NBC goes 'traditional' for 2010
Mere months after "The Jay Leno Show" - the future of prime time, remember? - was dispatched, NBC has jumped back into the hour drama business with both feet. In an announcement late Sunday, NBC said the fall 2010 lineup will have four new hours at 10 p.m., and a couple of new ones elsewhere.
All in all, you might choose to call this a "traditional" schedule, and for a TV industry just now emerging from a crippling recession, labor wars, and a sense that network TV was down and pretty much out, the word "traditional" never sounded sweeter.
Indeed, the past has intruded aggressively into NBC's future, with new shows starring Paul Reiser (a midseason entry) and Jimmy Smits on tap, as well as a new drama by David Kelley, also midseason. This could be a schedule for 1990 - except my calender says "2010."
Not that there's anything wrong with that. Pressed about NBC's doleful ruminations last year that the network TV "model was broken," and that networks had to create bizarre iterations - Jay at 10! - just to survive, NBCU entertainment boss Jeff Gaspin said Sunday the TV recession was effectively over, and the ad market was surging. Yippee!!
In other news, Amy Poehler's "Parks & Recreation" was pushed to midseason; "Law & Order" could get a movie or "special event" to wrap matters up, per execs; and "The Office" is preparing for a possible Steve Carell exit.
Here's the lineup:
MONDAY: "Chuck" (8); "The Event" (9), Jason Ritter/Laura Innes conspiracy; "Chase" (10), Jerry Bruckheimer thriller/U.S. marshals hunting criminals.
TUESDAY: "The Biggest Loser" (8); "Parenthood' (10)
WEDNESDAY: "Undercovers," J.J. Abrams thriller about husband/wife spy team, with Boris Kodjoe and Brit actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw; "Law & Order: SVU" (9); "Law & Order: Los Angeles" (10), the new spinoff.
THURSDAY: "Community" (8); "30 Rock" (8:30); "The Office" (9); "Outsourced" (9:30), based on flick, about guy who goes to India to train his replacement; "Love Bites," romantic comedy anthology with Jordana Spiro, Becki Newton, others.
FRIDAY: "Who Do You Think You Are" (8); "Dateline NBC" (9); "Outlaw," with Smits, as U.S. Supreme Court justice who quits to rep "the little guy."
SATURDAY: Repeats
SUNDAY: Football
