NBC 2011-12 Upfront

NBC FALL 2011-12 SCHEDULE


*New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)


MONDAY

8-10 p.m. – “The Sing-Off”

10-11 p.m. – “THE PLAYBOY CLUB”

>>>>Nothing here for me to see. Playboy Club might be worth checking out if it gets good reviews.


TUESDAY

8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”

10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”

>>> Nothing for me.


WEDNESDAY

8-8:30 p.m. – “UP ALL NIGHT”

8:30-9 p.m. – “FREE AGENTS”

9-10 p.m. — “Harry’s Law”

10-11 p.m. — “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”


>>> Good to see Harry's Law returning. It's an okay episodic, but not exactly "can't miss TV". Law & Order SVU is better for me then CSI but with Criminal Minds x 2 already kicking around we'll see. SVU is likely to be a once in a while watch.


THURSDAY

8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”

8:30-9 p.m. — “Parks and Recreation”

9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”

9:30-10 p.m. – “WHITNEY”

10-11 p.m. – “PRIME SUSPECT”

>>> Office is a good show, as is 30 Rock which looks to be taking time off for Tina Fey to have her baby. Nothing else here interests me. Community is watchable but not something I would look for.



FRIDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”

9-10 p.m. – “GRIMM”

10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

>>> Goodbye to Chuck. As much as I love the show it might have run its course. I'll miss what might have been with Jeffster.


SATURDAY

Encore programming




SUNDAY

7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”

8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”

>>> Just like most red blooded males I'll watch a lot of football.


NBC 2012 MID-SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

*New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)



SUNDAY

7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

8-10 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice”

10-11 p.m. – “THE FIRM”


>> Nothing here.


MONDAY

8-10 p.m. – “The Voice”

10-11 p.m. – “SMASH”

>> Nothing here. Why does NBC just want to copy American Idol and Glee...what about trying to find something original?

Recap;
New Shows; The only one that might interest me at all is The Playboy Club.
Returning shows; Chuck, Harry's Law, The Office, 30 Rock will all make Abaza's regular schedule as will probably Sunday Night Football. Law & Order SVU also has a shot.
The Dearly Departed; Law & Order: Los Angeles and Friday Night Lights will be sorely missed, especially given this crop of crap shows.

IF I RAN NBC

Based on shows from last year and what they had in the pipeline this is what my upfront would have looked like;

Monday
THE CROSSING (Drama) 8-9pm

period drama about a civil war soldier who crosses the country and settles into a complicated town where he is welcomed as its savior - whether he likes it or not. I love period pieces but hopefully there is a bit more action then the description makes it out to sound.
YOUNG TURKS (Drama) 9-10pm

drama about the personal and professional lives of a group of new yorkers in their 20s who find themselves in the high-powered worlds of finance, politics and media. Sounds intriguing, a heavy drama currently missing from NBC's line-up.
Law & Order: Los Angeles 10-11pm


Tuesday (the new Geek night)
WONDER WOMAN (Drama) 8-9pm

drama about the dc comics icon, a vigilante crime fighter in l.a. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life. From David E Kelley.
MARS DIRECT (Drama) 9-10pm

drama about a mission to the red planet. a little vague on the details right now to say the least.
SILA (Drama) 10-11pm

drama depicting a complex web of crime, policework and politics in los angeles. If Young Turks doesnt work out this one could take its place for me.

Wednesday
THE EULOGIST (Drama) 8-9PM

drama about a woman in her 20s who moonlights as a eulogist. Harold & Maude like perhaps? Hopefully more like that then Medium.
Harry's Law: 9-10. I won't nitpick and just go with their time slot
Law & Order: SVU 10-11: Again I'll go with their time slot

Thursday
BRAVE NEW WORLD (Com) Ed Begley Jr.  8-8:30PM

comedy about the staff at a plymouth plantation-type living museum that have people reenact the way the pilgrims once went about their days. Ed Begley Jr is a nut, so hopefully he plays one.
I'M WITH RUSSELL (Sit-Com) Russell Peters 8:30-9:00PM

comedy based on the life of the comedian, who was raised in canada to parents who had immigrated from india, was married earlier this year and is expecting his first child in 2011. Canada you say?
The Office 9-9:30. Solid.
JOIN THE CLUB (Sit-Com) 9:30-10PM

comedy about a disenchanted 30-year-old joins his step-grandfather's men's club and finds an unlikely group of friends where he least expected. Imagine that a sit-com which does not revolve around alternative lifestyles, mixed families, or chefs.
FORD COUNTY (Drama) 10-11PM

drama about the inhabitants of the mississippi region and their foibles. EP John Grisham. Fun with rednecks basically, hopefully its as funny as the short stories.

 

Friday
Chuck 8-9PM
But with a full boat of 24 episodes. You can move this show to Friday's dead zone and pick up decent ratings for Friday because its audience is loyal.
THE DARK TOWER (Drama) 9-10PM

Based on the Stephen King novels. Would be great Friday or Saturday night vieweing on the PVR.
Friday Night Lights 10-11PM

Saturday
Encore Presentations

Sunday
Sunday Night Football. You can't go wrong with that decision.
Mid-Season shows and shows at the ready for replacements
30 Rock. Look for its return in January to bolster the Thursday night comedy block.

~untitled Lee & Walsh project~ (Sit-Com)

comedy about a self-centered, once-hot internet entrepreneur and his would-be think tank as he tries to maintain the illusion he's a sean parker-like CEO

Lovelives (Sit-Com)

comedy about a couple who explore cheating on their spouse and the friends/family members around them who encourage it. The new Cougar Town/Swingtown?

Not a whole lot in the NBC pipeline that I liked either.

Looks like my current #1 favorite network is going down even further, at least in my books.