NBC announces midseason schedule

NBC announced a partial midseason schedule Tuesday which includes a heavy dose of reality and a lack of "Lipstick Jungle."

The lineup is surprising less for what's included than for what's missing: no dates for "Medium," "Kings," "Life," "Chuck" and "Heroes," and reality shows "American Gladiators" and "Deal or No Deal" are off the board -- for January at least. NBC plans to make second announcement covering February and March at a later date.

One unexpected addition is "Howie Do It," a hidden camera show starring "Deal or No Deal" host Howie Mandel that's been largely off the media's radar since its development was announced last spring. The show air Fridays at 8 p.m. starting Jan. 9.

"'Howie Do It' is a really funny show and Howie is perfectly suited for it," said Mitch Metcalf, NBC's head of scheduling. "It's flat-out funny and it's perfectly placed on Friday nights."

Also on the schedule is "Superstars of Dance," a professional dancing competition series from the producers of "American Idol" that THR broke earlier this month.

After a Sunday premiere on Jan. 4, "Superstars" will air in two-hour blocks on Monday nights, with a one-hour finale on Jan. 26. The scheduling effectively starts and finishes a dance reality show during the short gap before ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" returns for its second cycle, and even airs during the usual "Dancing" time period.

"Having Nigel Lythgoe running this show gives us a lot of confidence and this short-run series will have a nice run in a good time period benefiting from the broad ratings delivery of the NFL wild card," Metcalf said.

The "Superstars" premiere will have a lead-in from a new primetime "Saturday Night Live" special -- a sports-centric edition to take advantage of football playoffs just as the sketch comedy show's high-flying political specials capitalized on election fever earlier this fall. NBC plans a film-related "SNL special as well, on Jan. 18.

NBC also announced that oft-rescheduled reality show "Momma's Boys" will air Monday nights and "Friday Night Lights" will air Fridays starting Jan. 16. The network plans a follow-up announcement within a couple weeks with additional premiere dates and to reveal what will air after NBC's presentation of the Super Bowl.

A couple possibilities for a post-Bowl slot are "Kings" (a scripted drama retelling the story of King David in modern times) and launching the next edition of "Heroes." NBC is concerned about "Heroes" falling ratings and having the highest-rated event of the year lead into the next book, "Fugitives," could work as a Hail Mary pass to revive the show. And "Kings," NBC is very excited about (review of the script here), and believe the series is the network's best chance to exit the season with a break-out drama. An alternate possibility is a comedy block -- such as "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Kath and Kim."

NBC is staying quiet on whether "American Gladiators," which launched last January, will return in the spring, summer or at all. "Deal or No Deal" is being given a rare in-season hiatus, possibly due to the addition of "Howie Do It." The network's Amy Poehler comedy is also not yet scheduled.

"Deal" was originally planned for Wednesdays at 9 p.m., but NBC will air repeats of "Law & Order: SVU" instead -- at least until "Life" (presumably) returns. "Deal" would also conflict with the "crime block" brand NBC is trying to build on on that night. But that a major broadcast network would air a repeat during such a significant time period also speaks to the network's struggle to launch new content this fall. Along with "SVU" repeats on Saturdays, this currently January schedule has "SVU" airing three hours during the week.

NBC's midseason schedule:

MONDAYS (beginning January 5)
8-10 p.m. --  “SUPERSTARS OF DANCE”; premieres Sunday, January 4 (9-11 p.m.); season finale Monday, January 26 (8-9 p.m.)
10-11 p.m. – “MOMMA’S BOYS”                   
(“Chuck” and “Heroes” return in February) 

TUESDAYS (beginning January 6)
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser: Couples”      
10-11 p.m. -- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”

TUESDAY (January 20)
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”: Presidential Inauguration Special (10-11 p.m. ET)

WEDNESDAYS (beginning January 7)
8-9 p.m. -- “Knight Rider”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” encores (“Life” returns in February)
10-11 p.m. -- “Law & Order”

THURSDAYS (beginning January 8)
8-8:30 p.m. – “My Name Is Earl”
8:30-9 p.m. -- “Kath & Kim”
9:00-9:31 p.m. -- “The Office”
9:31-10 p.m. -- “30 Rock”
10-11 p.m. – “ER”

FRIDAYS 
8-9 p.m. -- “HOWIE DO IT” (series premiere January 9)
9-10 p.m. – “Friday Night Lights” (beginning January 16)
10-11 p.m. -- “Dateline NBC” (beginning December 5)

SATURDAYS (beginning January 10)
8-11 – “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” encores

SUNDAYS (January 4)
7-9 p.m. – “Saturday Night Live Sports Extra”
9-11 p.m. – “SUPERSTARS OF DANCE” (premiere)

“Sunday -- Event Specials”
8-11 p.m. – “THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS” (January 11)
9-11 p.m. – “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FILM FESTIVAL” (January 18)
9-11 p.m. -- THE LAST TEMPLAR -- (January 25 and Monday, January 26)
6:15-10 p.m. -- SUPER BOWL XLIII (February 1)

Comments

[Mikey M]

NBC has more game shows and reality shows. Yeah. I can hardly wait. They are cementing their image as the most horrible of the Big Three networks.
Monkey's could schedule better than they could.

[TC]

James-

Any idea when the Feb. and March announcement will be?

[James Hibberd]

Within a couple weeks

[TC]

Thanks James. Love the blog. I look forward to reading it here first!

[CinematicallyCorrect.com]

Words cannot really express how truly untalented Howie Mandell is. The fact that there will be two primetime television shows featuring him could be a sign of the Apocalypse...of course, that could be an overstatement.

[JDV]

Didn't NBC promise a full hour of Office for after the big game? I take it that's changed??

[AJ]

@Mikey: It's sad, but the fact that reality shows are the highest-rated programs on air, this lineup comes as no surprise to me. Americans need to quit watching terrible shows (Dancing, etc) and networks will stop producing them. It's really that simple. Ratings are the only thing that matter.

[AJ]

Also..."Kings" promises to be huge. It has great buzz...hopefully people will try watching something with some depth.

[Rhonda Adams]

Don't take off "Life". That's the best thing you have going. And you don't deserve "Friday Night Lights" since you ditched them. They should stay where they are on DirecTV 101. Why do you always have to mess with what's working? And I agree with the post about Howie Mandell. He is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO annoying. Get a clue.

[Erick]

I hope they bring back Gladiators and ditch Hogan as a host. That would be great.

[Stefan]

so - what is the buzz about ER right now - i know this should be its final season - but considering NBC state right now - ER is still one of its biggest drama players - are they really ending the show or are they thinking about renewing the show for a second time?

[Italiangal]

When do they plan on firing Ben Silverman? Just asking.

[Chris]

Feb is long time away for Herose i was excided Kings and Meduim thats the only three Nbc shows i like

[Corock]

Worse lineup ever. Is Silverman trying to get fired?

[ErnestPayne]

If this schedule were a bag of kittens you would keep My Name Is Earl and drown the rest. What pitiful dreck. No wonder the cable channels are walking all over the networks.

[jake]

I thought the post super bowl slot was going to Chuck -- but I really hope that it does go to HEROES -- no show deserves to get a shot in the arm more than heroes.

[Tom]

NBC needs to pick a time slot for Life and let it stay there for the rest of the season. It is a very good show but undoubtedly has suffered from the decision to start on Fridays and then move back to Wednesdays.

[James Hibberd]

-- The partial-midseason schedule announcement is very NBC this year: "Here's what we're doing two months from now, we're not sure what we're doing three months from now."

-- Kings: I wish the finished product was as good as the script. The director did a fine job, but the actor who plays David is a bit smug -- more of a pretty CW actor than an actor to shoulder a mythic drama. NBC casting has been heavy on stars and sex appeal this fall, when fans really want likable and interesting characters. They don't care if the actor looks like House or Sawyer; if they've been in movies or if they're an unknown -- as long as they're compelling. Luckily "Kings" does have Ian McShane, and he's always fun to watch.

-- ER, final season. There was some chatter about ordering a few more episodes, but it fell off.

-- The hour-long post-Super Bowl "Office" was discussed. Silverman originally announced the "Office" spin-off for post-Bowl, then there was talk of a one-hour "Office." Since they're not announcing what's going in the spot, it suggests that may have changed. I'm not placing any bets this round, though personally I would opt for a "Kings"/"Heroes" combo -- NBC's comedies could use a boost, but the drama lineup is in full red alert -- SVU repeat at Wednesdays at 9 p.m., etc...

[tetzy]

Another dance show and more Mandel isn't the cure for your piss-poor ratings, all we have to look forward to is one long yawn after another. Bye bye NBC.

[dbt94gt]

Well, all 3 of my favorite newer shows are gone. Thanks to the rocket surgeons at ABC I lost Pushing Daisies, now the brain scientists at NBC have dumped My Own Worst Enemy and it looks like Chuck is gone. WTF??? I really want a Neilsen box. We'd have some fun shows then!!

[Peter]

**PLEASE DON'T CANCEL DEAL OR NO DEAL! Just make some changes to speed up the game and make it more exciting, so that viewers won't be so inclinded to change the channel during the show.

What the hell is happening to NBC? Enough with the reality shows, and more multi-camera comedies! The network needs another Brandon Tartikoff...

[Hank Gerber]

Just what American network TV viewers need: another Dance show. NBC is running as scared and witless in its response to low ratings as the financial markets are with their negative cash flow. Somebody bail them out! PLEASE!

[Frafrafrooey]

I hate you so much NBC, I could paint the peacock on the bottom-inside of my toilet bowl. You are worthless. The shylocks running that network should be extinguished. Whatever happened to the concept of the story? I think even the drooling missing links who work at Wal-mart might say the hell with you this time.

[kherbers]

Such a shame. Lipstick Jungle, Life, My Own Worst Enemy - were all very entertaining and written very well. Networks need to stay on track - find the night and time period that works for these shows and give audiences an opportunity to find them and then I'm sure people would continue to tune in

[NewOrleans]

Thank God NBC isn't going to schedule any shows that will make me stop watching CBS.

In appreciation for Ben's continued incompetence and stupidity, Jerry Bruckheimer should send Ben Silverman something for Christmas. A fruitcake seems to be most appropriate gift for Ben.

[Elvis Gump]

I really love "Life" and the keep monkeying with it to the point I think they are going to kill it off. They never give good shows a chance they deserve anymore.

[Jill]

I am so sick of NBC. Do the execs have ADD? Just when I get into a show -- e.g., Lipstick Jungle, Life -- they move it or suspend it. I'm afraid to get invested in anything other than Law and Order because they'll just pull the rug out. Stupid stupid stupid

[matt]

hate to defend them---and their sked sucks sucks sucks but when they come back in feb with new eps of their monday night shows, they'll have mondays, weds (life and law and order), thurs comedies& er and fri night lights on fris...i know 3 and 1/3 rds of a night isn't much for a former top of the line no. 1 old school network...but its better then nothing--and at least there's some quality there. some....
but good lord do they need actual scripted shows...there isn't a network that needs more scripted material in all of primetime then these guys---

also relying so much on SNL is NOT the way to go guys.

[brian]

Due to the general stupidity of the American public MTV has become a "reality" channel and NBC is rapidly approaching. We Americans love watching fat people losing weight, trying to "survive" on an island, or go on a "real" date. Oh don't forget guys taking a shot to the junk, man that's pure entertainment. It's all about money. Pushing Daisies, one of the best shows on, was too expensive. Life, Chuck, Heroes, & Life on Mars are all too expensive. Especially when you compare the cost to paying some hillbilly to eat a bug or jump in to a pit of manure. UGH