Friday Night Lights

There's a lot to take in here.  NBC head Ben Silverman held a conference call today regarding NBC's upfronts.  He went over the NBC Fall schedule, the new series that will premiere next season, what NBC's midseason will look like and which shows will return, when they will return and with how many episodes.  NBC's big thing is that this schedule is a 52-week schedule, with staggered premiere dates and very few re-runs.  Ben Silverman claimed that next season, NBC will premiere more series than any other network ever.  That's probably true. 

Big News in Brief:

The Office spin-off is coming to fruition.  The Office show-runner Greg Daniels will head it up and it will combine known Office characters with new ones.  It won't hit the air until everyone signs off on it and is happy with what they've got.

Friday Night Lights will return at mid-season with a 13-episode order. 

Scrubs is not on the schedule, Knight Rider is going to series, and ER will air its final season in a straight 19-episode run beginning in September.  Also, NBC has the Super Bowl rights this year, which they are building much of their schedule around.


Saturday, September 13: The Fall season officially kicks off with the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. 


Mondays:

September 15: Heroes will kick off with a three-hour event.  First hour is a clip show, followed by the two hour season premiere. 

For the rest of the Fall, Mondays will look like this:

8pm: Chuck
9pm: Heroes
10pm: My Own Worst Enemy (new drama starring Christian Slater)

Then, in January until the Super Bowl, Mondays will look like this:

8-9:30pm – American Gladiators
9:30-11pm – Deal or No Deal

Post Super-Bowl:

8pm: Chuck
9pm: Heroes
10pm: The Philanthropist (new drama described as “James Bond meets Robin Hood”)


Tuesdays:

For the Fall:

8pm: The Biggest Loser
9pm: Kath and Kim (Australian import comedy starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair)
10pm: Law and Order: SVU

In mid-season, it looks like the original Law & Order (13 episodes have been ordered) will take over that 10pm slot.


Wednesdays:

8pm: Knight Rider
9pm: Deal or No Deal
10pm: Lipstick Jungle


Thursdays:

For the Fall:

8pm: My Name is Earl
8:30pm: 30 Rock
9pm: The Office
9:30pm: The Office (hour long episodes will air in September) / SNL Election Specials (four will air in October)
10pm: ER

ER will air its 19 episodes through February with no repeats.  After that, The Celebrity Apprentice will take its spot at 10pm. 

As for what will take over in the 9:30 slot after the election, it's yet to be decided.  Perhaps The Office spin-off. 


Fridays:

8pm: Crusoe (it will be a period piece, takes place in London and the island)
9pm: Deal or No Deal
10pm: Life

After the Super Bowl, Deal or No Deal will shift to 8pm, and Friday Night Lights will air its 13 episodes at 9pm. 


Sunday:

NBC Sunday Night Football will air until the Super Bowl.

Post Super Bowl:

8pm: Merlin (new drama)
9pm: Medium
10pm: Kings (starring Ian McShane)


So, there you have it.  It's a pretty intriguing schedule from NBC.  What do you think?


Also Read:
FOX Fall 2008 Schedule
FOX Spring 2009 Schedule
CBS Fall 2008 Schedule
ABC Fall 2008 Schedule
The CW Fall 2008 Schedule



-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)