« NBC cancels 'Earl' and 'Medium'; CBS axes 'Unit' | Main | Video: 'Flash Forward' clip »


May 19, 2009

NBC's fall schedule; 'Heroes' moved

Trauma NBC on Tuesday presented a 2009-10 schedule that included a new shared time-period strategy as well as two high-profile cancellations that sparked controversy.

With "The Jay Leno Show" occupying the 10 p.m. hour five nights a week, all eyes were on how NBC would manage to reconfigure the rest of its returning lineup and new shows into a tighter schedule.

The answer is having more series than ever share time periods, with the shows’ half-season runs separated by the network's coverage of the Winter Olympics.

The strategy involves abbreviated orders and will allow for fewer repeats, though if serialized shows are given longer hiatuses to make way for new content, it could also cause waning in audience interest and ratings erosion. (On the flip side, ABC’s “Lost” is an example that shorter runs for serialized drama could still work.)

"NBC has picked up more scripted shows than last season even with 'The Jay Leno Show' at 10 p.m.," NBC co-chair Ben Silverman said, singling out two of the network’s new series, drama “Parenthood” and comedy “Community.”

To make room for the new crop, NBC canceled two long-running series, comedy “My Name Is Earl” and drama “Medium,” while officially renewing veteran “Law & Order” and sophomore “Chuck.”

The dismissal of “Earl” and “Medium,” accompanied by Silverman’s comments that each of them was "an aging franchise, without a single fan letter, with no passion," didn’t sit well with the producers of both series.

CBS Studios, which is behind “Medium,” came out with a sternly worded statement.

“NBC’s cancellation of ‘Medium’ is inexplicable to us,” the statement said. “The ratings don’t lie: ‘Medium’ outperforms many of NBC’s renewed shows... We believe the show has a significant future and await developments.”

Those developments are said to involve a pickup by sister network CBS, which is awaiting “Medium’”s official release from NBC that would come by end of day Wednesday.

Meanwhile, “Earl” creator Greg Garcia didn’t spare harsh words for NBC either, telling The Los Angeles Times: “It’s hard to be too upset about being thrown off the Titanic.”

“Earl” producer 20th TV is in talks with Fox and ABC about a potential pickup for the four-year-old series.
On NBC next season, Mondays held the most dramatic change and the most series turnover.

"Heroes" will shift from its signature 9 p.m. spot to 8 p.m. to help launch medical action-drama "Trauma."
"Heroes" is also operating with a shortened order next season, 19 episodes, and will run only in the fall, making room for "Chuck" in midseason, back from the brink with a 13-episode pickup backed by Subway.

After inadvertently becoming part of fans’ save “Chuck campaign, the fast-food chain has come on board as a sponsor for the series next season. Meanwhile, apocalyptic thriller "Day One" will take over for "Trauma" after the Olympics.

Campbell Mithun’s John Rash liked the slot sharing. “Any innovation that reduces repeats is audience and advertiser friendly,” he said.

On Tuesdays, NBC decided to keep "Biggest Loser" at two hours.

That means that three nets, NBC, ABC (”Shark Tank,” “Dancing with the Stars” results) and Fox (”So You think You Can Dance”) will air unscripted fare from 8-10 p.m., leaving CBS (and the CW) as the scripted alternative.

Wednesdays, where the network has really struggled this season, NBC plans new dramedy "Parenthood" ("Mercy" in midseason) leading into "Law & Order: SVU."

Thursdays keeps "Parks & Recreation" at 8:30 and "The Office" at nine, but other two comedy block slots will see some shifting. The network will start the fall leading off with "Saturday Night Live" specials at 8 p.m. for several weeks with new comedy "Community" at 9:30 p.m., then shift "30 Rock" into its usual 9:30 slot and put "Community" to the test as the night’s new anchor at 8 p.m.

On Fridays the record-tying 20th season of "Law & Order" will be followed by the return of "Southland," whose ratings started solid and have since declined on Thursday nights. The network has ordered 16 episodes from “L&O” but said may extend the order to 22.

Returning shows in BLACK

Returning shows in new time periods in BLUE

New shows in RED

** All other entries are from last year or current best-guess SPECULATION **

SUNDAY

8-9

9-10


10-11

Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition

 

Desperate Housewives
 
Brothers & Sisters
Amazing Race Cold Case
 

 
Football Night
in America

 
Sunday Night Football
 
Simpsons
 
Cleveland /
 Sons of Tucson
Family Guy
 
American Dad /
Cleveland
 
No programming
MONDAY

8-9
 
9-10


10-11

Dancing with the Stars
 
Castle
Big Bang Theory

How I Met
Your Mother

 
Two and a Half Men
 

CSI: Miami
 
Heroes / Chuck

Trauma / Day One

Jay Leno Show

House
Lie to Me / 24
No programming
Gossip Girl
 
One Tree Hill
No programming

TUESDAY

8-9
 
9-10


10-11

Shark Tank
 
Dancing with the
Stars (results)

 
The Forgotten
NCIS
 

 
Mentalist
 
Biggest Loser
 
Jay Leno Show
 
So You Think You Can Dance /
American Idol  ... Past Life

No programming
90210
 
Melrose Place
 
No programming

WEDNESDAY

8-9
 
9-10


10-11


Hank

Middle

Modern Family

Cougar Town

Eastwick
NCIS spinoff

 

 
Parenthood / Mercy

Law & Order: SVU

Jay Leno Show
 
So You Think You
Can Dance (results)
/
American Idol
Glee / Human Target

No programming
America's Next Top Model
 
 
No programming

THURSDAY
8-9


9-10



10-11

 
Flash Forward Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
Survivor
CSI: Crime Scene
 Investigation


SNL special / Community
Parks and Recreation
The Office
Community
/ 30 Rock
Jay Leno Show
Bones
Fringe

No programming
Smallville
Supernatural
No programming


FRIDAY

8-9
 
9-10


10-11

Supernanny
Ugly Betty
20/20
Ghost Whisperer

Numbers
Law & Order
Southland
Jay Leno Show
Brothers
Til Death
 Dollhouse No programming


No programming

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451d69069e201156fa0c3a0970c

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference NBC's fall schedule; 'Heroes' moved:










Sign up for The Live Feed daily email newsletter:

If you wish to only receive the morning ratings, get the Hollywood Reporter's ratings alert.
Follow us on Twitter;
Subscribe using RSS.
New: The Live Feed mobile-friendly version.
Get headlines delivered to your Google or Yahoo homepage:
 Add to Google Reader or Homepage





Ain't It Cool News - Coaxial
Deadline Hollywood Daily
Drudge Report
Fancast
Fark: Showbiz
Gawker
Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Wiretap
Huffington Post
Just Jared
Lisa de Moraes
Michael Ausiello
NielsenWire
NY Post: Vulture
Perez Hilton
Pop Candy
Reality Blurred
Television Without Pity
Televisionary
The Futon Critic
The Wrap
THR BLOGS: Heat Vision Blog
THR BLOGS: Hollywood Reporter Pilot Log
THR BLOGS: Risky Business
THR BLOGS: Buzz
THR BLOGS: THR, Esq.
Tim Goodman: The Bastard Machine
Time's Tuned In
TV Barn
TV by the Numbers
TV Decoder
TV Squad
TV Tattle
TV Tracker
Warming Glow

The Hollywood Reporter is Your Complete Film Resource

The columnists and bloggers who write for The Hollywood Reporter have their collective finger on the pulse of the boxoffice. From Martin Grove and the rest, THR columnists deliver their thoughts on the film industry in an uncompromised style. Subscribe to THR today and get the latest views from these film experts and get the latest movie reviews as well.