NBC has announced their new Fall 2009 TV Schedule and what changes in Midseason 2010. They look to be going with a year-round programming schedule, which means more shows, but less episodes. I’m just glad they decided to bring back Chuck. ABC announced their schedule earlier today and FOX yesterday. So, that’s three down and two to go now. What do you think about NBC’s new Fall 2009/Midseason 2010 Primetime Schedules?
NBC Fall 2009 TV Schedule
Monday
Heroes
Trauma – From press release: From executive producer Peter Berg (NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”) comes “Trauma,” the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, “Trauma” is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city’s Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives — and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring in “Trauma” are Derek Luke (“Notorious”), Cliff Curtis (“10,000 B.C”), Anastasia Griffith (“Damages”), Aimee Garcia (“George Lopez”), Kevin Rankin (“Friday Night Lights”) and Jamey Sheridan (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”). – It’s like they took the basics of one of my favorite shows from the past, Emergency, and ramped up the action sequences.
The Jay Leno Show – I definitely look forward to seeing how well this move works. Nothing against Jay, but as a fan of scripted TV during the primetime hours, it wouldn’t bother me at all if NBC had to change course on this one.
Tuesday
The Biggest Loser – Runs two hours.
The Jay Leno Show
Wednesday
Parenthood – From press release: From the executive producers of the box-office hit “Parenthood,” Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for “A Beautiful Mind”), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”), this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family – four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches, and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Mae Whitman. – Given the cast and who is behind this, it could be really good.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
The Jay Leno Show
Thursday
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday – Runs for a few weeks and then is replaced by new show Community.
Parks & Recreation – Wasn’t surprised that this got picked up, but at how bad it was until the first season’s finale episode. That was the first time I laughed more than once during an episode and the first time I saw this show as having any potential beyond just being a very pale version of The Office.
The Office
Community – From press release: From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo (“Arrested Development”) comes “Community,” a smart comedy series about higher education…and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly- divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, “Community” focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, “The Soup”), who form a study group and, in “Breakfast Club” fashion, end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work. – This one looks to have the most potential of the comedy offerings for fall on any network that I’ve heard about so far.
30 Rock returns to this timeslot after Community moves up to kickoff the night.
The Jay Leno Show
Friday
Law & Order
Southland
The Jay Leno Show
Saturday
Dateline NBC
Trauma (Encore)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Encore)
Sunday
Football Night in America
Sunday Night Football
NBC Midseason 2010 TV Schedule – Post Winter Olympics
Monday
Chuck – So very glad that this will be back, but disappointed that it won’t be until 2010. I, and others, will try not to let it happen, but it surely runs the risk of losing much of its momentum from the recent eat at Subway, etc. #savechuck campaign. It wasn’t the only reason the second season of Jericho didn’t do well, but pushing it to winter didn’t help it any either. I don’t want to see a similar fate befall Chuck.
Day One – From press release: From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander (“Heroes,” “Lost,” “Alias”) and director Alex Graves (“Fringe,” “Journeyman”), “Day One” tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world’s infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors — played by 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”) — strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories — and heroes are born every day. “Day One” is a Universal Media Studios production. – This looks to be NBC’s most ambitious project and the one I’d like to see more about.
The Jay Leno Show
Tuesday
The Biggest Loser – Runs 90 minutes
100 Questions – From press release: Emmy winner James Burrows (“Will & Grace,” “Friends”) directs “100 Questions,” a new comedy series written and executive produced by Christopher Moynihan (“For Your Consideration”) that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne (Sophie Winkleman, “Peep Show”) is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals — but she has yet to meet Mr. Right. When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi (Amir Talai, “The Ex List”) – who requires her 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 test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship. Ron West (“Psych”), Kelly Kulchak (“Psych”) and Michelle Nader (“King of Queens”) join Moynihan as executive producers. – From the few clips I’ve seen, it looked funny, but then anything can look good when you condense it down to its best parts.
The Jay Leno Show
Wednesday
Mercy – From press release: “Mercy,” a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best — 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. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, “Rescue Me”) and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, “Gossip Girl”), Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper (“Men in Trees”) as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica’s life; Diego Klattenhoff (“Supernatural”) as Mike Callahan, Veronica’s husband; and Guillermo Diaz (“Weeds”) as Nurse Angel Lopez. {“Mercy” is a Universal Media Studios/Berman Braun production – this language needs to be checked}. Joining writer/executive producers Liz Heldens (NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”) and Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts (“Pushing Daisies,” “Pepper Dennis”) are executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. – It looks like not only medical dramas are having a resurgence, but that ones focused on nurses are all the rage. This summer HBO has Nurse Jackie and TNT has HawthoRNe.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
The Jay Leno Show
Thursday
Community
Parks & Recreation
The Office
30 Rock
The Jay Leno Show
Friday
Law & Order
Southland
The Jay Leno Show
Saturday
Dateline NBC
Southland (Encore)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Encore)
Sunday
Dateline NBC
The Marriage Ref – From press release: Jerry Seinfeld is back and in the producer’s chair for a funny and revealing series about the unpredictable and hilarious institution we call marriage. In his celebrated NBC sitcom Seinfeld, Jerry and friends became household names by highlighting humorous and relatable situations surrounding single life in New York City. In Jerry’s new primetime venture, married life takes center stage as celebrities, comedians and sports stars candidly comment, judge and decide who’s right and who’s wrong in real-life disputes between real-life spouses. Seinfeld and Ellen Rakieten (“The Oprah Winfrey Show”) are executive producers of the presentation from Seinfeld’s Columbus 81 Productions. – This could actually be fun, but we shall see.
The Celebrity Apprentice – Runs two hours
Summer 2010
Friday Night Lights – Really disappointed that we without Direct TV will have to wait until Summer 2010 to watch the fourth season of this outstanding show.
I too am looking forward to NBC’s “Trauma”! However I have a timing conflict. One of my favorite shows from last year is on at the same time: Fox’s “Lie to Me”. Hmm… What to do. But that’s what the networks do. Last year Fox put something on Thursday at 9:00 which finally pulled me away from CSI after many years of watching that show. Another timing conflict I will have this fall is Thursday’s at 9:00 Fox’s “Bones” which is up against the new ABC Show “FlashFroward”.