NBC in 2007-08:
Five New Fall Series, Changes on Five Nights of the Week

NBC, the first network to officially unveil its 2006-07 prime time line-up, will introduce five new series this fall. There are four dramas (Journeyman, Chuck, The Bionic Woman and Life) and a musical reality/competition called The Singing Bee, which will air Friday at 8 p.m. after the returning 1 vs. 100 ends its summer run. Three established series -- 30 Rock, The Office and Friday Night Lights -- will move to new time periods; a second edition of Deal or No Deal will anchor Wednesday; and benched reality/competition The Biggest Loser will move to Tuesday at 8 p.m. NBC, in addition, has one scripted sitcom, The IT Crowd, dramedy The Lipstick Jungle, and a reality/competition called World Moves slated for midseason.

The Peacock net, overall, will make changes on five nights of the week (excluding Saturday, which will remain occupied by Dateline and encore telecasts of its drama series, and Football ignited Sunday). Once football season is over, NBC will kick-off Sunday with Dateline, followed by the returning (and relocated) Law & Order, the returning (and relocated) Medium, and Lipstick Jungle. Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which is not on NBC’s schedule, will move to cable network USA for 22 new episodes. Not returning are Crossing Jordan, The Black Donnellys, Raines, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, game show Identity, and non-scripted The Real Wedding Crashers and Grease: You’re the One That I Want. The future of veteran The Apprentice remains uncertain at press time.

NBC has also ordered 30 new half-hours of The Office (including five hour-long episodes), while increasing the episode order for My Name is Earl to 25. In addition, Jerry Seinfeld will return to NBC in 20 live-action comedy “minisodes,” which will give viewers a glimpse at his behind-the–scenes work on upcoming animated feature Bee Movie. Heroes, meanwhile, will offer an online initiative called Heroes: Origins that will allow viewers to choose a new character.

Here is NBC’s fall 2007 schedule with new shows in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Monday
8:00 p.m. Deal or No Deal
9:00 p.m. Heroes
10:00 p.m. JOUNEYMAN

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (new day)
9:00 p.m. CHUCK
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Deal or No Deal
9:00 p.m. THE BIONIC WOMAN
10:00 p.m. LIFE

Thursday
8:00 p.m. My Name Is Earl
8:30 p.m. 30 Rock (new time)
9:00 p.m. The Office (new time)
9:30 p.m. Scrubs
10:00 p.m. ER

Friday
8:00 p.m. 1 vs. 100 / THE SINGING BEE
9:00 p.m. Las Vegas
10:00 p.m. Friday Night Lights (new day and time)

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Dateline
9:00 p.m. Drama series encores.
10:00 p.m. Drama series encores.

Sunday
7:00 p.m. Football Night in America
8:00 p.m. Sunday Night Football

Sunday After Football Season
7:00 p.m. Dateline
8:00 p.m. Law & Order (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. medium (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. LIPSTICK JUNGLE


New Program Descriptions

Dramas

JOURNEYMAN
A man who has it all -- a loving wife, son and a lucrative career -- takes a complete turn and suddenly finds himself traveling into the past to impact people’s lives, good or bad. While taking this journey, he reconnects with an ex-fiancé, who perished in a mysterious plane crash but can now potentially survive with the knowledge he has. Moon Bloodgood, Reed Diamond, Gretchen Egol, Brian Howe, Kevin McKidd and Charlie Wyson star.

CHUCK
Zachery Levi (Less Than Perfect) plays Chuck, a nerdy computer tech with a database of government secrets downloaded into his brain who inadvertently becomes the government’s most powerful weapon. The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz and director McG are the creators of Chuck.

THE BIONIC WOMAN
In this remake of the original 1976-78 ABC/NBC sci-fi adventure, British actress Michelle Ryan has been cast a Jaime Sommers, a woman who finds a new lease on life when her body parts are replaced with extraordinary artificial parts after a horrific accident. Mel Ferrer (Crossing Jordan) plays the head of the government agency that rebuilt her; Chris Bowers (Rescue Me) is her boyfriend.

LIFE
After an ex-cop (Damian Lewis) who rejoins the force after being wrongfully imprisoned finds challenges and obstacles in a world that has moved on without him.



----------

Comedies

THE IT CROWD (midseason)
Based on the hit British series, two Information Technology geeks (Joel McHale, Richard Ayoade) seek the help of their “cool” new office manager (Jessica St. Clair) to help them get the recognition they are so desperately looking for.

----------

Non-Scripted

THE SINGING BEE
This eight week reality/competition will challenge the contestants to accurately sing along to the lyrics of popular songs – even when the band stops playing.

WORLD MOVES (midseason)
This new talent competition from American Idol host Randy Jackson will feature dance teams from around the world looking to win an international touring contract.

Marc, initial observations? I don't like the scheduling of 3 10pm programs: Friday Night Lights, Life, and Lipstick Jungle.

I can't help but wonder whether Friday Night Lights might do a Boomtown-second-season disappearing act after a few episodes.

I actually expected a more aggressive schedule from a 4th place Network.

I wonder IF FOX or ABC will be aggressive?
We know CBS will not be aggressive. Of course, they are on top, so why should they.

It is not aggressive enough. Very dull.

quote:

Originally posted by mushu_jj:
Marc, initial observations? I don't like the scheduling of 3 10pm programs: Friday Night Lights, Life, and Lipstick Jungle.

My reactions:

New Program Descriptions

Dramas

JOURNEYMAN
[now this one actually looks like it could be good]

CHUCK

[My first reaction was "cancelled by the November sweeps." But then, again, McG's involved, so maybe it'll click.]

THE BIONIC WOMAN
[OK, let's cue up "When Everything Old Is New Again" and start dancing down the steps]

LIFE

[No chance]

----------

Comedies

THE IT CROWD (midseason)

[And I will give it the recognition it is so desperately looking for--at least for a week]
----------

Non-Scripted

THE SINGING BEE

[Awk!]

WORLD MOVES (midseason)
This new talent competition from American Idol host Randy Jackson will feature dance teams from around the world looking to win an international touring contract.

[Yo! Yo! Yo! So check it out, dawgs. Just keepin' it real here. So listen--if you're going to do the "dancing down the steps" routine from "All That Jazz, you gotta bring something new to it. Know what I mean?]

"chuck" sounds intresting, but tuesdays at 9pm against "house", mmm, i don't know

do you know where i can find pictures of these new shows?

Things that pop-out:

Two new shows in a row on Wed

No female slanter at 9pm Tues

Two possible lead-ins, L&O and MEDIUM,
pushed out to what almost looks like
a burn-off Sunday. And then the talked
about LIPSTICK JUNGLE coming out of
said questionable pairing.

Should the above 3 shows start loosening
up their arms in Sep-Oct? That said,
if this is what they're doing, fine,
I hope all the new shows do well, that
will help out everything else.

Still, this schedule looks inefficient.

I am really not liking this schedule, especially the moving of Medium to Sundays and holding it back until mid-season. Didn't they learn ANYTHING this season???? And scheduling it against Desperate Housewives is almost as bad as going against Lost. And with L&O as a lead-in?? Followed by Lipstick Jungle???

Another BRILLIANT programming decision by those GENIUSES at NBC. Give them a hand, everybody.

But seriously, Marc, I'm afraid that holding Medium back until mid-season and putting it on a new night will hurt it even more, just like this season. What do you think?

Bionic Woman was one of my favorite series of the 70's (only ONE Lindsay Wagner, go get those Fembots! )

I think it would have been a better leadout from Heroes compatibility wise. Against well established Criminal Minds and possibly Greys2, and in the spring against AI isn't going to give it much chance for success.

Surely they will come up with a better schedule 10 days from now.

What would you have done, Marc, to make the schedule less "dull"?

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
It is not aggressive enough. Very dull.

quote:

Originally posted by mushu_jj:
Marc, initial observations? I don't like the scheduling of 3 10pm programs: Friday Night Lights, Life, and Lipstick Jungle.

My thoughts:

The lone new comedy on the schedule should be interesting to check out since its geared somewhat to geeks like me. I saw only a handful of original "Bionic Woman" episodes in syndicated reruns - its basically a female version of "The Six Million Dollar Man." And "Friday Night Lights" is actually on Fridays, but I don't think it will draw much of an audience there.

All in all, NBC will stay in fourth place. No ground shaking moves, and still an overdependence on "Deal or No Deal".

I don't recall the original Bionic Woman being a huge hit, but perhaps they will improve on it. I'd give Life a shot - at least once. Journeyman sounds nice on paper, but these time traveler shows seem a bit tired to me. Chuck might have some potential.

The IT Crowd sounds like a FOX reject.

quote:

Originally posted by asiancolossus:
Bionic Woman was one of my favorite series of the 70's (only ONE Lindsay Wagner, go get those Fembots! )

I think it would have been a better leadout from Heroes compatibility wise. Against well established Criminal Minds and possibly Greys2, and in the spring against AI isn't going to give it much chance for success.

I don't recall how it did either, I thought it was top 15, but it was only on for 3 years, two at CBS and one at NBC I think, so not sure if it was Lindsay Wagner who didn't want to do any more or the show wasn't doing great. Maybe Marc can help us out. How did the Bionic Woman do back then?

quote:

Originally posted by xwiseguyx:
I don't recall the original Bionic Woman being a huge hit, but perhaps they will improve on it. I'd give Life a shot - at least once. Journeyman sounds nice on paper, but these time traveler shows seem a bit tired to me. Chuck might have some potential.

The IT Crowd sounds like a FOX reject.

quote:

Originally posted by asiancolossus:
Bionic Woman was one of my favorite series of the 70's (only ONE Lindsay Wagner, go get those Fembots! )

I think it would have been a better leadout from Heroes compatibility wise. Against well established Criminal Minds and possibly Greys2, and in the spring against AI isn't going to give it much chance for success.