http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/business/media/nbc-picks-neil-patrick-harris-to-host-new-variety-show.html 2014-10-28 19:14:23 NBC Picks Neil Patrick Harris to Host New Variety Show The network is planning 10 episodes of a music/comedy/sketch show, based on the long-running British series “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.” === NBC The network announced Monday that it had signed Mr. Harris to a deal for 10 episodes of a music/comedy/sketch show, based on the long-running British series “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.” Mr. Harris has become one of the most in-demand variety-style performers because of his multiple successful roles hosting award shows, including the NBC has not settled on the timing of the show, nor what it will be called. But it will be produced live from New York, not unlike another sketch show associated with NBC, “Saturday Night Live.” The order of 10 episodes, rather than merely a pilot, indicates NBC has a serious commitment to this effort. The network has staked out a clear interest in the variety format. Last spring, it broadcast what amounted to a pilot for a comedy/variety show starring the “Saturday Night Live” alumna, Maya Rudolph. The network later announced that further work on a series with Ms. Rudolph was being considered. Most of Mr. Harris’s previous television work has been on CBS, in the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and the awards show performances. He was also prominently named as a potential successor to David Letterman in CBS’s late-night lineup.