While everyone has been focusing on what will air on NBC weeknights after 11:35p, we all forgot to wonder what they will be doing before 11p. That was until now because NBC just announced what will be taking over for The Jay Leno Show at 10p and what shows that didn’t have a timeslot yet now have one. On March 8th the little show that could, Trauma will be back to air with their additional episodes that NBC ordered after rumors were started that NBC didn’t order any. Cliff Curtis, who plays Rabbit previewed some of the things we can expect on the upcoming episodes and we will get to see a different side of Rabbit and he told me his favorite Trauma is coming up and from what he told me I can’t wait to see it!!! Also coming back on April 30th is another miracle show and that is Friday Night Lights. I am so sick of reading how awesome this season is from all those people who have DirectTV and now in two and a half months I will be able to watch it for myself!
So here is NBC’s post-Leno and Olympic schedule that starts up on March 1st!
MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. – “Trauma” (beginning March 8 )
10-11 p.m. -“Law & Order”
TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. – “PARENTHOOD” (premieres March 2)
WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Mercy”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encores begin March 3)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (originals begin March 3)
THURSDAYS
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. – “30 Rock”
10-11 p.m. – “THE MARRIAGE REF” (premieres March 4; sneak preview February 28)
FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” (premieres March 5;
“Friday Night Lights” returns on April 30)
9-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC” (begins March 5)
Scott Jones, on his website FTVLive that caters to local news gossip, broke the news this morning that The Jay Leno Show is about to get the ax? He told KNX that the affiliates have been unhappy with the ratings that is effecting their 11p news and NBC has finally heard their complaints and could ready to give the show the boot as soon as after the Olympics. He also said that NBC is not ready to part ways the talk show host and are considering giving him back his old timeslot of 11:35p putting Conan O’Brien out of work.
You might say well what could NBC fill this timeslot with? Well they still do not have a timeslot or date for the Marriage Ref and Friday Night Lights plus they have an ordered additional eps of Trauma that do not have an air date. They could also steal programming from USA like Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Psych, White Collar or Burn Notice and the latter three start their seasons up in the next two weeks. They could also add a few Datelines and or Saturday Night Live Specials. Now that is pure speculation on my part, but I think there is a way for them to fill the hole that could be vacated by the show.
In the last few days it was announced that the NBC ordered the most pilots in a really long time, but they also have a lot of timeslots to fill. It is rumored that Heroes will end this year. If Chuck comes back and doesn’t do well, will NBC save this show again? Mercy was doing OK when it was picked up, but it has been losing steam each week. Law & Order: SVU has lost a lot of their viewers with its new timeslot so is worth to keep the show on at its current production costs with two of the highest paid actors in primetime? The Live Feed got this statement from NBC, “Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today. As we have said all along, Jay’s show has performed exactly as we anticipated on the network. It has, however, presented some issues for our affiliates. Both Jay and the show are committed to working closely with them to find ways to improve the performance.†No matter what they have in the can or don’t it is the affiliates that are suffering and some of them have lost almost of their 11p newscasts viewership since Leno began to air. And if they say we don’t want to air Leno and enough of them do, it won’t matter what NBC has to fill the 10p hour as much as they do fill it with something else.
On Sunday there is a huge media event, The Critics Association Press Tour where the executives of NBC will talk to several reporters about the network and you know this issue will be front and center. So it will be interesting to see what they have to say about this, I know I can’t wait
UPDATE: There are so many rumors out there now about the schedule and the one that is really making the rounds is that Jay Leno will move to 11:35p, Conan O’Brien to 12:05a (directly against Jimmy Kimmel Live) and that Jimmy Fallon will move to 1:05a. If I were NBC I would move Leno and Conan back to their old timeslots and get rid of Fallon but give him a sitcom in primetime so he doesn’t feel completely screwed?
Now back to Jay Leno, he referenced today’s rumors on his show tonight and here are the funny things he had to say about it!
After the Olympics Parenthood is going to premiere on NBC and today the cast an the producers that include Oscar winner Ron Howard talked about the show.
Lauren Graham talked about replacing Maura. Lauren Graham says that she has not see the pilot for Parenthood that was shot with Maura. She took the role because she thought the script was beautiful and she said the “pedigree” of people that are part of the show made her want to do it. She says the show is a positive experience for her.
Jason Katims said kosing Maura let them rework the pilot. Jason Katims said it gave him a second chance to do things with the pilot that they didn’t with the original one. One thing was that they lightened up the feel of the show.
An update on Maura Tierney’s health, she is doing well and she is in treatment according to Jason Katims at the NBC panel for Parenthood. They were in a waiting mode for her and once she decided that she wasn’t going to be able to do the show it was a relief on the show and they were able to move on. As of now Maura will not be a guest star on the show. Right now they are looking to produce the show.
They are not using the movie name of Buckman on the show and Jason said, no real reason why the name change for the family.
Ron Howard will not be directing any episodes of Parenthood as of now.
Ron Howard has been reading scripts. He has been part of creative conversations. But this is Jason’s show and he is a big fan of Katims’ and is letting him do what he wants with the show.
Jason Katims said he 13 year old son has Asperger’s Syndrome and he made sure that it is depicted correctly for the show.
Craig T Nelson is talking about the death on the set. Craig and Peter decided to shoot scene that Nora O’Brien was at right before she died. They said it was a way to honor her.
Peter Krause talks about how he took the role because of Nora, and it is part of life and that what is the show is about.
Parks and Recreation might not be a new show, but it had been reinvented this season on NBC at 8:30p because everyone involved now has a better feel for the show and today they came out to talk about it. Let’s just say the cast and producers are as funny as the show.
Chris Pratt is funny. When asked how he became a series regular, he said they told him he was cast as a guest start and then they told him they made regular and he was like cool. Paul Schneider said after 30 seconds of him on the set they knew he was going to be a regular. Chris Pratt’s character was suppose to fade away, but they couldn’t let him go.
Amy Poehler says her character has developed like a fine wine between season 1 and two.
Amy Poehler says they do not improvise that the cast keeps to the script because the writers are just that good.
Someone asked about a a crossover between 30 Rock and P&R and Aziz said 30 Rock is a good show, but bad idea. (He is so right.)
They made up Pawnee, Indiana so they can pick on a city and not insult anyone. And coming up on the show they will make Pawnee the 4th fattest city in the country.
Bones creator Hart Hanson vs Aziz Ansari on Twitter. Hart tweeted P&R is stealing ideas from Bones because they had a pit on the show and Aziz said how can we no one watches Bones. And Aziz says you know why it is called Bones, because it should be buried. (Aziz so won that Twitter battle. I like both guys, but I have to give that one to Aziz!!!
After the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, Jerry Seinfeld’s new show The Marriage Ref is going to premiere on NBC. I have to tell you before their panel I had no intention of watching the show and now I can’t wait to see the premiere.
Here is what they told us about the show.
The marriage ref is a show where a couple’s fight is shown to celebrity panelists and a marriage ref and they have to decide who won the fight.
Jerry said the show came out of fight he had with his wife, a fight he says he lost.
This purpose of the show is to end fights, and not marriages.
One of the fight is a couple who are deciding whether or not stuff their dead dog.
It was Jerry’s wife who told him to do the show. If it wasn’t for her, we probably wouldn’t have gotten the show.
Why actors and nor experts because experts are helpful. If you have been married you are a expert and the panelists have been married.
Jerry will be on the sneak peek (season premiere) episode and maybe one more after that.
Some of the celebrity panelists are Alec Baldiwn, Tina Fey, Larry David and Eva Longoria.
What is off limits – no kids or anything that can be marriage ending
Gay Marriages are accepted, all marriages are welcomed.
Jerry Seinfeld says Leno failure was Jerry’s fault, he went overboard with tux.
Jerry said AOL/Time Warner was wrong time, if Google were to do it today it would be a good idea. Jerry proud that NBC for trying something so original. Jerry says what has NBC to done to Conan. He likes Conan and hopes he says.
One fight is because the husband has been parking his motorcycle in the living room.
There will be three to five fights per show.
The point of Marriage Ref is to make you laugh.
It sounds like they lived up to the point and the show will make us laugh!!!
Today was the day that the NBC execs faced the media for the first time since the Jay Leno cancellation rumors started and they came out prepared. As soon as it started Jeff Gaspin confirmed that officially on Feb 12th The Jay Leno Show is done at 10p. NBC wants to keep all three hosts, but as of now there is no done deal. The plan as of now is to have Jay Leno on 11:35p, Conan O’Brien at 12:05a and Jimmy Fallon at 1:05a.
Here are notes explaining the decision and some other notes.
The Leno decision was not because of the network but because of the affils
The affils said in November they lost viewers for the daily newscasts at 11p and some of them went from 1 to 3 in their markets and they started complaining and threatening preemption. Leno was doing OK for NBC, but not for the affils. The stressed this was not an issue for the NBC but the affils.
The goal is to keep Conan with NBC.
It was working financially for NBC because they were making money at 10p. Jeff Gaspin thought it was going to do better if it had more time.
There is a lot to choose from at 10p now. There was just so much to watch at 10p and because it was something that was easy viewing they opted not to watch.
Friday Night Lights is avail at March 1st and the have eps for Law & Order: CI from last season to possibly fill.
All three hosts handled the news like professionals.
NBC is going back to basics when it comes to programming.
NBC lost 30% of their audience with Leno. All three nets lost viewers this season.
Research said that it had a chance of making it, but it didn’t happen.
NBC says they weren’t wrong, but maybe too early and that is why
Heroes could be back and they are pitching what they could be doing next season if it gets picked up. Howie Madel is replacing David Hasselhoff on America’s Got Talent. When I asked Jerff Gasp about Heroes he said that David Hasselhoff is the latest Hero.
They loved Southland, but it just wasn’t for them and it will do better on cable.
They are working on a LA version of Law and Order nicknamed Lola! LOL!
There is not one person to blame for the mistake.
Carson Daly does not have a slot as of now because at 2:05a going back to the affils. He will remain with NBC but how we don’t know.
What a fun morning and I respect Jeff Gaspin for having the balls to face a room packed of hungry journalists on the biggest story of press tour.
A few years ago there was a show called Jericho that the fans went nuts for, so much so when it got cancelled those fans bombarded CBS with tons of peanuts. CBS listened to them and brought the show back for another season. Ever since then the networks listen when the fans talk because do you know how much it costs to clean tons of peanut shells off of the floor?
So what was the show that fans rallied for last season? Well that show was Chuck and it is back with two episodes tonight at 9p and another one tomorrow when it returns to its regularly scheduled timeslot of 8p. I have to admit for some reason I never saw the show before the first five episodes of this upcoming season and now I know why all those fans fought so hard to save this show. Chuck is a fun spy show that people of both sexes and of all ages can enjoy. Zachary Levi is cute as the secret agent who gets flashes of knowledge that turn him into a super spy. Yvonne Strahovski is the sexy female spy for all the boys who watch the show to enjoy and the girls wish they could be. Adam Baldwin is perfect as the uptight spy who can’t stand Chuck. My favorite is Ryan McPartlin who plays Chuck’s brother-in-Law who wishes he could be a spy like him, just because I loved him Living with Fran. And when it comes to Chuck’s co-workers at Buy More, I have to admit I want to jump on that Nerd Herd!!!
Coming up this season, Chuck can do so much more thanks to Intersect 2.0. He will get his first solo mission and he will kill the guy (Brandon Routh) who will be managing over their team. Sarah and him will get closer, but just how close will they get. Casey will get a job where you will never expect him to. The guys from Buy More will become men until the smallest one of them all puts an end to that. One of the people Chuck knows will be mistaken for him and will be kidnapped, will they be able to save that person before it is too late. And finally Chuck will have a new lady in his life and her name is Kristin Kreuk.
Chuck is the show that fans believed enough in to save, so whether you were one of them or you are like me and a new fan check it out tonight at 9p and tomorrow and every Monday at 8p for a show that is just good fun! And who doesn’t need some good fun to start of the week!!!
