NBC Will Air Winter Olympics Coverage, Not a New or Returning Show, After Super Bowl 56

NBC has decided against airing one of its new or returning entertainment shows in its coveted post-Super Bowl 56 timeslot on Feb. 13. Instead, the network will broadcast coverage of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, which will also be in progress. “This happens once every four years, we want to be able to maximize the coverage of the Olympics while it’s going on, especially when we’re in full, live events,” Frances Berwick, chairman, entertainment networks, NBCUniversal television and streaming, said during a media briefing today. She added that with the 13-hour time difference, there will be live events occurring at that time, but “we don’t know” which ones will be airing. Traditionally, networks airing the Super Bowl use that post-game time slot, which reaches one of the year's biggest audiences, to either premiere a new series—as CBS did with The Equalizer—or spotlight one of its current shows, as NBC did four years ago with This Is Us. “I cannot overstate, I feel very good about our ability to maximize the promotion for the new shows and the entertainment shows in that embarrassment of riches across the Super Bowl and the 18 days” of the Winter Olympics, said Berwick. NBC Shelves Law & Order Spinoff Series in Fall Premiere Plans And while new drama La Brea generated buzz for NBC in the fall, the network is counting on the return of two of its most popular shows—This Is Us and the original Law & Order—to power its midseason lineup. This Is Us, which was left off NBC’s fall schedule, will return for its sixth and final season on Tuesday, Jan. 4, the network said today. Last season, the drama was once broadcast’s biggest scripted entertainment series in the adults 18-49 demo most coveted by advertisers. NBC’s revival of the original Law & Order, which ended in 2010 after 20 seasons, will return to the network on Thursday, Feb. 24. Those are among the highlights of NBC’s midseason schedule, unveiled today, which will see some shows debut in January, while others will be held until after the Winter Olympics air Feb. 4-20. Today, the network also renewed La Brea—this season’s No. 1 new show in the 18-49 demo—for a second season. NBC said across all platforms, the pilot episode has been watched by 19.8 million total viewers and has a 3.6 demo ratings. NBC did not broadcast any comedies in the fall, preferring to wait until midseason. Kenan will return for Season 2 on Monday, Jan. 3, while Jan. 4 will also see the premiere of sitcoms: workplace comedy American Auto (set in Detroit) and Grand Crew, about Black friends in LA. Comedies Young Rock and Mr. Mayor will be back for their sophomore seasons on Tuesday, March 15. NBC is holding previews of its new and returning comedies during the holiday season: Young Rock, Kenan and Mr. Mayor will have holiday-themed episodes on Dec. 15, American Auto will air its first two episodes after The Voice on Dec. 13, while Grand Crew’s first two episodes will preview Dec. 14. All-Law & Order Thursday Law & Order will make its long-awaited return on Thursday, Feb. 24, kicking off a Thursday night block entirely of Law & Order shows. Law & Order: SVU will follow at 9 p.m. ET, with Law & Order: Organized Crime capping off the night. That will finally give NBC the Law & Order Thursday lineup it had planned for the fall. But in July, the network scrapped plans for a new Law & Order spinoff, For the Defense. Soon after the new season began in September, the network said it would be bringing back the original Law & Order for Season 21. (NBC already devotes its Wednesday night lineup to its three Chicago series—Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.—which like the Law & Order shows are all executive produced by Dick Wolf.) The Thing About Pam, a six-episode limited series based on the hit true-crime podcast and starring Renee Zellweger, debuts Tuesday, March 8. Heist drama The Endgame will premiere Feb. 21. The network’s unscripted midseason entries include music and comedy variety game show That’s My Jam, hosted and executive produced by Jimmy Fallon, which premieres Jan. 3. And musical competition series American Song Contest—bringing the hit Eurovision Song Contest to the U.S.—will air beginning Feb. 21. NBC is No. 1 in total viewers so far this season, and is second in the adults 18-49 demo, behind Fox. In May, NBC said This Is Us would be ending after Season 6, and that it would holding the show until midseason for the first time ever. “What we wanted to do was honor the fans and give them as close to an uninterrupted run as we could, which is only possible in midseason,” Berwick said at the time.