NBC announces its fall and midseason lineups

NBC unveiled a two-prong schedule today that will keep the network mostly in original programming all of next season by having its shows sharing time slots.

Capitalizing on the Winter Olympics in February, NBC scheduled its programming in two parts: pre- and post-Olympics, launching some of its new series in the fall and saving the rest for after the Games.

"We have a unique opportunity with Olympics to develop a dual season strategy in which we’re tapping into broad circulation of Olympics," said Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "We are committing to more original programming and more scripted shows than last year. Even with at 10 p.m having the best comedy talent driving a show every night, Jay Leno."

The network has renewed "Law & Order," which will launch its 20th season next fall. "Chuck" also will return, Silverman said, thanks to a campaign by fans, journalists and even advertisers to save the show. Already an integration partner with "Chuck," Subway entered into a new deal with NBC to save it.

"It was coveted by us, the viewers loved it, and we went forward and struck an early deal to to bring 'Chuck' back," said Jim Hoffman, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

"My Name Is Earl" and "Medium" were not so lucky. They've been canceled.

"We had an abundance of extraordinary development this year and are obviously looking for shows without a ceiling that have unlimited growth," Silverman said. "We had a good run with those shows, but they have been on an aggressive downward trend, and it was time for us to commit to new fresh blood. Our core audience, and the online community, that is, Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger, drove people to demand that 'Chuck' be picked up. Unlike everybody else, we listen to both our audience and our advertiser and are able to make decisions collectively. And on the other side [we] didn’t get lobbying or requests of our audience or advertisers for the other shows."

Here is the fall and midseason lineup, which reflects NBC's new time-slot-sharing strategy. The second series in the time slots will premiere after the Winter Olympics concludes Feb. 28.

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Heroes”/"Chuck"
9-10 p.m.—“Trauma"/"Day One"
10-11 p.m. – “The Jay Leno Show"

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser” (two-hour edition)  
10-11 p.m. – “The Jay Leno Show”
Note: After the Olympics, "The Biggest Loser" will air from 8 to 9:30 p.m. to make room for the new comedy "100 Questions for Charlotte Payne" at 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Parenthood”/"Mercy"
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “The Jay Leno Show”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “SNL Weekend Update” (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation"
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Community”
10-11 p.m. – "The Jay Leno Show"
Note: When "SNL Weekend Update" concludes, "Community" moves to 8 p.m., and "30 Rock" returns to the lineup at 9:30 p.m. "SNL Weekend Update" will return for short runs throughout the season at 8 p.m.

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Law & Order”
9-10 p.m. – "Southland"
10-11 p.m. – “The Jay Leno Show"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”    9-10 p.m. – “Trauma” (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY (during football season)
7- 8:20 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:20-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

SUNDAY (after football season)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – "The Marriage Ref" (reality series)
9-11 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice” (season premiere; two-hour edition)

Comments

[colleen]

How can this be good for NBC? For someone who watches too much TV, like myself, I will only be watching 4 shows from their entire lineup! I hope this Jay Leno thing bombs.... there, I said it!

[Andrew]

NBC, what is wrong with you ? At this rate you will have no series to air in the 2010-2011 season. What are your network exects thinking of. If not for heroes and Parks I would say this network isn't worth watching.

[RoC1909]

Oh great.....NBC has the Olympics again! They trashed the summer Olympics with the constant stream of commercials! They would have a hammer throw, go to five minutes of commercials. They would show a mile of a bike race, another five minutes of commercials! An athlete would wipe the sweat off of their face, another five minutes of commercials! Even Howard Stern complained about them. When are these idiots at the networks going to realize that there is a common ground between making money and seriously compromising what they are showing.

[Jack]

No Chuck until February 2010? NBC is run by a bunch of idiots. If you morons at NBC actually listened to the audience and critics you'd put it on in September NOT 10 months from now...

[deepfriedtwinkies]

I guess I know which network I won't be watching this fall. Lord have mercy.

[Kim]

NBC has done it again! Like Colleen, I counted 4 shows I will watch on NBC. I still can't believe they cancelled "Life". It was a wonderful show. As I see the line-ups for most of the networks, I'll be watching less "mainstream" tv, and more cable. Again, like Colleen, I hope Jay Leno's show goes down in flames, just to watch the "masterminds" scramble to fill the vacant spot. Shame on you all! :(

[Kim]

Once again, the dunderheads at NBC have screwed up! Like Colleen, I see 4 shows I will watch next season. And, like Colleen, I hope Jay Leno's show goes down in flames. Then watch the "masterminds" scramble to fill the slot. I still can't believe they cancelled "Life". It was a wonderful show and will be missed. Way to go, dummies! :(

[Billy]

Why are they trying to kill off "Law and Order" and "Southland"? They(we) lost 5 hours of programming for Jay Leno? Network TV is going the way of newspapers isn't it?

[Louisa]

Well as I look at this schedule I will be watching Heroes and Biggest Looser only from their lineup, as for my family which is in the demographic age that they want - only Heroes will be watched. What are you doing NBC???

[SAO]

While I'm ecstatic that a fresh and original show like Chuck survived the axe (I guess all those foot-longs paid off after all), Do we really need such tripe as Biggest Loser, Leno and Law and Order?

The Biggest Loser is an insult to overweight people and it just maudlinly inane. Two hours of this is worth 4 hours in the dentist chair.

Leno was once funny. He hasn't been since 1992.

Law and Order is about as exciting as a lecture from cop at traffic school. It's predictable, pendantic and unentertaining. It should have been axed years ago.

[Groucho]

Leno is stale, its very weak of NBC to devote so much prime time to his tired smugness. No more 'Earl' or 'Medium' but more crap, such as 'Biggest Loser'. I guess NBC is going to be 'The Biggest Loser' this fall with Leno dominating their lineup.

[CSFurious]

I do not understand how scheduling Southland on Friday nights at 9:00 pm can bode well for its future. I can only hope that NBC accepts that Southland will never have high ratings because of its subject matter and the decreased ratings expectations of a show scheduled on that night lets it survive.

Also, I do not think the Jay Leno experiment is going to work out.

[redmolly]

I can tell you I for one will NOT be watching NBC at 10pm. I don't know what the hell they were thinking canceling LIFE it was one of the best shows on the air.

[John Fredericks]

I agree completely with what is said here. This is a completely ridiculous decision by the network. It seems as if NBC means Nothing But Crap... I , for one, will be focusing my attention on FOX (For Fringe) and ABC (With Lost and the new show Flashfoward) they have realy sunk to a new low and have the weakest lineup in recent memory.

[John Fredericks]

So basically is Chuck owned by Subway or NBC?

[kevco]

Man, can you beleive they cancelled Earl? Good grief.. stupid stupid stupid...

I love that show..

Bring back "My own worst Enemy" and let Leno go geeez stupid..

[SAO]

Oh I see what's going on now. NBC wants to dump Leno but for contractual reasons has to keep him. Putting him on during the 10pm slot will anger fans of displaced shows cancelled to make room for him. When the enevitable backlash against Leno starts, NBC can yank his plug saying that there is a viewer and advertiser rebellion.

Good thinking NBC, although on second thought they probably were not smart enough to figure that out ahead of time, but at least it will rid us of Leno once and for all.

[Nessa]

I am SOOOOO happy chuck got renewed!! On the other hand I hate that it only got picked up for 13 episodes and that we will have to wait until next year!! But I will definitely forget about Quizno's or any other sandwich shop now and get my little self to Subway!!! Thank you Subway!!! :D

[Christine]

Yay for Chuck!! I say we start the campaign for 4th season renewal with the 3rd season premiere. Next season Monday nights are Subway nights. Eat subway during Chuck every week to show our support to its sponsor! Thanks Subway! Show support all season everyone!

[Mike]

So sick of this half-season nonsense. And Leno every night at ten? Way to devalue the Tonight Snow, NBC. This is going to be a ratings disaster. Based on this ridiculous line-up, I'll be watching exactly one hour of NBC a week. That's it. I'm glad Chuck's coming back, but again, this half-season crap is crap.