NBC revealed its new 2009-10 shows a couple of weeks ago, but today the network announced when—at least for now—they’ll be running. Along with the return of Chuck, NBC is bringing back Law & Order to continue its marathon run. And between the Winter Olympics and The Jay Leno Show, fitting in its programming will involve a lot of rotating series in and out of time slots. So read carefully:
NBC ANNOUNCES 2009-2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE BOLSTERED BY MORE ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING THAN EVER BEFORE
Shared Time Period Strategy Around NBC’s Broadcast of 2010 Winter Olympics Along with Jay Leno at 10 p.m. Enables Network to Broadcast Original Programming Year-Round
Network Renews Returning Series “Law & Order” and “Chuck”
NEW YORK CITY — May 19, 2009 ˆ NBC announced today its 2009-2010 schedule featuring more original programming than ever before and a shared time-period strategy around NBC’s Olympics platform that, along with “The Jay Leno Show” (Mondays-Fridays 10-11 p.m. ET), allows the network to broadcast all-new content year-round.
In addition, NBC issued renewals to “Law & Order” and “Chuck” (see accompanying release) as part of its strong slate of new and returning shows announced recently at the network’s highly successful Infront.
[Executive quotes redacted. Apparently they are pleased with this formidable, formidable new schedule.]
NBC’s shared time period strategy will kick off this fall on Mondays with the premiere of “Heroes” (8-9 p.m. ET) continuing with all originals before “Chuck” assumes the time period after the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which will be a powerful launching platform with its broad, female appeal and strong ratings as the most-watched event of the year. Using “NBC Sunday Night Football’s” potent promotional platform, the new high-octane drama “Trauma” will debut Mondays (9-10 p.m. ET) with the epic event series “Day One” taking over the time period following the Olympics.
NBC’s successful “The Biggest Loser” series continues Tuesdays (8-10 p.m.) and will help launch the new Wednesday lineup this fall, with the new family drama “Parenthood” debuting (8-9 p.m. ET) and the new hospital drama “Mercy” assuming the time period post-Olympics. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will air 9-10 p.m. ET following “Parenthood.”
NBC’s Thursday marquee comedy night will begin with the only live comedy between 8-10 p.m. on any network, “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday” (8-8:30 p.m. ET), followed by “Parks and Recreation” (8:30-9 p.m. ET), “The Office” (9-9:30 p.m. ET) and the new comedy “Community” (9:30-10 p.m. ET). After “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday” completes its multi-week run, “Community” will move to 8 p.m. and “30 Rock” will debut at 9:30 p.m., enabling NBC to feature more original comedy than ever before.
On Fridays in the fall, the enduring drama “Law & Order” will return for its record 20th season (tying “Gunsmoke” as the longest running drama series in primetime) and will lead off at 8-9 p.m. (ET) while “Southland” follows at 9-10 p.m. (ET), building a great crime block.
Saturdays will be a showcase for “Dateline NBC” (8-9 p.m. ET) and encore episodes of “Trauma” (9-10 p.m. ET) and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10-11 p.m. ET).
“Football Night in America” (7-8:20 p.m. ET) and ” NBC Sunday Night Football” (8:20-11 p.m. ET) ˆ the number one show of the fall — will return on Sundays in the fall with a fan-pleasing schedule of games to round out the fall season.
Utilizing the compatible demographics provided by the Olympics, NBC will launch the premieres of “The Marriage Ref” from executive producers Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen Rakieten (“Oprah”) on Sundays (8-9 p.m. ET) and the third season premiere of “The Celebrity Apprentice” on Sundays with two-hour editions (9-11 p.m. ET). In addition, the new comedy “100 Questions” will debut on Tuesdays (9:30-10 p.m. ET) following a 90-minute edition of “The Biggest Loser” (8-9:30 p.m. ET).
And coming in the summer 2010, NBC will telecast all original episodes of “The Jay Leno Show,” “Friday Night Lights,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Breakthrough with Tony Robbins,” “Dateline NBC,” with additional programs to be announced later.
NBC FALL 2009 SCHEDULE
*New programs in UPPER CASEMONDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “Heroes”
9-10 p.m.-“TRAUMA”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. ˆ “The Biggest Loser” (two-hour edition)
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “PARENTHOOD”
9-10 p.m. ˆ “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. ˆ “SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY” (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. ˆ “Parks and Recreation”
9- 9:30 p.m. ˆ “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. ˆ “COMMUNITY” (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run “30 Rock” returns)
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “Law & Order”
9-10 p.m. ˆ “Southland”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “Dateline NBC”
9-10 p.m. ˆ “TRAUMA” (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. ˆ “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)SUNDAY
7- 8:20 p.m. “Football Night in America”
8:20-11 p.m. “NBC Sunday Night Football”NBC MID-SEASON 2010 SCHEDULE
(2010 WINTER OLYMPICS preempt regularly scheduled programming from February 12-28, 2010)*New programs in UPPER CASE
MONDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “Chuck” (season premiere)
9-10 p.m.-“DAY ONE”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”TUESDAY
8-9:30 p.m. ˆ “The Biggest Loser” (90-minute edition)
9:30-10 p.m. ˆ “100 QUESTIONS”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “MERCY”
9-10 p.m. ˆ “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. ˆ “COMMUNITY”
8:30-9 p.m. ˆ “Parks and Recreation”
9- 9:30 p.m. ˆ “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. ˆ “30 Rock”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “Law & Order”
9-10 p.m. ˆ “Southland”
10-11 p.m. ˆ “THE JAY LENO SHOW”SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. ˆ “Dateline NBC”
9-10 p.m. ˆ “Southland” (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. ˆ “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. ˆ “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. ˆ THE MARRIAGE REF
9-11 p.m. ˆ “The Celebrity Apprentice” (season premiere; two-hour edition)