NBC Chief Bob Greenblatt on Bill Cosby, the Future of Constantine, New Projects With Eva Longoria and Dolly Parton, and More

It was NBC's turn to take the stage at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Friday, and network chairman Bob Greenblatt and entertainment president Jennifer Salke kicked off the morning with an executive session during which they announced several new projects and opened up about cutting ties with Bill Cosby, NBC's struggling Thursday-night lineup, and much, much more. Here are the highlights:

On the network's decision to scrap its previously announced family comedy starring Bill Cosby:

It's "safe to say" the network will no longer be working with the comedian, Greenblatt said. "Fifteen women came out and accused him of having done what they accused him of. While over the years, we'd heard some of those accusations and we knew there were a couple settlements and whatnot, it didn't seem to be the sort of thing that was critical mass," Greenblatt said. "When we realized that there seemed to be so much more of it, it wasn't something that we could just go, 'Oh, we're not sure.'"

"He hasn't been proven guilty of anything," Greenblatt continued. "I don't want to be the one that says, 'Guilty until proven innocent,' but when that many people come out and have similar complaints and it becomes such a tainted situation, there was no way we could move forward."

On the new projects NBC is developing with Eva Longoria, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, and more

Although the network is parting ways with Cosby, it has recruited several other big names to develop various projects. In what I can only assume is an attempt to capitalize on the recent success of The CW's Jane the Virgin, NBC has ordered 13 episodes of the single-camera comedy Telenovela, which stars Eva Longoria as a beloved telenovela star whose on-screen drama pales in comparison to what goes on behind the scenes.

The network has also signed a deal with country music legend Dolly Parton to produce a series of two-hour TV movies based on her life and her songs. "There aren't enough of those family-oriented projects and this could fill that gap for us," Greenblatt said.

Finally, NBC is working with famed musician Stevie Wonder to develop an eight-hour miniseries called Freedom Run. Adapted from the book Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad, the show will follow three couples, all based on real people, who faced incredible hardships on their journeys to freedom.

On when we can expect Hannibal Season 3:

Sadly, the show won't return to NBC's schedule until this summer.

On the end of Parks and Recreation and the network's upcoming comedy plans:

The series' final season premiere drew 3.5 million viewers and earned a 1.5 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic on Tuesday night; that's a 50 percent increase from the Season 6 finale's ratings in April. "The day after the ratings, I emailed both Amy [Poehler] and Mike [Schur] and I said, 'Do you want to do another season?'" joked Greenblatt. "They didn't respond immediately."

Despite the uptick in Parks and Rec's numbers, Greenblatt said that now feels like the right time to end the show, citing how busy the cast is as one of the reasons that an eighth season isn't possible. So what's next for NBC after Parks and Rec signs off? The network plans to use multi-camera sitcoms like the upcoming One Big Happy to rebuild its comedy slate. "Some of the best shows in NBC history were multi-cams," Greenblatt noted. "It's been a couple of years of trial-and-error on a number of fronts... It's hard to build that audience back, [but] we're doing it one show at a time. Added Salke, "We're really trying to attack it from all levels again. We just need to get some luck and some good scheduling."

On how The Blacklist will reinvigorate NBC's Thursday nights:

Thursday nights currently belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes, but that wasn't always the case. In an attempt to reclaim some of its former Must-See TV glory, NBC will move The Blacklist from Mondays at 10pm to Thursdays at 9pm next month. "Thursday has been a problem for us for the last few years," said Greenblatt. "We're trying to create a new night of high-quality drama which will hopefully bring an audience." Greenblatt doesn't expect the series to draw bigger ratings on Thursdays than it did on Mondays, but called the decision a "risky but necessary move to make."

On the end of Parenthood and series creator Jason Katims' future at NBC:

NBC will bid adieu to the emotional and loquacious Braverman family on Thursday, January 29; as of Greenblatt's executive session, there are only two episodes left in the entire series. Parenthood has "never gotten the audience that I think it deserved," he said, citing the show's excellent cast and Katims' writing as two of the reasons the show should have been more popular. "It's hard to do something like this," he said when asked whether the network would ever consider another family drama. "If something comes along that we love, I don't think we're just going to say no."

NBC recently reduced the episode order for Katims' other NBC series, About a Boy, a move that Greenblatt insisted was driven by the need to make room for two multi-camera comedies, the returning Undateable and the brand-new One Big Happy. "About a Boy is not over yet." he said. "We're developing several things with Jason." Salke added that "we love working with him. He's the gold standard for character and emotion, funny and heartwarming. We just have to find the right thing with him."

On the future of Constantine:

NBC opted not to order a full season of the Hellblazer drama, and both Salke and Greenblatt acknowledged that it hasn't been as successful as other comic-based properties currently on the air. "We wish the show had done better live," Salke said. "Maybe there are too many [comic book shows]," Greenblatt posited. "The future is still up in the air."

On the future of Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.:

"The odds are great that the Chicago shows will be back," Greenblatt said. "We're thrilled with both of them." As for whether or not we'll ever see that rumored Chicago Med spin-off, Greenblatt explained that "Chicago Med is something that we're seeding into the system, seeing if there's a show there that could eventually spin off into itself."

On the the Katherine Heigl-starring State of Affairs:

"I'm disappointed in [how it's] been doing the last couple of weeks," Greenblatt said. "Up until the end of the year it looked really strong and promising... I'm scratching my head about why we can't get more people to be there for it."

On NBC's next live musical:

Greenblatt confirmed that the network is currently choosing between two options for its now-annual live musical production: It'll either be The Music Man or The WIz.