Updated: NBC unveils new programs for fall

NBC continues to revel in rebelling.

On Monday, the fourth-ranked broadcast network announced to reporters and advertisers most of the programs that will be in its lineup next season. By doing so, for the second year in a row, NBC tried to get a head start on its competitors before their upfront presentations, which take place in Manhattan during the week of May 18.

But NBC will wait to unveil its actual schedule until that week, when the industry gathers to hype new shows and land billions of dollars worth of advertising commitments in advance. Because the network will abandon dramas in the 10 p.m. hour in order to air a nightly Jay Leno comedy show, leaving five fewer hours to program, elements of the schedule — as well as the fate of some of its bubble shows, such as “Chuck” — are still a mystery.

NBC has had another rough season. All of the new shows it launched in the fall failed, and three top executives were ousted as a result. The future of Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, who was hired two years ago, has been in question as well: Neither Silverman nor NBC has said whether they have extended his contract beyond its expiration in mid-June.(Sources close to the situation, however, believe that Silverman plans to stay on for one more  year).

But on Monday, as he laid out NBC’s plans for the next TV season, Silverman was exuberant, as he touted “The Jay Leno Show,” the  Winter Olympics and what he described as “intimate gatherings” NBC will have with advertisers over the next two weeks.

As competitors screen pilots and conduct focus groups, putting the finishing touches on their fall schedules, NBC executives will meet privately with advertisers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles to show them the network’s six new series [see the bottom of the post for descriptions and video] and get feedback on possible schedule placement. NBC will then announce its lineup  May 19 in an invitation-only comedy showcase event in Manhattan that will feature some of NBC’s top comedic talent: Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Tina Fey.

“We’re not interested in just screaming out to 5,000 people and then walking off to some VIP corridor. We’re here to talk to you and speak to you and connect with our client base and allow them to ask questions in small settings,” Silverman said in a telephone interview Monday. “It’s going to give us, obviously, maximum flexibility.”

In addition to four new dramas and two new comedies, NBC renewed “Heroes,” “Southland” and “Parks and Recreation.” The network also will decide soon whether it will bring back “Chuck,” “Law & Order,” “Medium” and “My Name Is Earl.”

Which brings up the question of the day: Where will all these shows fit?

For one thing, Silverman said a maximum of three new shows will premiere in the fall. But more important, by ordering so many scripted shows, NBC is hedging against the unknown: If Leno’s new comedy hour doesn’t work, the network will have plenty of series to air in its place. If the Leno show succeeds, and Silverman seems very confident it will, some of the new programs could air in 13-episode installments throughout the broadcast season so that they can share time slots, or over the summer.

NBC executives did speak in some broad strokes about the nightly lineups. “Heroes” will remain on Mondays and will be paired with a yet-to-be-determined new show. “The Biggest Loser” will anchor Tuesdays, though executives have not decided if the weight-loss competition will remain a two-hour show or be used to launch new programming in the 9 p.m. hour. “Law & Order: SVU,” which has been renewed, will probably be scheduled on Wednesday nights with another drama. Thursdays will remain a comedy night. And two hours of scripted series will precede Leno on Fridays.

“Hopefully we will have to make tough choices between high-quality shows,” Silverman said.

Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, said NBC will meet with the producers of the four undecided series to discuss renewal options that could include nontraditional episode orders. As series age, they become more costly — a key factor in decisions made across the prime-time dial as the industry continues to struggle with the aftermath of the writers strike and the overall economic downturn.

“Once we get past the decision, [that] yes, we would pick up a show under certain circumstances, it’s case by case,” he said. “Some of our studio partners are eager to work with us to lower our costs for the show. Others are less eager.”

Although “SVU” is a sure thing, its lead actors, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, who have been holding out for more money, are not. “Our offer is on the table and we hope they accept it,” Graboff said. “The show’s coming back with or without them.”

In addition to “SVU,” NBC had already renewed “30 Rock,” “The Office,” “The Biggest Loser,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Celebrity Apprentice.” And “Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday” will return for six episodes covering the news of the day.

On Monday, Silverman said “Life,” starring Damian Lewis, has been canceled. Also gone forever are “Lipstick Jungle,” “Kath & Kim,” “Knight Rider,” “Kings,” “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Crusoe.”

The new series are:

The pilot for "Parenthood," based on the 1989 Steve Martin film, is not complete, but NBC executives said they are confident in the footage they've already seen and tested. The pilot has received a lot of buzz because of its producing, acting and directing pedigree.  Written by Jason Katims,  the executive producer of "Friday Night Lights," produced by Imagine Television and directed by Thomas Schlamme, the series stars Peter Krause ("Six Feet Under, "Dirty Sexy Money"), Craig T. Nelson, Maura Tierney ("ER"), Bonnie Bedelia ("Die Hard"), Erika Christensen ("Traffic," "Six Degrees"), Sam Jaeger ("Eli Stone"), Monica Potter ("Boston Legal"  and "Trust Me"), Sarah Ramos ("American Dreams"), Dax Shepard ("Baby Mama") and Mae Whitman ("In Treatment"). Like the movie, the TV series will focus on the large, bickering Buckman family.

Although the "ER" era is over, NBC is not out of the medical-drama business. Its second drama, "Trauma," follows a team of San Francisco trauma doctors who juggle their personal problems while treating patients in dire need of medical attention. It is writer Dario Scardapane's first TV show and is executive produced by "Friday Night Lights" creator and executive producer Peter Berg and his colleagues Jeffrey Reiner and Sarah Aubrey. Among its cast members are Cliff Curtis ("Live Free or Die Hard"), Jamey Sheridan ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Kevin Rankin ("Friday Night Lights" and "Hulk"), Aimee Garcia ("The George Lopez Show"), Billy Lush ("The Black Donnellys") and Derek Luke ("Antwone Fisher").

"Mercy," another medical drama, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital through the eyes of its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling, "Dark Matter") returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq -- and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. She and two other nurses, Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, "Rescue Me") and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, "Gossip Girl"), navigate their personal and professional lives. The cast also includes: James Tupper ("Men in Trees") as Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff ("Supernatural") as Mike Callahan, Veronica’s husband; and Guillermo Díaz ("Weeds") as nurse Angel Lopez. It was created by Liz Heldens (NBC’s "Friday Night Lights") and is executive produced by Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts ("Pushing Daisies," "Pepper Dennis") .

"Day One," which will launch in an epic-style two-hour pilot in midseason, tells the story of a group of residents in a San Fernando Valley apartment complex who are frightened and confused when a global catastrophe hits, devastating the world's infrastructure. They must try to figure out what's happened. From executive producer and writer Jesse Alexander ("Heroes," "Lost," "Alias") and director Alex Graves ("Fringe," "Journeyman"), the cast includes:  Adam Campbell ("Date Movie"), Catherine Dent ("The Shield"), Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone"), David Lyons ("ER"), Derek Mio ("Greek"), Carly Pope ("24"), Thekla Reuten ("Sleeper Cell") and Addison Timlin ("Cashmere Mafia").

Among the comedies ordered are one multi-camera sitcom and one single-camera show.

"Community," starring Joel McHale ("The Soup") and Chevy Chase, is set at a small-town community college where the student body is made up of  high school losers, newly divorced housewives and old people who want to keep their minds active. McHale plays a lawyer whose degree has been revoked.  Written by Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), it also stars: Alison Brie ("Mad Men") and Yvette Nicole Brown, who has been in a lot of episodic television, including "Privileged" and "Boston Legal."

"100 Questions for Charlotte Payne" stars Sophie Winkleman ("The Chronicles of Narnia") in a show about a young woman who lives in New York and joins a dating service for which she is required to take a 100-question compatibility test.   The questions aren’t easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends Leslie (Elizabeth Ho, "Women’s Murder Club"), Jill (Joy Suprano, NBC’s "Law & Order"), Mike (Christopher Moynihan "For Your Consideration") and Wayne (David Walton "Quarterlife"). The series was created by Moynihan and is executive produced by Ron West ("Psych"), Kelly Kulchak ("Psych") and Michelle Nader ("King of Queens").

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Comments

[Charles Charmichael]

They've got to bring back Chuck! Please NBC, do the right thing. Please help save Chuck at SaveChuckBartowski.com

[Lisa]

WEll, I really hope they don't cancel Chuck and/or Medium. It's seems that Monday has been the best night of the week to watch tv because of those two shows.

[Cathy Fontenot]

I am disappointed that Kings will not be continued.

[jim]

if the programming executives at nbc want to join the fun that is the UNEMPLOYMENT LINE, they will make the very wise move of bringing back Chuck and My Name Is Earl

[Jeff]

Chuck and Medium are the only NBC shows I watch. Hate to see them canceled in favor of more hospital dramas and reality shows, i.e., crap.

[Jerry Tsai]

Save "Chuck"! A great escapist fantasy for these recessionary times.

[bis]

Is it just me, or do these shows look incredibly lame. I can't believe NBC would even question bringing My Name is Earl back. It's hilarious. Also, Medium is great. It's got a cool lead, who actually looks like a real person and it's got moments of real creepiness mixed with interesting family dynamic story lines.

[H Jovel]

Year after year I've seen NBC struggle with great shows, it's almost sad that Dancing with the Stars and American Idol destroy NBC in the ratings (sometimes deservingly so I may add, Knight Rider?), yet shows like The Office, Chuck, Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock are probably the best examples of modern television, now with Joel McHale and Cheavy Chase in "Community" and the (at least trailer wise) completely awe inspiring Parenthood, they could have one of the most solid seasons in years, if not by the NBC decision to keep Jay Leno, wiping clean 5 hours of programming for Leno.

Come on, Leno? Really? That is the dumbest decision I have seen in a while, even bigger than putting Kath & Kim on the air, yes this is obviously the result of the economic downturn, but still who made that call?

But that's done, now we wait for Conan not to be hurt by Leno's one hour earlier offering, Chuck being renewed at least for 13 episodes and why not, Leno to fail.

[ThinkB4UWrite]

Once again NBC lives up to its name as the “Nothing But Crud” network. It's too bad there is nothing lower than 4th place for this network to sink. Quality is clearly an anathema to this network. When it picks up quality or family oriented programming, it places it in spots guaranteed to fail. Rather than support originality, it hunts for cheap knock-offs and recycled concepts. NBC was exuberant, as they touted “The Jay Leno Show,” and the Winter Olympics. You’re going all in on a late night variety show and sports special? Where are your franchise shows? As you have already made up your mind and don't listen to people like me, go ahead and cancel "Chuck," one of the few quality shows left on your so called network. Then you will truly become the “Nothing But Crud” network sinking to oblivion, obscurity and irrelevancy, like the dodo. Rather than being a leader, you will sit on the sidelines chewing on old soup, talking about the glory days, and wondering why nobody listens to you any more.

[Jen]

I'd hate to see "Life" go. It is a GREAT show.

[vicky]

Can't believe they got rid of Life in favor of some of these shows. Terrible idea.

[Steve]

I really hope that NBC's current attitude of "maybe we will renew Chuck and maybe we won't" is simply gamesmanship intended to milk the publicity for all its worth. Honestly, renewing "Parks and Recreation", but not Chuck or Earl?

Oh, but by all means, I can't possibly have enough shows like this:
"(E.R., Gray's Anatomy, Trauma, Mercy, etc.), follows a team of {fill in medical profession} who juggle their personal problems while treating patients in dire need of medical attention."

And while you're at it, I don't think there are nearly enough procedural crime dramas. Maybe NBC could bring us "Law and Order: Legal Librarians"

[Mosquito]

Everybody, join the 'bring back life' campaign on twitter! http://twitter.com and tweet #bringbacklife and also tweet to http://twitter.com/USA_Network that it will be a perfect fit for their network.

[Natalie Kelsey]

It would sure be a shame if they cancel Chuck. It is wholesome, funny, exciting and satisfying and we watch it every week. We'll miss an episode here or there of any of our other shows, but we never miss Chuck. NBC, please don't become the new FOX; sacrificing your best shows and angering your viewers just to be "edgy" and "hip" with new trash shows.

[Joel McHale Fan]

I'm actually really looking forward to seeing a full episode of Community with Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. I'm a huge Joel fan (duh!) but in this quick featurette we really only get to see 'Joel McHale the host' and not the character 'Jeff' that he is playing, so I'm going to reserve how I feel about his acting until I see a full episode.

Saying that, Chevy Chase looks superb in this clip and looks like he'll steal the show.

[Robin Yarnell]

When the heck will someone bring back the "George Lopez" show back? Okay, I will admit, I have been WAY out of the TV loop, but my 13 year-old recently got me watching this amazingly funny show! We look forward to it every night and watch it at 2-3 different times a night!

I can NOT believe that anyone would not think this show and all the characters were so great. I love this show, and really am obviously a TV person, since I just found out the show was a re-run and canceled in 2007. Oh, and just to let you know I am a WHITE mom and LOVE him, because you don't need to be of any color to relate to the family. Maybe it is just the dysfunctional family gets it.

I love you George and ALL the actors and actresses on the show. Please, let someone pick this show up. Man, we need it. Besides the fact that I agree with what Mr. Lopez said, " TV has become a lot whiter". I am tired of seeing so many white faces, as this is not what California and America is....White!!!

I am supporting this show, by watching it and telling everyone when it is on. Now I know why all my friends look at me like I am crazy. Hey, I don't care if it is canceled, I for one, will continue to watch and love all the cast.

Robin from Southern California

[ashley wilcox]

If you love this show as much as I did and want to act upon this show being cancelled please join the cause for this show to be picked up or put back on. By joining this facebook group that wants to SAVE the Tv show KINGS. http://apps.facebook.com/causes/303952/3389310?m=c20bb5a8
Tell everyone about that cause that loves this show
FAMILY, FRIENDS, FRIENDS FRIENDS, GF,BF

JOIN THE CAUSE LETS GET THIS OUT OF HAND!

If You could make A video of yourself saying why you think it’s a disappointment of canceling the show or why you disagree or How much you loved the show please post it on the cause or send it to my email Ashleyw1423@yahoo.com I will be sending this to the network companies.

[tyrone williams]

where is season 2 of the new knight rider with the car being a shelby mustang gt500kr? i want to see season 2 with the fantastic effects and actors i must say season 1 was very refreshing to see some original ideas. but as usual it gets sidelined for boring stuff i wont watch. somtimes i wonder why i buy my tv licence here in the uk please ask for it to come back?

[Sheila]

why do you take off the best shows like Trama every time i find a show on this station #6 you take it off for yet another game show are surviver stuff /how about seeing how the people that have lost there jobs and homes survive and give them the money for living real life and not one set with games for stuff people never realy live .......