Crucial details, such as pricing information, retail and carrier partners and geographic availability, are often still in flux at the time of these pre-announcements.
The story is set in the Bronx, New York in 1964 just after the Kennedy assassination and on the cusp of the civil rights movement -- a time of social flux.
Keeping the ratings-magnet in house and happy is important for the Comcast-owned network, particularly at a time when its own future is in flux care of the looming NBC Universal acquisition.