NBC Unveils New Line-Up; CBS to Announce This Afternoon

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERWednesday, May 20, 2009 NBC in 2009-10:Four New Series This Fall; At Least Four More in Midseason Upfront Tidbits:Notes of Interest On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options __________________________________________________________________________ Note: Due to the network upfront announcements, The Programming Insider will focus solely on the new primetime schedules for the remainder of the week. The regularly scheduled sections will return on Tuesday, May 26. ___________________________________________________________________________ NBC in 2009-10:Four New Series This Fall; At Least Four More in Midseason Led, of course, by the 10 p.m. weeknight arrival of talker The Jay Leno Show and the return of Sunday Night Football, NBC’s main priority is to tighten the Monday to Friday 8-10 p.m. block. With that in mind, the network will introduce four new series this fall (dramas Trauma and Parenthood; sitcom Community; and aforementioned The Jay Leno Show), with changes impacting six nights of the week. 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 non-scripted entry The Marriage Ref and another two-hour edition of Celebrity Apprentice in midseason. Also on NBC in midseason is the return of Chuck 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 non-scripted entries Breakthrough With Tony Robbins and Who Do You Think You Are? Not returning on NBC next season is Deal or No Deal, 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 dramas Life and Lipstick Jungle, veteran ER and recently introduced non-scripted series Howie Do It, Momma’s Boys, Superstars of Dance and The Chopping Block. Fall 2008 entries America’s Toughest Jobs, Crusoe, Kath & Kim, Knight Rider and My Own Worst Enemy were canceled earlier this season. "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. TRAUMA10:00 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 ONE10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Tuesday 8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (90-minutes) 9:30 p.m. 100 QUESTIONS10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Wednesday 8:00 p.m. MERCY 9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU10:00 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 Rock10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Friday 8:00 p.m. Law & Order 9:00 p.m. Southland10:00 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). COMMUNITYA 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. PARENTHOODBased 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). TRAUMAFirst 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). ---------- Non-Scripted THE JAY LENO SHOWThe 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. ______________________________________________________________________________ Upfront Tidbits:Notes of Interest -CBS Update:CBS will officially unveil its fall 2009 line-up this afternoon. Apparently making the cut are bubble shows Cold Case, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried and Numb3rs. Not expected back are Without a Trace, The Unit and Eleventh Hour. -Speaking of The Unit:CBS’ The Unit has been racking up clearances in off-net syndication for a fall 2010 debut. Twentieth Television has sold the military drama to over 30 markets (including all top 15 markets), representing 56 percent of the country. Clearances to-date include affiliates in several key groups including Fox Television Stations, CBS Station Group, Block Communication, Freedom Broadcasting, Gray, Hearst-Argyle, Journal, Local TV, Meredith, Scripps-Howard and Tribune. -The CW to Introduce Three New Dramas:We won’t know what the CW’s official fall 2009 schedule will be until tomorrow. But the fifth-place network will introduce three new dramas: A Beautiful Life, which focuses on the aspiring male and female models in New York City; Vampire Dairies, the tale of a young woman and two vampire brothers…one good and one evil; and a remake of classic serial Melrose Place. ___________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Wednesday 5/20/09Final Night of the May 2009 Sweeps ABC: 8:00 p.m. Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest CBS: 8:00 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine (season finale) 8:30 p.m. Gary Unmarried (season finale) 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (part one)10:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (season finale, part two) NBC: 8:00 p.m. Law & Order: Criminal Intent 9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)10:00 p.m. Law & Order Fox: 8:00 p.m. American Idol (season finale, two hours) CW: 8:00 p.m. Movie: Take the Lead (R) MNTV8:00 p.m. World’s Funniest Moments 9:00 p.m. World’s Funniest Moments (R)___________________________________________________________________________________ Coming Up Tomorrow:CBS in 2009-10

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NBC Unveils New Line-Up; CBS to Announce This Afternoon

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