NBC Adds Four New Series, Changes Six Nights
May 19, 2009
FALL 2009
Monday
8:00 p.m. Heroes (new time)
9:00 p.m. TRAUMA
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Tuesday
8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (two hours)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Wednesday
8:00 p.m. PARENTHOOD
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Thursday
8:00 p.m. SNL Weekend Thursday Update (return, new time)
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9:00 p.m. The Office
9:30 p.m. COMMUNITY (30 Rock in late October, Community moves to 8 p.m. Thursday)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Friday
8:00 p.m. Law & Order (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Southland (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Saturday
8:00 p.m. Dateline
9:00 p.m. Trauma (repeat)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (repeat)
Sunday
7:00 p.m. Football Night in America
8:00 p.m. Sunday Night Football
NBC Adds Four New Series, Changes Six Nights
May 19, 2009
NBC's 'Leno' moves to 10 p.m.
Monday will open with Heroes at the earlier 8 p.m. hour, followed by new medical drama Trauma at 9 p.m. and Leno at 10 p.m. The Biggest Loser will remain two hours this fall on Tuesday, leading into Leno, but the midseason edition will be trimmed to 90-minutes, segueing into new sitcom 100 Questions at 9:30 p.m. Parenthood, a new family drama, will anchor Wednesday, followed by relocated Law & Order: SVU and the Leno talker. Thursdays this fall will open with short-flight SNL Weekend Update, which is expected to air for six weeks, followed by returning comedies Parks & Recreation and The Office from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Community, a new sitcom, will temporarily inherit the 9:30 p.m. half hour until it moves to 8 p.m. once SNL Weekend Update Thursday departs. At that point, 30 Rock will open its new season, leading into Leno.
Law & Order, which has been renewed for a 20th season (tying Gunsmoke as the longest running scripted drama in the history of television), will relocate to 8 p.m. Friday, followed by sophomore Southland and, again, the Leno talker. A Saturday edition of Dateline will anchor the HUT-challenged evening, followed by repeats of Trauma and Law & Order: SVU from 9-11 p.m. this fall (and Southland and SVU in midseason). Aforementioned Sunday Night Football will cap off the week, and will be replaced by the rotation of Dateline, new nonscripted entry The Marriage Ref and another two-hour edition of Celebrity Apprentice in midseason.
Also on NBC in midseason is the return of Chuck on Mondays at 8 p.m. (in place of Heroes, which has a limited number of new episodes ordered), followed by new sci-fi drama Day One at 9 p.m. Mercy, a new medical drama, will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in place of Parenthood. Expected to join the NBC roster later in the season are new nonscripted entries Breakthrough With Tony Robbins and Who Do You Think You Are?
Not returning on NBC next season is My Name is Earl (which was not picked up by Fox as rumored), Medium (which could end up on CBS out of Ghost Whisperer on Friday), sophomore drama life and the recently introduced Howie Do It and The Chopping Block.
"NBC has picked up more scripted shows than last season even with The Jay Leno Show at 10 p.m.," said Ben Silverman, co-chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "We're incredibly excited about our new and returning series and have more comedy programming than anyone else, as well as two of the most buzzed about new shows, Community and Parenthood."
"We are extremely proud to introduce these strong new series to NBC's schedule next season in strategic timeslots that position them for success," said Angela Bromstad, president, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "They join some of the highest quality returning shows on television, which will serve as a strong foundation to the new schedule.
Here is NBC’s fall 2009 and January 2010 primetime schedules, with the new shows capped, followed by the new program descriptions.
FALL 2009
Monday
8:00 p.m. Heroes (new time)
9:00 p.m. TRAUMA
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Tuesday
8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (two hours)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Wednesday
8:00 p.m. PARENTHOOD
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Thursday
8:00 p.m. SNL Weekend Thursday Update (return, new time)
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9:00 p.m. The Office
9:30 p.m. COMMUNITY (30 Rock in late October, Community moves to 8 p.m. Thursday)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Friday
8:00 p.m. Law & Order (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Southland (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. THE JAY LENO SHOW
Saturday
8:00 p.m. Dateline
9:00 p.m. Trauma (repeat)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (repeat)
Sunday
7:00 p.m. Football Night in America
8:00 p.m. Sunday Night Football
JANUARY 2010
Monday
8:00 p.m. Chuck
9:00 p.m. DAY ONE
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
Tuesday
8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (90-minutes)
9:30 p.m. 100 QUESTIONS
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
Wednesday
8:00 p.m. MERCY
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
Thursday
8:00 p.m. Community
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9:00 p.m. The Office
9:30 p.m. 30 Rock
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
Friday
8:00 p.m. Law & Order
9:00 p.m. Southland
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
Saturday
8:00 p.m. Dateline
9:00 p.m. Southland (repeat)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (repeat)
Sunday
7:00 p.m. Dateline
8:00 p.m. THE MARRIAGE REF
9:00 p.m. Celebrity Apprentice (two hours)
New Program Descriptions
Comedy
100 QUESTIONS (midseason)
A woman (Sophie Winkleman) looking for love joins an online dating site and revisits various times in her life as she takes a 100-question compatibility test. Directed by Emmy winner James Burrows (Cheers, Will & Grace).
COMMUNITY
A band of misfits is the focus of life at fictional Greendale Community College. Chevy Chase and Joel McHale (The Soup) star.
Drama
MERCY (midseason)
The daily events inside a hospital are seen through the eyes of three nurses. Taylor Schilling (Dark Matter), Jamie Lee Kirchner (Rescue Me) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) star.
PARENTHOOD
Based on the 1989 Ron Howard theatrical, four grown siblings share the “headaches, heartaches and joy” of being parents. Peter Krause, Maria Tierney and former Coach star Craig T. Nelson lead the ensemble cast. (Footnote: Parenthood, a failed half-hour comedic version of the movie aired briefly on NBC in the fall of 1990).
TRAUMA
First responder paramedics are the focus of this medical drama set in San Francisco. Derek Luke (Notorious), Cliff Curtis (10,000 B.C.), Anastasia Griffith (Damages) and Jamey Sheridan (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) star.
DAY ONE (midseason)
A diversified group of survivors strive to rebuild society after a global catastrophe has devastated the world. The cast includes Adam Campbell (Date Movie), Catherine Dent (The Shield), Julie Gonzalo (Eli Stone), Carly Pope (24) and Addison Timlin (Cashmere Mafia).
Nonscripted
THE JAY LENO SHOW
The soon-to-be former host of The Tonight Show heads to prime-time in a nightly hour featuring comedy skits, big stunts and well-known segments like “Headlines” and “Jaywalking.”
THE MARRIAGE REF (midseason)
Comedy Legend Jerry Seinfeld is the creator and producer of this non-scripted look at marriage as celebrities, comedians and sports stars decide who is right…and who is wrong…in real-life disputes between real-life spouses.
BREAKTHROUGH WITH TONY ROBBINS (midseason)
Best-selling author and philanthropist Tony Robbins attempts to inspire people to search out the tools to forever change their lives.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (midseason)
A different celebrity each week embarks on a journey of self discovery, revealing stories that are often linked to events in American history.
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