NEW YORK NBC will take an unusually aggressive programming stance this summer, with the launch of three scripted dramas (Merlin, The Philanthropist and The Listener), two reality/competitions (Great American Road Trip and a revival of former ABC occupant I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!) and two miniseries (Meteor and The Storm).
Summer favorite America’s Got Talent, now hosted by Nick Cannon, will return with season four on Tuesday, June 23 at 9 p.m. (with a second weekly telecast scheduled one night later). And repurposed episodes of USA’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent will air Mondays at 9 p.m., beginning on June 8.
I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! will kick off the summer lineup with a two-hour installment on Monday, June 1 at 8 p.m. ET (and will air Monday through Thursday at 8 p.m. for the first three weeks, and Monday through Wednesday in the final week). Mirroring its ABC run in 2003, 10 so-called “celebrities” will test their survival skills in the jungle as one is voted off in each episode.
Canadian drama The Listener, which centers on a telepathic paramedic, will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET, effective June 4. Merlin, an updated tale of the famous sorcerer set in the mythical city of Camelot, will launch with a two-hour telecast on Sunday, June 21 at 8 p.m. ET. And The Philanthropist, a drama about a billionaire who looks for ways to distribute his wealth and help people by using all of his resources, is scheduled Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET beginning June 24.
The Amazing Race-like Great American Road Trip, meanwhile, debuts Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. And the two four-hour miniseries will air on Sundays from 9-11 p.m. -- Meteor on June 7 and 14; and The Storm on July 19 and 26.
NBC, in addition, will conclude the seasons of Law & Order: SVU on Tuesday, June 2 and Law & Order on Wednesday, June 3. Both air at 10 p.m. ET.
