NBC announces new schedule

NBC rolls out 52 weeks of programming in one fell swoop.

NBC has announced their new 52-week lineup which, for the first time in TV history, breaks the old fall to spring mode of programing. 

It’s no longer the captive audience with only three channels to choose from as it was in NBC’s early days. Now they must compete with hundreds of cable channels, online TV and the ramifications of On Demand and DVR’s. It’s a brand new day in TV land and it’s likely that the other major networks will soon follow suit.  Here’s what NBC has coming your way:

Fall schedule

They begin with the debuting drama series “My Own Worst Enemy,” starring Christian Slater, joining “Chuck” and “Heroes” on NBC’s Monday lineup.

“Kath & Kim,” a new comedy starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, based on the hit Australian series, teams with “The Biggest Loser: Families” on Tuesdays.

On Wednesdays, “Knight Rider” goes to series. The mid-season dramedy “Lipstick Jungle” will return in the Fall, also on Wednesdays.

Drama series “Crusoe,” the hit game show “Deal or No Deal” and “Life” are scheduled to join NBC’s Fall Friday lineup.

In addition, NBC will introduce “SNL Thursday Night Live,” which will share time on Thursdays with “The Office” at 9:30-10 p.m. (ET).

Winter schedule

Through the winter months, NBC plans to add to its Sunday lineup “Kings,” (starring Golden Globe winner Ian McShane) the ambitious new drama from the producer of “Heroes,” along with the returning drama “Medium” and the exciting fantasy series “Merlin.”
On Mondays, NBC adds “The Philanthropist,” a drama concerning a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth to help people.

Tuesdays introduces a brand new cycle of “The Biggest Loser: Couples.”

“Law & Order” returns to Wednesdays for the series unparalleled 19th season.

On Thursdays, comedy reigns with the addition of a new series spinning off the NBC hit “The Office.” “The Celebrity Apprentice” returns in its popular new format on Thursdays.

Sundays will be highlighted by special events, including the “66th Annual Golden Globe Awards,” the four-hour miniseries “The Last Templar” (starring Oscar winner Mira Sorvino) and “XIII” (starring Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff).
Key launches and series events will be timed to make maximum promotional use of the big events coming up on the NBC primetime schedule, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in August, “NBC Sunday Night Football” throughout the fall, the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” in November, NFL Wild-Card playoff games and the “66th Annual Golden Globe Awards” in January as well as the Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009.

Summer Schedule

In Summer 2009, NBC is slated to introduce “The Listener,” a new Thursday drama, as well as two new reality series from executive producer Thom Beers (“Ice Road Truckers”) — “America’s Toughest Jobs,” an action-reality series on Mondays and “Shark Taggers,” an action-adventure reality series on Wednesdays. “Chopping Block” will premiere on Fridays to complement a strong slate of original summer programming. Returning shows that Summer will include “American Gladiators,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Last Comic Standing,” “Monk” and “Nashville Star.”