July 21, 2008
The NBC executive session at the TCA press tour featured many scheduling announcements. Jay Leno's final episode of The Tonight Show will be Friday, May 29, 2009 and Conan O'Brien will take over the following Monday, June 1. Conan will be stopping his current show in early 2009 and Jimmy Fallon will take over in either March or April, following a virtual preview of the show that will exist online prior to its network premiere.
The other big story was Amy Poehler's role on the new show from The Office writers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur which is officially NOT an Office spin-off. Though Daniels is also developing a spin-off that would include characters currently on The Office, the Amy Poehler show will be tonally similar but has no direct connection to The Office.
May 23, 2008
Today NBC announced a more detailed schedule for its Fall premieres, including a few changes. The Molly Shannon/Selma Blair sitcom Kath and Kim will move from Tuesdays to Thursdays, leaving room for The Biggest Loser to gain 30 extra minutes. Also, the new series America's Toughest Jobs from the producers of Ice Road Truckers, will premiere this Fall as opposed to next Summer, which NBC originally planned.
Additionally, NBC announced premiere dates for all of its shows. Heroes is returning one week later than previously announced and 30 Rock fans will undoubtedly be upset, and with good reason. Read on to see the new NBC Fall 2008 schedule and premiere dates.
February 14, 2008
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While the future of some NBC shows, such as Friday Night Lights, remains a mystery, today the network announced it will be renewing three of its most popular dramas for next season. Life and Chuck will return to the network with at least 13 more episodes in the fall, and they'll be joined by the third season of Heroes. However, the really great news for fans is that the super powered series will be returning with more than 22 episodes, which should make up for the truncated run of season 2. It's unknown just how many episodes Heroes will produce, but they should begin airing sometime this fall.
December 12, 2007
Life's Ted Earley may have spent some time in a maximum security prison for insider trading, but this doesn't necessarily mean he's a hardened criminal. Even Adam Arkin, the actor who has brought life to the to the ex-con, is quick to withhold judgment against his character.
“He was not anybody with overt criminal intentions ever,” Arkin explained. “He was a guy that was seduced by his own ability to play with numbers and play with money.”
December 5, 2007
While having good looks is a top priority for many Hollywood stars, the same cannot be said for Life actress Sarah Shahi, whose model-esque beauty made it hard for the actress to land roles in several productions.
"It's something I always wanted, and it would always come down to something… They would always say, 'She's too pretty. Nobody would buy her as a small-town waitress,'” Shahi told the New York Daily News.
November 28, 2007
Adam Arkin's duties on NBC's Life go beyond playing a convicted felon.
Apparently, the 50-year-old actor is also expected to direct a couple of episodes of the new drama series, with the first from the initial set of 13, and the other from the remaining nine that NBC has just picked up.
November 27, 2007
In a move that may say something about the state of writers' strike, NBC has picked up freshman hour-longs Chuck and Life for the full season. Both shows previously only had orders for thirteen episodes, but yesterday NBC added nine more to fill out the entire 22 episode season. NBC premiered four new hour long scripted series this Fall, and it now appears that Chuck and Life will be the only season-long survivors. Bionic Woman may be done for good after the strike ends. The hyped up series has disappointed both creatively and in the ratings. Journeyman, which has resonated with its audience, has taken a weekly beating in the ratings and is currently burning off its final episodes.
November 21, 2007
NBC's Life features a lead character, Charlie Crews, who, despite having been wrongfully imprisoned for more than a decade, has managed to go back to the world with much joy and hope. Apparently, it was this unexpected optimism that drew series actor Damian Lewis to the role.
“I thought it was an interesting point to start out from… having such a dark, bleak back story… [to] approaching life with such optimism and joy, a sense of every moment being lived intensely and fully,” Lewis told Boston Now. “I enjoyed the contradiction there, I enjoyed that he had found an antidote to his experience. He could be bitter, he could be vengeful, but he's not, he chooses to be open and enthusiastic.”