a 1.0 adult 18–49 rating and 4.14 million viewers. This was less (in an 18–49 rating) than the 1.2 rating from the show it replaced, ''The Playboy Club''. ''Rock Center'' was the third-ranked show in the timeslot behind new episodes of ABC's ''Castle'', and CBS's ''Hawaii Five-0''.<ref name="RCwBWEp1rating">{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/01/monday-final-ratings-how-i-met-your-mother-2-broke-girls-hawaii-five-0-adjusted-up-castle-adjusted-down/109299/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103191756/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/01/monday-final-ratings-how-i-met-your-mother-2-broke-girls-hawaii-five-0-adjusted-up-castle-adjusted-down/109299/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 3, 2011|title=Monday Final Ratings: 'How I Met Your Mother,' '2 Broke Girls,' 'Hawaii Five-0' Adjusted Up; 'Castle Adjusted Down |work=TV by the Numbers|last=Seidman|first=Robert|date=November 1, 2011|accessdate=November 30, 2011}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;" |- ! style="width:8%;" rowspan="2"| Season ! style="width:20%;" rowspan="2"| Timeslot (ET) ! style="width:8%;" rowspan="2"| # Ep. ! colspan=2| Premiered ! colspan=2| Ended ! style="width:8%;" rowspan="2"| TV Season ! style="width:8%; background:#ffdead;" rowspan="2"| Rank ! style="width:10%; background:#ffdead;" rowspan="2"| Viewers<br />(in millions) |- ! style="width:8%;"| Date ! span style="width:10%; font-size:smaller; line-height:100%;"| <small>Premiere Viewers<br />(in millions)</small> ! style="width:8%;"| Date ! span style="width:10%; font-size:smaller; line-height:100%;"| <small>Finale Viewers<br />(in millions)</small> |- ! 1 | Monday 10:00pm<br />Wednesday 9:00pm<br />Thursday 10:00pm<br /> ! 28 | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|October 31, 2011}} ! 4.14<ref name="RCwBWEp1rating"/> | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|June 28, 2012}} ! 3.30<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/04/19/wednesday-final-ratings-american-idol-svu-survivor-modern-family-adjusted-up-off-their-rockers-best-friends-forever-rock-center-adjusted-down/129836/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422022009/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/04/19/wednesday-final-ratings-american-idol-svu-survivor-modern-family-adjusted-up-off-their-rockers-best-friends-forever-rock-center-adjusted-down/129836/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 22, 2012|title= Wednesday Final Ratings: 'American Idol', 'SVU', 'Survivor', 'Modern Family' Adjusted Up; 'Off Their Rockers, 'Best Friends Forever', 'Rock Center' Adjusted Down|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|publisher=TV by the Numbers|date=April 19, 2012|accessdate=April 19, 2012}}</ref> ! style="font-size:smaller"| 2011–2012 ! style="background:#fc9;"| #147<ref name="tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com">{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/24/complete-list-of-2011-12-season-tv-show-viewership-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-american-idol-ncis-dancing-with-the-stars/135785/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527223446/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/24/complete-list-of-2011-12-season-tv-show-viewership-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-american-idol-ncis-dancing-with-the-stars/135785/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-27 |title=Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'NCIS' & 'Dancing With The Stars' – Ratings |publisher=Zap2it |date= |access-date=2013-05-13}}</ref> ! style="background:#fc9;"| 3.95<ref name="tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com"/> |- ! 2 | Thursday 10:00pm (2012)<br />Friday 10:00pm (2013)<br /> ! 30 | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|September 13, 2012}} ! 6.00<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/09/14/thursday-final-ratings-glee-adjusted-down-no-adjustment-for-the-x-factor/148647/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917000248/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/09/14/thursday-final-ratings-glee-adjusted-down-no-adjustment-for-the-x-factor/148647/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-17 |title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'Glee' Adjusted Down, No 18-49 Adjustment for 'The X-Factor' – Ratings |publisher=Zap2it |date= |access-date=2013-05-13}}</ref> | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|June 21, 2013}} ! 4.38<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kondolojy|first1=Amanda|title=TV Ratings Friday: 'Rock Center' Series Finale Goes Out With a Whimper + 'What Would You Do' & '20/20' Steady|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/06/22/tv-ratings-friday-rock-center-series-finale-goes-out-with-a-whimper-what-would-you-do-2020-steady/188439/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626054119/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/06/22/tv-ratings-friday-rock-center-series-finale-goes-out-with-a-whimper-what-would-you-do-2020-steady/188439/|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 June 2013|website=Zap2it|access-date=17 June 2015|date=22 June 2013}}</ref> ! style="font-size:smaller"| 2012–2013 ! style="background:#fc9;"| #117<ref name="Bibel2013">{{cite web|last1=Bibel|first1=Sara|title=Complete List Of 2012–13 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'NCIS,' 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'NCIS: Los Angeles'|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/29/complete-list-of-2012-13-season-tv-show-viewership-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-ncis-the-big-bang-theory-ncis-los-angeles/184781/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607112820/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/29/complete-list-of-2012-13-season-tv-show-viewership-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-ncis-the-big-bang-theory-ncis-los-angeles/184781/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 June 2013|website=Zap2it|access-date=17 June 2015|date=29 May 2013}}</ref> ! style="background:#fc9;"| 4.16<ref name="Bibel2013" /> |}

===Critical reception=== ''Rock Center with Brian Williams'' received mixed and moderate reviews. Metacritic scored ''Rock Center with Brian Williams'' a 63 out of a possible 100, defining the series as generally favorable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/rock-center-with-brian-williams/season-1 |title=Rock Center with Brian Williams – Season 1 Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |date=2011-11-01 |accessdate=2013-05-13}}</ref>

Linda Stasi of ''New York Post'' gave the series a 3.5/4. Stasi wrote "so smart, so unexpected, so entertaining and yet so informative that you might think you just stepped back in time 20 years".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/solid_as_rock_ARjjQTATkctPRl580Y9BiM | work=New York Post | first=Linda | last=Stasi | title=Solid as a rock | date=November 1, 2011}}</ref> Matt Roush of ''TV Guide'' gave it a moderate review, stating "Substantive without being stuffy, workmanlike but something less than a wow. Nothing cheesy or sleazy, But nothing really electrifying happened, either.".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Roush-Review-Rock-1039205.aspx |title=Roush Review: Rock Center – Today's News: Our Take |publisher=TVGuide.com |date=2011-11-01 |accessdate=2013-05-13}}</ref> James Poniewozik of ''Time'' also gave a moderate, general review, paying particular attention to a closing segment with Jon Stewart of ''The Daily Show''. "Rock Center may not be a ratings smash, and not all its experiments may work. But the good news is, Williams and Stewart can both keep their day jobs.".<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://entertainment.time.com/2011/11/01/rock-center-with-brian-williams-why-isnt-the-evening-news-more-like-this/ |title='Rock Center with Brian Williams': Why Isn't the Evening News More like This? | magazine=Time | date=November 1, 2011}}</ref> Hank Stuever of ''Washington Post'' gave a positive review, saying "The result was assured, quick-paced and enjoyably flavored with a few spicy dashes of Brian Williams' dry rub."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/tv-brian-williamss-rock-center-assured-brisk-and-a-tad-sarcastic/2011/10/31/gIQAPow7aM_story.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Emily | last=Yahr | date=November 1, 2011 | title=TV: Brian Williams's 'Rock Center,' assured, brisk and a tad sarcastic}}</ref> Alessandra Stanley of ''The New York Times'' gave it a general, neutral review. Stanley said "Rock Center is still a work in progress, so it’s hard to judge how it will fare. But it’s already clear that Mr. Williams wasn’t chosen to host it because of his stature as a news anchor. Mostly, he is there to draw viewers who think of him as a funny TV personality who sometimes moonlights delivering the news.".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/arts/television/brian-williams-on-rock-center-review.html | work=The New York Times | first=Alessandra | last=Stanley | title=Brian Williams on 'Rock Center' – Review | date=November 1, 2011}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=2084611}}

Category:2010s American television news shows Category:2011 American television series debuts Category:2013 American television series endings Category:English-language American television shows Category:NBC original programming Category:NBC News