NBC mid-season schedule

Richard Dower

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/nbc-unveils-dramatic-midseason-schedule-45440

NBC's midseason schedule has a whole lotta shaking goin' on.
The lineup includes a three-hour Thursday comedy block, four new shows and a couple weaker freshman programs getting second chances in new time periods.

The biggest headline here is NBC once again attempting to re-invent the wheel at 10 p.m., scheduling comedies 30 Rock and Outsourced in an hour normally reserved for drama programs. New series Perfect Couples and the return of Parks & Recreation will fill out the block (see full schedule below).

Also, the network has renewed 30 Rock for another season; the show has averaged a 3.1 rating in the adult demo this fall, according to the most current ratings data.

Though Monday night's freshman procedural drama Chase has been super-soft in the ratings, NBC is going to give the show another chance in midseason in a new time period, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. beginning Jan. 12. Another show having Nielsen trouble to a lesser degree, Law & Order: Los Angeles, will be shifted to Tuesdays at 10 p.m., relieving Parenthood starting Feb. 8. David E. Kelley's latest legal drama, Harry's Law, will take over the 10 p.m. slot on Monday's launching Jan. 17th.

The network's new superhero series The Cape will get a two-hour launch on Sunday, Jan. 9, before moving to its regular time-period in the former Heroes slot on Mondays. The move puts The Event on a hiatus, which will last until March 7.
And Jerry Seinfeld's reality series The Marriage Ref is coming back, airing on Sundays this time at 8 p.m. starting March 6, serving as a lead-in for Celebrity Apprentice.
Here's the schedule, new series are capitalized. Chuck, Biggest Loser, Dateline and The Office -- NBC's most stable shows -- are practically the only programs not being moved or having to share time periods.

MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. – “THE CAPE” will premiere with a two-hour episode on Sunday, January 9 (9-11 p.m.). New episodes start in its regular time period on January 17 (9-10 p.m.) // “The Event” (returns on February 28, 9-11 p.m.; resumes in its regular time slot March 7)
10-11 p.m. – “HARRY’S LAW’ (beginning January 17) // “Parenthood” (debuts in this slot March 7 with all originals)

TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. -- “The Biggest Loser: Couples” (beginning January 4)
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood” (beginning January 4 for four episodes) // “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (beginning February 8)

WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- “Minute to Win It” (beginning January 5)
9-10 p.m. –“Chase” (beginning January 12) // “AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT” (beginning March 16)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (originals beginning January 5 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m. ET)

THURSDAYS (all beginning January 20)
8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. – “PERFECT COUPLES”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
10-10:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”
10:30-11 p.m. – “Outsourced”

FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- “Who Do You Think You Are?” (beginning January 21)
9-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC” (beginning January 7)

SUNDAYS
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “The Marriage Ref” (beginning March 6)
9-11 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice” (beginning March 6)

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Hope the third hour of comedy on Thursday nights works out for them, because that would give Community a better chance of being renewed.

The schedule does show that NBC are quite happy with how Chuck and Community are performing if its keeping them in their timeslots, so I genuinely think that's a good sign.

J-blk

CaptainNegative wrote: »

The schedule does show that NBC are quite happy with how Chuck and Community are performing if its keeping them in their timeslots, so I genuinely think that's a good sign.

Hopefully it's good news for "Community" - leaving it in that time slot is tough competition against "The Big Bang Theory". What might work in its' favor though is if the new sitcom at 8:30 "Perfect Couples" gets hammered by the crap "S**t my dad says", NBC might look more favorably on "Community" which is facing off against much tougher competition.

Really happy to see "Parks & Recreation" return and the post "Office" slot is a good place for it.

phasers

My God, just kill The Office already! 30 Rock is none too fresh anymore either.

Hopefully good news for Community, although leaving it up against TBBT has always been a moronic idea.

I'm confused about Chuck, I've been reading for weeks that it's ratings are awful,and it's unlikely to be renewed but now NBC seem to have faith in it?

Richard Dower

^ Chuck is the most consistent show for NBC, ratings wise...it always pulls a 1.9-2.1 Adult demo...it's very consistent, it's now the strongest performer on the Monday lineup. The Event dropped to a 1.7 last week and Chase got a 1.2.

Advertisers love steady shows, which Chuck is...i think season 5 is certain.

This weeks numbers, Chuck for the first time dropped to 1.8:

Chuck
- 5.427 million viewers
- 3.3/5 HH
- 1.8/5 A18-49

The Event
- 5.637 million viewers
- 3.5/5 HH
- 1.7/4 A18-49

Chase
- 4.565 million viewers
- 3.0/5 HH
- 1.2/3 A18-49

pickarooney

I haven't heard anything about Perfect Couples. What's it about?
I agree on 30 Rock going stale. It would be good for it to get the chop after this season but I don't see that happening. As for The Office... I hope Parks and Rec has a solid third season.