UPFRONTS: NBC will debut new dramas The Brave and Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, along with revived comedy Will & Grace, this fall.
Robert Greenblatt
The new schedule will see five freshman dramas and three new comedies added over the course of the 2017/18 season.
Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, said the changes highlighted that the network had enjoyed a “stabilising” 2016/17 season.
“Our upcoming fall schedule is both limited in the number of new series and aggressive in rebooting Thursday night,” he added.
“To create another undeniable night of television, we’re aligning some of our most potent shows on Thursday in order to bring back Must See TV. We are also strategically deploying strong new shows in choice time periods on other nights and nurturing our growing comedy line-up,” added Greenblatt.
Thursday nights on NBC this fall will see the return of Will & Grace after a decade away with a 12-episode season, produced by Universal Television, as well as Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.
The latter stars Edie Falco (The Sopranos) and is an eight-episode installment of the procedural crime franchise from Universal Television and Wolf Films.
The network has also moved breakout hit This Is Us from Tuesday to Thursday nights for its eagerly anticipated second season.
New addition The Brave (formerly known as For God & Country), meanwhile, will air on Monday nights. It follows military operatives who use surveillance techniques to carry out dangerous missions and comes from Keshet Studios and Universal Television.
Other developments include the network taking a surprise U-turn on its decision to cancel Timeless, plus the addition of Champions to the 2017/18 schedule.
The comedy comes from The Office star Mindy Kaling and follows a pair of brothers whose lives are changed when the teenage of son of the younger brother is revealed by one of his old high school flings. It is produced by Universal Television, 3 Arts Entertainment, Eyes Up Productions and Kaling International.
NBC has also renewed Law & Order: SVU for a 19th season, and axed The Blacklist spin-off The Blacklist: Redemption and Powerless while picking up drama Reverie.
The show follows a former hostage negotiator who is brought back into the fold to help people who have lost themselves in a highly advanced virtual-reality programme. It is produced by Universal Television and Amblin Television.
It will launch in midseason, along with other new dramas Rise and Good Girls, both of which were announced earlier this month.
NBC is also readying alternative series with The Awesome Show, Ellen’s Game of Games, Genius Junior and The Handmade Project, which will feature talent including Chris Hardwick, Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.
Returning shows for the 2017/18 schedule include The Blacklist, Blindspot, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Dateline NBC, The Good Place, Great News, Law & Order: SVU, Little Big Shots, Shades of Blue, Superstore, Taken, This Is Us, Timeless, The Voice and The Wall.
Jennifer Salke
“We have very promising new series that will join one of our strongest returning line-ups to date,” said Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment.
“We’re proud of our roster of distinctive dramas that includes original concepts such as The Blacklist and Blindspot, not to mention the enduring legacy of Dick Wolf, who will also bring a new true crime series to the network next fall.
“This Is Us has quickly become a defining moment for the NBC brand, and we look forward to launching bold new series such as The Brave, Rise, Reverie and Good Girls,” added Salke.
NBC fall 2017/18 schedule (new shows in caps)
MONDAY
20.00-22.00 – The Voice
22.00-23.00 – THE BRAVE
TUESDAY
20.00-21.00 – The Voice
21.00-21.30 – Superstore
21.30-22.00 – The Good Place
22.00-23.00 – Chicago Fire
WEDNESDAY
20.00-21.00 – The Blacklist
21.00-22.00 – Law & Order: SVU
22.00-23.00 – Chicago PD
THURSDAY
20.00-20.30 – WILL & GRACE
20.30-21.00 – Great News
21.00-22.00 – This Is Us
22.00-23.00 – LAW & ORDER TRUE CRIME: THE MENENDEZ MURDERS
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