NBC Upfront: Fall 2010

[Pavan]

Check back on Sunday for the full schedule and any leaked schedules. This thread will open on Sunday morning.

EDIT: 5/16/2010 11:30AM ET - NBC Fall 2010 schedule: http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2010/0...-schedule.html

[Pavan]

New Series Pick-Ups:

Dramas: Undercovers, The Event, Love Bites, Chase, LOLA, The Cape, Outlaw, Harry's Law
Comedies: Outsourced, Perfect Couples, Friends with Benefits, The Paul Reiser Show
Alternative: School Pride

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NBC PICKS UP 'UNDERCOVERS,' FROM J.J. ABRAMS AND JOSH REIMS, AS FIRST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES FOR 2010-11 SEASON

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 3, 2010 - NBC has issued its first scripted series pickup for the 2010-11 season with the order of the drama "Undercovers" from acclaimed writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams ("Star Trek," "Fringe," "Lost," "Alias") and executive producer/writer Josh Reims ("Brothers and Sisters"), it was announced today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"We have tremendous confidence in this promising series and feel this is a great way to kick off our upcoming Upfront development announcements," said Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment. "J.J. has delivered another signature series, along with our partners at Warner Bros., and we couldn't be happier."

"Having J.J. on our creative team is a great reason for celebration," said Bromstad. "In 'Undercovers,' J.J. and Josh have found a breakout couple that is rich in character and brimming with romance and action. We feel he's found the perfect cast."

Abrams serves as co-writer, executive producer - and also directs - his first direction of a TV series pilot since "Lost." "Undercovers" is a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world's most dangerous partnership. Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," "Soul Food," "Resident Evil: Afterlife") and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Doctor Who," "Bonekickers"), are a typical married couple who own a small catering company in Los Angeles and are helped by Samantha's easily frazzled younger sister, Lizzy (Jessica Parker Kennedy, "Smallville").

Secretly, the duo were two of the CIA's best spies until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired. When fellow spy and friend Nash (Carter MacIntyre, "American Heiress") goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, "Deadwood") to locate and rescue Nash. The pair is thrust back into the world of espionage as they follow leads that span the globe -- and Steven and Samantha realize that this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides the excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing. Also starring is Ben Schwartz (NBC's "Parks and Recreation").

"Undercovers" is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was written by J.J. Abrams & Josh Reims and directed by Abrams. Abrams, Reims and Bryan Burk ("Fringe," "Lost, "Alias") are the executive producers.

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NBC PICKS UP THREE NEW SERIES FOR 2010-11 SEASON WITH 'THE EVENT,' 'OUTSOURCED' AND 'LOVE BITES'

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 7, 2010 - NBC has given series pickups for its 2010-11 season to the dramatic thriller "The Event," the comedy "Outsourced" and the romantic anthology series "Love Bites."

The announcement was made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"Each of these three series reflects a unique point of view and distinct style of quality that fits perfectly with NBC's dedication to rebuilding the schedule," said Bromstad. "These series showcase excellent writing and casting, and represent the kind of scripted programming our network and studio are committed to producing."

"The Event" is an emotional high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, "The Class"), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee, Leila (Sarah Roemer, "Disturbia"), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean's quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Blair Underwood, "Dirty Sexy Money"); Sophia (Emmy Award nominee Laura Innes, "ER"), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean's shadowy father-in-law (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls"). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind.

Ian Anthony Dale ("Daybreak") and Emmy winner Zeljko Ivanek ("Damages") also star in the ensemble drama.

"The Event" is a production of Universal Media Studios and Steve Stark Productions. Stark ("Medium," "Facing Kate") serves as executive producer, Nick Wauters ("The 4400," "Eureka") is creator/co-executive producer and Jeffrey Reiner ("Friday Night Lights," "Trauma") is the director/executive producer.

"Outsourced" is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon -- and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway's "The Gingerbread House") is the new company's manager who learns that he's being transferred to India to run the operation.

Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji ("Privileged"), Sacha Dhawan (BBC's "Five Days II"), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC's "Doctors"), Parvesh Cheena ("Help Me Help You"), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway's "Bombay Dreams") also star as members of Dempsy's off-shore team; Diedrich Bader ("The Drew Carey Show") and Jessica Gower (Network Ten's "The Secret Life of Us") additionally star.

"Outsourced" is produced by Universal Media Studios. Robert Borden ("The Drew Carey Show" and "George Lopez") is executive producer/writer. Ken Kwapis ("The Office") developed the project through his company, In Cahoots, and serves as executive producer/director. Alex Beattie serves as co-executive producer.


From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Cindy Chupack ("Sex and the City"), "Love Bites" is an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each episode contains multiple vignettes, all illuminating the theme of love with an edgy, irreverent spin.

Becki Newton ("Ugly Betty") stars as Annie and Jordana Spiro ("My Boys") stars as Frannie, the last two single girls standing after all of their friends get married. Annie is an infectiously bubbly optimist and Frannie is an always-a-bridesmaid realist. Their story will anchor the series, while other romantically-challenged characters will come and go each week.

The pilot's guest cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Ghost Whisperer"), Greg Grunberg ("Heroes"), Craig Robinson ("The Office"), Jason Lewis ("Sex and the City"), Lindsay Price ("Lipstick Jungle"), Larry Wilmore ("The Daily Show"), Charlyne Yi ("Knocked Up"), Pamela Adlon ("Californication"), Stacy Galina ("Hidden Hills"), Brian Hallisay ("Privileged"), Kyle Howard ("My Boys") and Steve Howey ("Bride Wars").

"Love Bites" is a production of Universal Media Studios and Working Title Television, which is a new division of Working Title Films (the U.K. production company behind box office hits including "Love Actually," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral"). Chupack is creator, executive producer and writer. Emmy Award-winning producer-director Marc Buckland ("My Name Is Earl") also is executive producer and directs the pilot. Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Shelley McCrory from Working Title Television are executive producers. "Love Bites" is Working Title Television's first U.S. commission.



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NBC PICKS UP NEW DRAMA SERIES 'CHASE,' FROM JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, FOR 2010-11 SEASON

Drama Becomes NBC's Fifth New Scripted Series Announced for New Season

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 10, 2010 - NBC has picked up its fifth scripted series pilot for the 2010-11 season in "Chase," a new drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI" franchise, "The Amazing Race," "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson ("Cold Case").

The announcement was made by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"Chase" joins previously announced "Undercovers," "The Event," "Love Bites," and "Outsourced" as the fifth new scripted series currently announced for NBC's new season with additional pickups yet to be announced.

"'Chase' has all the undeniable elements of a thrill ride that you would expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer action series," said Bromstad. "Equally important, it also features a great cast. Kelli Giddish is a breakout star as the lead."

"Chase" is a fast-paced drama that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish ("Past Life") stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run.

Cole Hauser ("K-Ville"), Amaury Nolasco ("Prison Break"), Rose Rollins ("The L Word") and Jesse Metcalfe ("Desperate Housewives") also star as members of Frost's elite team.

"Chase" is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman ("CSI" franchise, "The Amazing Race," "Cold Case") and Johnson serve as executive producers, while KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. David Nutter ("The Mentalist," "Without a Trace" "The X-Files") directed and is executive producer of the pilot which was written by Johnson.


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NBC ANNOUNCES PICKUP OF NEW COMEDY SERIES 'PERFECT COUPLES' FOR 2010-11 SEASON

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 12, 2010 - NBC has green-lit the new romantic comedy "Perfect Couples" for its 2010-11 season, it was announced today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"Perfect Couples" joins previously announced "Chase," "Undercovers," "The Event," "Love Bites," and "Outsourced" as the sixth new scripted series currently unveiled for NBC's new season with additional pickups yet to be announced.

"Jon and Scott are hugely talented writer-producers and they've really delivered with 'Perfect Couples,'" said Bromstad. "The comedy includes a cast of three distinctive couples who share the same issues and will draw viewers in with their relatable stories."

"Perfect Couples" depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship -- and how to maintain it through humorous trial-and-error. The series explores their heroic journey in search of the perfect relationship without destroying each other in the process.

Dave (Kyle Howard, "My Boys") and Julia (Christine Woods, "Flash Forward") are the relatable, normal couple, but Julia's hope of remaining the cool, low-maintenance chick is tested by Dave's attempts to keep both his wife and his needy best friend Vance (Dave Walton, NBC's "100 Questions") equally happy. Vance, along with the neurotic Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), are the high-passion, high-drama couple who bring out the best and worst in each other.

The third duo features Rex (Hayes MacArthur, "She's Out of My League"), a reformed party guy, and, and his wife, Leigh (Olivia Munn, "Attack of the Show"), who considers herself as the group's mother hen. Believing that they are relationship experts, Rex and Leigh have attended every class and seminar on relationships -- and regard themselves as the "perfect couple."

Jon Pollack ("30 Rock") and Scott Silveri ("Friends") are the executive producers while Andy Ackerman ("Seinfeld," "The New Adventures of Old Christine") is the director. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios.


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NBC ANNOUNCES PICKUPS FOR NEW DRAMA 'LOLA' ('LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES') AND RETURNING 'LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT' AND 'LAW & ORDER' ENDS ITS HISTORIC RUN ON NBC MAY 24

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 14, 2010 - NBC has picked up the new drama "LOLA" ("Law & Order: Los Angeles") as well as renewed "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" for the 2010-11 season. In addition, NBC will end its historic and record-tying "Law & Order" when the mothership series concludes its 20th season on Monday, May 24 (10-11 p.m. ET).

The announcements were made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment said, "The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his 'Law & Order' franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated. The legacy of his original 'Law & Order' series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."

Bromstad added: "'Law & Order' has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with 'LOLA' and 'Law & Order: SVU.'"

The brainchild of creator and Emmy Award winner Wolf, "Law & Order" has spawned one of the most successful brands in primetime television. It is the 1997 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and the record holder for the most consecutive (11) nominations in that category for a primetime series (tied with "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H"). It premiered on September 13, 1990, and eventually tied "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running drama series in television history.

The new "LOLA" ("Law & Order: Los Angeles") is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the "Law & Order"-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters ("Brotherhood"), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing.

In its current 11th season, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has delivered a 2.9 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers overall. "Law & Order: SVU" is NBC's #1 scripted series this season in total viewers. Since moving to Wednesdays (10-11 p.m. ET) on March 3, "SVU" is #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key ratings categories and has improved on NBC's average rating in the hour during the traditional 2008-09 season by 29 percent in adults 18-49.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a hard-hitting and emotional series from NBC's "Law & Order" brand as it chronicles the Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department, the elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. The drama follows Detective Elliot Stabler (Emmy Award nominee Christopher Meloni), a seasoned veteran, and his partner, Detective Olivia Benson (Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Mariska Hargitay), whose difficult past is the reason she joined the unit.

Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) oversees the unit while Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer, "Homicide: Life on the Street") brings his acerbic wit and street-honed investigative skills to the team. Munch's partner, Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (Ice-T), adds his unique sense of humor and investigative experience. Forensic psychiatrist, George Huang (B.D. Wong) and Medical Examiner Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie) uncover forensic evidence.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Wolf is creator and executive producer; Neal Baer ("ER," "China Beach"), Ted Kotcheff ("Fun with Dick and Jane," "Weekend at Bernie's") and Jankowski are executive producers.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" continues to air in its ninth season on USA Network.

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NBC ADDS TO NEW SCRIPTED LINEUP WITH FOUR NEW SERIES -- 'THE CAPE,' 'OUTLAW,' 'HARRY'S LAW' AND 'FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS' - AND RENEWS 'CHUCK' FOR FOURTH SEASON IN 2010-11

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 14, 2010 - NBC has issued pickups for four more new scripted series with dramas "The Cape," "Outlaw," "Harry's Law" and the comedy "Friends With Benefits" - while renewing the action-comedy series "Chuck" for a fourth season -- all for the 2010-11 season. The announcement was made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"The addition of these four inventive series to our new scripted lineup demonstrates a wide spectrum of creative stories," said Bromstad. "We are featuring popular, top-flight stars along with a strong pedigree of successful writer-producers. Likewise, 'Chuck' has proven its enduring appeal and we love the new creative direction that Josh and Chris have taken the show."

The four new series join previously announced "LOLA' ("Law & Order: Los Angeles"), "Perfect Couples," "Chase," "Undercovers," "The Event," "Love Bites" and "Outsourced" as the new scripted series that NBC has revealed for its new season.

"The Cape" is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons ("ER") as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, "Life on Mars") and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, "Flash Forward"). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes "The Cape" his son's favorite comic book superhero -- and takes the law into his own hands. Rounding out the cast are James Frain ("The Tudors") as billionaire Peter Fleming - The Cape's nemesis - who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David ("Death at a Funeral") as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape; Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday.

"The Cape" is a Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun production from executive producer/creator Thomas Wheeler ("Empire"), executive producer/director Simon West ("Con Air"), the executive producing team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun ("Mercy") and executive producer Gene Stein ("Accidentally on Purpose").

Starring Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "West Wing"), "Outlaw" is a new drama from executive producer John Eisendrath ("Alias," "Felicity," "Playmakers"). Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position. A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed. Now that he's quit the bench and returned to private practice, he's determined to represent "the little guy" and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today's biggest legal cases. And he's making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way. Jesse Bradford ("West Wing"), Carly Pope ("24"), Ellen Woglom ("Californication") and David Ramsey ("Dexter") also star.

"Outlaw" is a Universal Media Studios production along with Conaco productions. Eisendrath is executive producer along with Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda," "Reservation Road"), Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger ("Andy Barker, P.I."). "Outlaw" is written by Eisendrath and directed by George.

Emmy Award-winning creator David E. Kelley ("The Practice," "Boston Legal") brings his unique storytelling to "Harry's Law," a series about fate and the people it brings together, starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates ("Misery," "About Schmidt").

Harriet (Bates), Matthew (Ben Chaplin, "Me and Orson Welles") and Malcolm (Aml Ameen, "Kidulthood") couldn't be any more different. Harriet is a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer who, having just been fired from her cushy job, is completely disillusioned with her success and looking for a fresh start. Her world unexpectedly collides with Malcolm's -- a young man trying to figure out life. When he finds out Harriet is a lawyer, he begs her to represent him in an upcoming criminal case. Matthew, a dreamer at heart and also recently fired from his job as a high school teacher, is introduced to Harriet through Malcolm, a previous student of his. When these three cross paths, they realize they're all looking for a fresh start. Now, the most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places -- a rundown shoe store. "Harry's Law" also stars Brittany Snow ("Hairspray") as Harriet's assistant, Jenna Backstrom and Beatrice Rosen ("Dark Knight") as Eve, a high school French teacher.

"Harry's Law" is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television. David E. Kelley ("Boston Legal," "The Practice") and Bill D'Elia ("Boston Legal," "The Practice") serve as executive producers. D'Elia also serves as director.

From Oscar and Emmy winner Brian Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind," "Arrested Development"), "Friends With Benefits" is a half-hour comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating. Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen, "Party Down") is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris, "One Tree Hill"), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz, "Dollhouse"), a romantic at heart, doesn't approve of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed Kesler) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas, "Cloverfield"), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations.

David Nevins ("Lie to Me," "Arrested Development") joins Grazer as executive producer for Imagine Television. Also serving as executive producers are David Dobkin ("Wedding Crashers"), who directs the pilot, writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ("(500) Days of Summer"), and Jeff Kleeman. "Friends With Benefits" is a production of 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Big Kid Pictures.

Now in its third season that concludes with a two-hour season finale on Monday, May 24 (8-10 p.m. ET), "Chuck" is averaging a 2.4 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers overall. "Chuck's" ratings increase significantly when all time-shifted viewing is added to its results, growing this season by an average of 22 percent in its 18-49 rating and more than 1.1 million persons in total viewers when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results from Nielsen Media Research.

Zachary Levi ("Less Than Perfect") stars in the title role as a regular guy working at a Buy More electronics store who becomes the government's most vital secret agent. This season, Chuck was transformed into the Intersect 2.0 after another data download into his brain. This time around, he not only knows government secrets, but he also is well equipped with deadly fight skills. Chuck has the potential to become a real agent and gets a helping hand from one of the CIA's top agents and his dream girl Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski, "Gone").

The ever stoic Colonel John Casey (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard," "Firefly") returns with an unlikely new partner, Chuck's best friend, Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez, "Without a Trace"). Also starring are: Sarah Lancaster ("What About Brian?") as Chuck's ever-supportive sister Ellie and Ryan McPartlin ("Living with Fran") as Devon Woodcomb (also known as "Captain Awesome"), Ellie's husband. Chuck's Buy More team consists of Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence, "The Pursuit of Happyness") and the Nerd Herd, which includes Lester (Vik Sahay, "Time Bomb") and Jeff (Scott Krinsky, "The O.C.").

"Chuck" is co-created by Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.," "Gossip Girl") and Chris Fedak, and is executive-produced by Schwartz, McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall"), Fedak, Allison Adler and Matthew Miller. "Chuck" is produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision, in association with Warner Bros. Television.

[Pavan]

Rough schedule

Fall 2010

MONDAYS
8:00pm Chuck
9:00pm THE EVENT (NEW!)
10:00pm CHASE (NEW!)

TUESDAYS
8:00pm THE BIGGEST LOSER
10:00pm PARENTHOOD

WEDNESDAYS
8:00pm UNDERCOVERS (NEW!)
9:00pm LAW & ORDER: Special Victims Unit
10:00pm LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES (NEW!)

THURSDAYS
8:00pm COMMUNITY
8:30pm 30 Rock
9:00pm The Office
9:30pm OUTSOURCED (NEW!)
10:00pm LOVE BITES (NEW!)

FRIDAYS
8:00pm WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? / SCHOOL PRIDE (NEW!)
9:00pm DATELINE
10:00pm OUTLAW (NEW!)

Stay tuned for the official announcement by 5PM ET.

http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2010/0...-schedule.html

[Cactus Jack]

What happened to The Strip?

[Pavan]

The Strip did not make it.

[Du Mont]

Fall 2010: NBC

MONDAYS
8:00 pm 'Chuck'
9:00 pm 'THE EVENT' (NEW!)
10:00 pm 'CHASE' (NEW!)
I rather like the way they've put together this night with original young-skewing programming which should do better than this seasons 2.05 A18-49 average for Monday nights. 'Chuck' should do better in the fall than this spring, especially if NBC gives us a run of the best of seasons 1-3 'Chuck' encores sometime this summer.
Monday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 2.5-2.7

TUESDAYS
8:00 pm 'The Biggest Loser'
10:00 pm 'Parenthood'
NBC has averaged 3.10 A18-49s in 2009-10, and should be able to maintain it. The missed opportunity for the Peacock was the chance to use the 9:30-10 pm "hammock" to launch one of their new comedies, either 'Friends With Benefits' or perhaps 'Next'.
Tuesday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 3.0

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 pm 'UNDERCOVERS' (NEW!)
9:00 pm 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'
10:00 pm 'LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES' (NEW!)
I have misgivings about what NBC has put together for Wednesdays. In the 2009-10 season, NBC has averaged 2.16 A18-49s and I don't see it doing any better. While the Bad Robot production 'Undercovers' looks good on paper, I question the decision to launch it in the low-HUT Wednesday 8-9 pm hour (kind of a mini-Saturday hour) where I think it will founder. The 9-10 pm 'L&O:SVU' averaged 2.03 in A18-49, while the 10-11 pm 'L&O:SVU' averaged 2.63 in A18-49. I would have left it at the later slot, and put 'L&O:LA' to Fridays. On Wednesdays, I can't see 'L&O:LA' doing much above a 2.0 A18-49, probably coming third in the hour.
Wednesday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 1.9

THURSDAYS
8:00 pm 'Community'
8:30 pm '30 Rock'
9:00 pm 'The Office'
9:30 pm 'OUTSOURCED' (NEW!)
10:00 pm 'LOVE BITES' (NEW!)
This night will probably fall off a bit from 2009-10's 2.56 A18-49 average, largely because 'The Office' and '30 Rock' are showing their age. I like the positioning of the dramedy anthology 'Love Bites' at 10 pm, and hope that it does better than the similarly-themed 'Cupid' did at 10 pm for ABC on Tuesdays last year.
Thursday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 2.3

FRIDAYS
8:00 pm 'Who Do You Think You Are?' / 'SCHOOL PRIDE' (NEW!)
9:00 pm 'Dateline NBC'
10:00 pm 'OUTLAW' (NEW!)
While NBC's first place 2009-10's 1.93 A18-49 average was skewed a bit by three nights of 'Winter Olympics' coverage, the Peacock seems to have found a profitable mix of programming for the night. 'Who Do You Think You Are?' and 'Dateline' should perform at similar levels to this season, and Mr. Conan O'Brien's 'Outlaw' at 10 pm is an interesting counterprogramming choice to ABC's '20/20' that could get 'Vegas'-like numbers for NBC. But sadly, winning Fridays these days is as meaningless as triumphing on Saturdays.
Friday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 1.8

SATURDAY
8:00 pm 'Parenthood' Encores (carryover)
9:00 pm 'LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES' / 'CHASE' / 'UNDERCOVERS' Encores alternating (likely)
10:00 pm 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' (carryover)
11:30 pm 'Saturday Night Live'
NBC's 1.73 A18-49 average was skewed by three nights of 'Winter Olympics' and an NFL playoff game, so it will fall-off quite a bit this season. NBC has become CBS on this night given their demonstrated love of encore programming. Perhaps these encores are part of the withering of the 'Law & Order' franchise? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Saturday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 1.1

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 pm 'Football Night in America' (first half-hour sustaining)
8:15-11:30 pm 'NBC Sunday Night Football'

SUNDAY (midseason, March 2011)
7:00 pm 'Dateline NBC'
8:00 pm 'Minute to Win It'
9:00 pm 'The Celebrity Apprentice' (2 hours)
Nothings changing on this nights, so NBC should be able to maintain its 2009-10 3.97 A18-49 average, deducting a bit for the lack of three nights of 'Winter Olympics'.
Sunday 2010-11 NBC A18-49 Prediction: 3.5

[Mr. Television]

NBC actually looks like they have some good new shows for a change. Sadly I think most of them will fail. I also don't understand why we need another L&O. The franchise is dying. SVU will probably be ending after next year as well.

[Pavan]

Official press release:

NBC UNVEILS 2010-11 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE ACCENTED BY FIVE NEW COMEDIES, SEVEN NEW DRAMAS AND NEW ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM

The New Fall Schedule Features All-Drama Lineups on Mondays and Wednesdays and All Comedies on Thursdays, Plus Unscripted Programming into Compatible Dramas on Tuesdays and Fridays

New Comedies Include "Friends With Benefits," "Outsourced," "Perfect Couples," "Love Bites" and "The Paul Reiser Show"

New Dramas Are "Undercovers," "The Event," "Chase," "Law & Order: Los Angeles," "Outlaw," "The Cape" and "Harry's Law"; And New Alternative Show "School Pride"

NEW YORK CITY -- May 16, 2010 - NBC announced today its 2010-11 primetime schedule that is highlighted by five new comedies, seven new drama series and one new alternative program, including shows from such innovative hit-makers as J.J. Abrams, Jerry Bruckheimer and David E. Kelley, among others.

The high-quality series include new comedies such as "Outsourced," "Love Bites," "Perfect Couples," "Friends With Benefits" and "The Paul Reiser Show." The new dramas are "The Cape," "Harry's Law," "Outlaw," "Undercovers," "The Event," "Chase" and "Law & Order: Los Angeles."

The schedule features all-drama lineups on Mondays and Wednesdays and five comedies on Thursdays. Tuesdays will continue to combine the similar appeal of "The Biggest Loser" with "Parenthood," and Fridays will team "Who Do You Think You Are?" and the new series "School Pride" with "Dateline NBC" and the new legal drama "Outlaw."

NBC will also broadcast a 35th anniversary "Saturday Night Live" special that will celebrate the iconic late-night series' long and eventful run on NBC since 1975.

The announcements were made by Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment, and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"This new schedule brings NBC back to basics with its commitment to quality scripted programming," said Gaspin. "Our new shows are distinctive and feature a combination of the biggest talent, the brightest new stars and the strongest auspices in television. With this new schedule, we're poised to take the next step toward our long-term goals with a lineup that has stabilized and has been building solid momentum through the second half of the season."

"Our team has been working tirelessly to achieve our ambitious goals and we are so pleased to see that these new series demonstrate tremendous upside for NBC," said Bromstad. "We feel that this development season introduces shows that will become part of the great programming legacy of our network."

On Mondays (all times ET), NBC leads off with "Chuck" from 8-9 p.m., followed by two new and intense hour-long dramas - "The Event" (9-10 p.m.) and "Chase" (10-11 p.m.). Then on Tuesdays, NBC returns with its powerful stories from the hit alternative series "The Biggest Loser" (8-10 p.m.) and finishes the night with the acclaimed family drama "Parenthood" (10-11 p.m.).

NBC's Wednesday night features three hours of drama programming beginning with the new series "Undercovers" from J.J. Abrams (8-9 p.m.), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (9-10 p.m.) and the new "Law & Order: Los Angeles" at 10-11 p.m. concludes the night.

Primetime Thursdays feature wall-to-wall comedy as this season's freshman sensation "Community" continues at 8-8:30 p.m. followed by the Emmy Award-winning "30 Rock" (8:30-9 p.m.). The Emmy-winning "The Office" continues 9-9:30 p.m. and will be followed by the new comedy "Outsourced" (9:30-10 p.m.). Now NBC's comedy fans get an extra round of laughs when the new, hour-long comedy "Love Bites" debuts at 10-11 p.m. "Parks and Recreation" will return to Thursdays later in the season to give the night more original programming.

Fridays come alive with a fresh mix of reality, news and a new scripted drama as the popular "Who Do You Think You Are?" returns at 8-9 p.m. where it shares the time period with "School Pride" -- a new, proactive and inspiring series about rebuilding a community's schools. "Dateline NBC" continues at 9-10 p.m. with its compelling personal stories. The workweek ends with "Outlaw," a new courtroom drama featuring Emmy winner Jimmy Smits as a former U.S. Supreme Court justice.

The wildly successful "NBC Sunday Night Football" reigns supreme again on Sundays (8:15-11:30 p.m.) preceded by "Football Night in America" (7-8:15 p.m.).

Sundays beginning March 2011, the popular competition series "Minute to Win It" returns (8-9 p.m.) followed by "The Celebrity Apprentice" (9-11 p.m.)

The new series "The Cape," "Friends With Benefits," "Perfect Couples," "Harry's Law" and "The Paul Reiser Show" will premiere later in the season along with a new version of "The Apprentice" "The Marriage Ref" and the new series "America's Next Great Restaurant" -- starring acclaimed celebrity chef/restaurateur Bobby Flay.


NBC FALL 2010 SCHEDULE *New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. - “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. - “THE EVENT”
10-11 p.m. - “CHASE”

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. - “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. - “Parenthood”

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - “UNDERCOVERS”
9-10 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. - “LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES”

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. - “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. - “30 Rock”
9-9:30 p.m. - “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. - “OUTSOURCED”
10-11 p.m. - “LOVE BITES”

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - “Who Do You Think You Are?”/”SCHOOL PRIDE”
9-10 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
10-11 p.m. - “OUTLAW”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. - "Football Night in America"
8:15-11:30 p.m. - "NBC Sunday Night Football"

SUNDAY (beginning March 2011)
7-8 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. - “Minute to Win It”
9-11 p.m. - “The Celebrity Apprentice”


2010-11 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

New Dramas

‘THE EVENT’ -- "The Event" is an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, "The Class"), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila (Sarah Roemer, "Disturbia"), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean's quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, "Dirty Sexy Money"); Sophia (Emmy Award nominee Laura Innes, "ER"), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean’s shadowy father-in-law (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls"). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind. Ian Anthony Dale ("Daybreak") and Emmy winner Željko Ivanek (“Damages”) also star in the ensemble drama. “The Event” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Steve Stark Productions. Stark (“Medium,” “Facing Kate”) serves as executive producer, Nick Wauters ("The 4400," "Eureka") is creator/co-executive producer and Jeffrey Reiner (“Friday Night Lights,” “Trauma”) is the director/executive producer; Evan Katz (“24”) also is an executive producer. http://www.nbc.com/the-event/

‘UNDERCOVERS’ – Acclaimed writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek," "Fringe," "Lost," "Alias") serves as co-writer, executive producer – and also directs – his first direction of a TV series pilot since “Lost” in “Undercovers” with executive producer/writer Josh Reims (“Brothers and Sisters”). “Undercovers” is a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world's most dangerous partnership. Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Soul Food,” "Resident Evil: Afterlife") and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Doctor Who,” “Bonekickers”), are a typical married couple who own a small catering company in Los Angeles and are helped by Samantha’s easily frazzled younger sister, Lizzy (Jessica Parker Kennedy, “Smallville”). Secretly, the duo were two of the CIA’s best spies until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired. When fellow spy and friend Nash (Carter MacIntyre, "American Heiress") goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, "Deadwood") to locate and rescue Nash. The pair is thrust back into the world of espionage as they follow leads that span the globe -- and Steven and Samantha realize that this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides the excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing. Also starring is Ben Schwartz (NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”). "Undercovers" is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was written by J.J. Abrams & Josh Reims and directed by Abrams. Abrams, Reims and Bryan Burk ("Fringe," "Lost, "Alias") are the executive producers. http://www.nbc.com/undercovers/

‘THE CAPE’ – "The Cape" is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons ("ER") as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, "Life on Mars") and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, "Flash Forward"). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes "The Cape" his son's favorite comic book superhero -- and takes the law into his own hands. Rounding out the cast are James Frain ("The Tudors") as billionaire Peter Fleming -- The Cape's nemesis -- who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David ("Death at a Funeral") as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape, Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday. "The Cape" is a Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun production from executive producer/creator Thomas Wheeler (“Empire”), executive producer/director Simon West (“Con Air”), the executive producing team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun (NBC’s “Mercy), and executive producer Gene Stein (“Accidentally on Purpose”). http://www.nbc.com/the-cape/

‘CHASE’ – “Chase” is a fast-paced drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” films) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish (“Past Life”) stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run. Cole Hauser (“K-Ville”), Amaury Nolasco (“Prison Break”), Rose Rollins ("The L Word”) and Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives”) also star as members of Frost’s elite team. “Chase” is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” "Cold Case”) and Johnson serve as executive producers, while KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. David Nutter (“The Mentalist,” “Without a Trace” “The X-Files”) directed and is executive producer of the pilot that was written by Johnson. http://www.nbc.com/chase/

‘OUTLAW’ -- Starring Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "The West Wing"), "Outlaw" is a new drama from executive producer John Eisendrath ("Alias," "Felicity," "Playmakers"). Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a U.S. Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position. A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed. Now that he’s quit the bench and returned to private practice, he’s determined to represent “the little guy” and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today’s biggest legal cases -- and he's making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way. Jesse Bradford ("The West Wing"), Carly Pope ("24"), Ellen Woglom ("Californication") and David Ramsey ("Dexter") also star. “Outlaw” is a Universal Media Studios production along with Conaco productions. Eisendrath is executive producer along with Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda," "Reservation Road"), Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger ("Andy Barker, P.I."). "Outlaw" is written by Eisendrath and directed by George. http://www.nbc.com/outlaw/

‘HARRY’S LAW’ – Emmy Award-winning creator David E. Kelley (“The Practice,” “Boston Legal”) brings his unique storytelling to “Harry’s Law,” a series about fate and the people it brings together, starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “About Schmidt”). Harriet (Bates), Matthew (Ben Chaplin, “Me and Orson Wells”) and Malcolm (Aml Ameen, “Kidulthood”) couldn’t be any more different. Harriet is a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer who, having just been fired from her cushy job, is completely disillusioned with her success and looking for a fresh start. Her world unexpectedly collides with Malcolm’s -- a young man trying to figure out life. When he finds out Harriet is a lawyer, he begs her to represent him in an upcoming criminal case. Matthew, a dreamer at heart and also recently fired from his job as a high school teacher, is introduced to Harriet through Malcolm, a previous student of his. When these three cross paths, they realize they’re all looking for a fresh start. Now, the most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places--a rundown shoe store. “Harry’s Law” also stars Brittany Snow (“Hairspray”) as Harriet’s assistant, Jenna Backstrom and Beatrice Rosen (“Dark Knight”) as Eve, a high school French teacher. “Harry’s Law” is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television. David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice”) and Bill D’Elia (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice”) serve as executive producers. D’Elia also is the director. http://www.nbc.com/harrys-law/

‘LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES’ – The new “Law & Order: Los Angeles” is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters “(“Brotherhood”), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing. http://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-los-angeles


New Comedy Series

‘PERFECT COUPLES’ -- “Perfect Couples” depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship -- and how to maintain it through humorous trial-and-error. The series explores their heroic journey in search of the perfect relationship without destroying each other in the process. Dave (Kyle Howard, “My Boys”) and Julia (Christine Woods, “Flash Forward”) are the relatable, normal couple, but Julia's hope of remaining the cool, low-maintenance chick is tested by Dave’s attempts to keep both his wife and his needy best friend Vance (David Walton, “Heist”) equally happy. Vance, along with the neurotic Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), are the high-passion, high-drama couple who bring out the best and worst in each other. The third duo features Rex (Hayes MacArthur, “She’s Out of My League”), a reformed party guy, and, and his wife, Leigh (Olivia Munn, “Attack of the Show”), who considers herself as the group’s mother hen. Believing that they are relationship experts, Rex and Leigh have attended every class and seminar on relationships -- and regard themselves as the “perfect couple.” Jon Pollack (“30 Rock”) and Scott Silveri (“Friends”) are the executive producers while Andy Ackerman (“Seinfeld,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) is the director. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios. http://www.nbc.com/perfect-couples/

‘OUTSOURCED’ – “Outsourced” is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon -- and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway's “The Gingerbread House”) is the new company’s manager who learns that he’s being transferred to India to run the operation. Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji (“Privileged”), Sacha Dhawan (BBC’s “Five Days II”), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC’s “Doctors”), Parvesh Cheena (“Help Me Help You”), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway’s “Bombay Dreams”) also star as members of Dempsy’s off-shore team; Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) and Jessica Gower (Network Ten’s “The Secret Life of Us”) additionally star. “Outsourced” is produced by Universal Media Studios. Robert Borden (“The Drew Carey Show” and “George Lopez”) is executive producer/writer. Ken Kwapis (“The Office”) developed the project through his company, In Cahoots, and serves as executive producer/director. Alex Beattie serves as co-executive producer. http://www.nbc.com/outsourced/

‘THE PAUL REISER SHOW’ -- “The Paul Reiser Show” is a new single camera comedy from Emmy and Golden Globe nominated comedian-author-producer-actor Paul Reiser (“Mad About You”) and writer-producer Jonathan Shapiro (“Life”). The show stars Paul Reiser as…Paul Reiser. It's been a few years since Paul's hit TV series went off the air. Since then, he's been enjoying the quiet life at home with his lovely wife and kids and generally minding his own business. Lately, however, Paul has been thinking that it's time he did something new, something meaningful. As to what that next thing might be, he has no idea. In his quest to figure it out, Paul is helped and hindered by his new "friends." Like most men his age, Paul didn't choose these friends. They're the husbands of his wife's friends, the dads of kids that his boys go to school with. Thrown together by circumstance, Paul and his friends form an unlikely comradeship -- and a horrible basketball team. In addition to Reiser, Ben Shenkman (“Angels in America”) stars as Jonathan, Omid Djalili (“The Infidel”) as Habib, Duane Martin (“All of Us”) as Fernando, Andrew Daly (“MADtv”) as Brad, Amy Landecker (“A Serious Man”) as Claire, Brock Waidmann as Zeke and Koby Rouviere (“Greenberg”) as Gabe. The pilot is executive produced and written by Reiser and Shapiro, produced by Craig Knizek (“Mad About You”), Merri Howard (“Cold Case”) and Peter Safran (“Heist”), and directed by Bryan Gordon (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”). “The Paul Reiser Show” is a production of Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Nuance Productions and Warner Bros. Television. http://www.nbc.com/the-paul-resier-show/

‘FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS’ -- From Oscar and Emmy winner Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Arrested Development”), “Friends With Benefits” is a half-hour comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating. Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen, “Party Down”) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris, “One Tree Hill”), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz, “Dollhouse”), a romantic at heart, doesn’t approve of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed Kesler) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas, “Cloverfield”), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations. David Nevins (“Lie to Me,” “Arrested Development”) joins Grazer as executive producer for Imagine Television. Also serving as executive producers are David Dobkin (“Wedding Crashers”), who directs the pilot, writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (“(500) Days of Summer”), and Jeff Kleeman. “Friends With Benefits” is a production of 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Big Kid Pictures. http://www.nbc.com/friends-with-benefits/


New One-Hour Comedy Series

‘LOVE BITES’ – From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Cindy Chupack (“Sex and the City”), “Love Bites” is an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each episode contains multiple vignettes, all illuminating the theme of love with an edgy, irreverent spin. Becki Newton (“Ugly Betty”) stars as Annie and Jordana Spiro (“My Boys”) stars as Frannie, the last two single girls standing after all of their friends get married. Annie is an infectiously bubbly optimist and Frannie is an always-a-bridesmaid realist. Their story will anchor the series, while other romantically-challenged characters will come and go each week. The pilot's guest cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt (“Ghost Whisperer”), Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”), Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Jason Lewis (“Sex and the City”), Lindsay Price (“Lipstick Jungle”), Larry Wilmore (“The Daily Show”), Charlyne Yi (“Knocked Up”), Pamela Adlon (“Californication”), Stacy Galina (“Hidden Hills”), Brian Hallisay (“Privileged”), Kyle Howard (“My Boys”) and Steve Howey (“Bride Wars”). “Love Bites” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Working Title Television, which is a new division of Working Title Films (the U.K. production company behind box office hits including “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones's Diary” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”). Chupack is creator, executive producer and writer. Emmy Award-winning producer-director Marc Buckland (“My Name Is Earl”) also is executive producer and directs the pilot. Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Shelley McCrory from Working Title Television are executive producers. “Love Bites” is Working Title Television’s first U.S. commission. http://www.nbc.com/love-bites/


New Alternative Series

‘SCHOOL PRIDE’ – From executive producers Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") and Denise Cramsey ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "True Beauty"), “School Pride" is a proactive, alternative series that tells the stories of communities coming together to renovate their aging and broken public schools. While transforming the school, the community also restores its sense of value and school pride. The cameras follow students, teachers and parents as they roll up their sleeves and rebuild their own schools, concluding with the unveiling of a brand new, completely transformed school. They are motivated by a quartet of community organizers and personalities -- SWAT Commander Tom Stroup, interior designer Susie Castillo (“House of Payne”), comedian and former substitute teacher Kym Whitley (“Til Death”) and political correspondent Jacob Soboroff ("AMC News”). Together, the team of experts will lead the community through the makeover process. Months later, cameras will revisit the school to discover the lasting effects of the transformation -- a renewed sense of school pride and an increase in student achievement scores. "School Pride" is produced by Horizon Alternative Television. http://www.nbc.com/school-pride/

[tbswatcher]

Okay I guess I'll be watching NBC only on Monday from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. Chuck is one of my favorite shows and The Event sounds pretty cool.

[benjamoon]

My thoughts:

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. - “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. - “THE EVENT”
10-11 p.m. - “CHASE”
--- NBC needed a revamp on this night and they succeed from 9-11. "Chuck" is still a weak start to the night... I'm kinda surprised it was left in such a high profile time slot to start off the fall. Out of the two new shows, I think "Chase" has a better chance of survival as "The Event" sounds a bit too high concept to me. It will probably have a big draw initially that will be hard to sustain whereas "Chase" sounds like a good 10pm show that can compete with "Castle" and "CSI: Miami" or a new CBS drama. My biggest concern for this night is that these male-oriented shows are competing with "Monday Night Football" in the fall.

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. - “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. - “Parenthood”
--- Just as I predicted, they leave Tuesday in tact. I do agree that they could have tried a comedy at 9:30pm because I don't think "Parenthood" depends too much on its lead-in. Expect more of the same from these two shows but NBC had so many holes to fill and this night was relatively stable

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - “UNDERCOVERS”
9-10 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. - “LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES”
--- Not a fan of the moves here at all. I'm OK with "Undercovers" at 8pm - it sounds like a fun 8pm drama - but I really don't like SVU moving to 9pm especially in favor of LOLA. "SVU" was dying a quick death at 9pm Wednesdays in the fall, especially against CBS powerhouse "Criminal Minds" but it's shown some signs of life after moving back to 10pm following the Jay Leno debacle. Now it's back to 9pm which I think will weaken both SVU and the 10pm hour because I don't think people are in the mood for more L&O even if its in a new city. Probably the worst scheduled night.

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. - “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. - “30 Rock”
9-9:30 p.m. - “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. - “OUTSOURCED”
10-11 p.m. - “LOVE BITES”
--- Exactly as I predicted, although I don't love everything about it. I DO love "30 Rock" finally getting out of the 9:30 slot that it has done nothing with for years. I also like "Love Bites" at 10pm - it makes sense for me to keep things lighthearted and in an unconventional way. "Love Bites" could be the answer for NBC in this timeslot. What I do not like is "Outsourced" - although I predicted that it would get this slot, I think it sounds TERRIBLE. It seems destined to have a niche audience much smaller than NBC's already low rated shows on this night and I think some will find the concept offensive. The question here is when "Outsourced" crashes and burns (which I think it will), what happens to 9:30pm? Does "Parks & Rec" come there? Or a new comedy? Or does "30 Rock" move back?

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - “Who Do You Think You Are?”/”SCHOOL PRIDE”
9-10 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
10-11 p.m. - “OUTLAW”
--- "Who Do You Think You Are" did decently here and "Dateline" is a staple. I am all for scripted programming on Fridays but "Outlaw" will probably die a quick death. It doesn't sound compelling enough to make anyone want to stay home on a Friday night and watch. I predict "Outlaw" will be one of the first casualties for next season. I would have put "Minute to Win It" somewhere here and kept Sundays open in midseason. "School Pride" actually sounds more like a companion for WDYTYA than a replacement but oh well. It will probably do decently for a Friday night reality show standard.

SATURDAY
Encore programming
--- I would love to see networks try on Saturdays again but that sounds like a job for CBS, NBC has more pressing needs

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. - "Football Night in America"
8:15-11:30 p.m. - "NBC Sunday Night Football"
--- Of course, I am READY for the 2010 Football Season! Why is it still months away?

SUNDAY (beginning March 2011)
7-8 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. - “Minute to Win It”
9-11 p.m. - “The Celebrity Apprentice”
--- What is the plan for Jan & Feb? Anyway, why does "Apprentice" have to be 2 hours? I wish NBC would try something a little more bold here.

MIDSEASON SHOWS
--- "The Cape" doesn't sound amazing, I am not interested in yet another David E. Kelley legal drama but I hear Kathy Bates is good in this one. "Perfect Couples" sounds promising - sort of a singles version of "Modern Family." I love Paul Reiser but his self titled show only sounds ok. I'll give it a chance just because of him though. "Friends with Benefits" could go either way, but it sounds a little close to "Friends" just in single camera form. NBC must be thinking about another comedy hour somewhere with three new comedies and "Parks & Rec" on deck.

TO SUM UP (my opinion):

At least they tried with Mondays, we'll see how the new shows do. Tuesdays are good except I would try a comedy at 9:30. Wednesdays are poorly thought out, Thursdays are good except I would try a different new comedy at 9:30, Fridays are ok but "Outlaw" will die quickly. Saturdays and Sundays to be expected

Best Chance for Success: Undercovers, Chase, Love Bites
Most Likely to Fail: Outsourced, Outlaw
Most Appealing New Drama: Undercovers
Most Appealing New Comedy: Perfect Couples

[Mr. Television]

The Event, Chase and Undercovers sound like good shows. I don't know if the Event or Chase will make it though. Two new shows smack in the middle of ABC and CBS's hit prime-time lineups. And men will be watching MNF. If I plan to watch them, I'll have to use my DVR. I'm very glad Chuck is back but it won't do anything on Mondays at 8. As for SVU, I'm about ready to quit watching it. It was a chore trying to catch it opposite Criminal Minds and Modern Family. I still have about 4 episodes I haven't watched yet.

[benjamoon]

Just caught some sneak peeks of the pilots on spoilertv.com... "Undercovers" looks GREAT, "Love Bites" looks like it could be funny, "Outlaw" was surprisingly interesting, "Outsourced" looks as bad as I thought it would be, nothing too special about "Chase," "The Event," and "Harry's Law"

of course its hard to judge on a minute or two of footage but those were my first impressions

[mgsports]

Good one but Saturday's shouldn't be repeats.

[Pavan]

I think I said it on Twitter, but NBC messed up again. But expected. The predicted schedule I did would have made more sense. Chuck leading into two new dramas on Monday is terrible, especially with MNF opposite those male-skewing dramas. I guess leaving Parenthood on Tuesdays at 10 was fine. I like the Undercovers scheduling and I think it could work depending on what Fox/CBS/ABC do, but then two hours of Law & Order is idiotic. LOLA would have been better for Friday. And I said it on the blog prediction last week, the Thursday 8pm hour needs new blood (something more broad like Perfect Couples or Friends with Benefits) and they go with 30 Rock in an earlier slot? Love Bites is a one-hour comedy, so on paper it makes sense at 10 after comedies--but it is not going after the same audience as the 8-10pm comedies. As of now, my first bet for cancelation is Love Bites. Fridays is fine, older skewing stuff.

[Cactus Jack]

The rest sound good though, Ill check em out like I usually do LOL

The Strip sounded awesome,but maybe people didnt like the pilot , which sucks