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Community Moves to Fridays and More From NBC's New Fall Schedule

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:24:02 PDT

NBC is the first network to take center stage at the upfronts this week, which means we'll be hearing more about NBC's new Fall shows in the coming days. But for now, we've got your first peek at the new schedule. Most of NBC's veteran series are staying in their old time slots, but the network has also added The Voice to the Fall lineup, and notably moved Whitney and Community to Friday nights. This has me a bit worried about the fate of Community, since the show has been having a tough enough time as it is, but it could also be a vote of confidence that the comedy's loyal fan base will follow the Greendale gang wherever they go.

To check out the schedule, just

*New show

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – The Voice
10-11 p.m. – Revolution*

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – The Voice
9-9:30 p.m. – Go On*
9:30-10 p.m. – The New Normal*
10-11 p.m. – Parenthood

WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – Animal Practice*
8:30-9 p.m. – Guys With Kids*
9-10 p.m. – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10-11 p.m. – Chicago Fire*

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – 30 Rock
8:30-9 p.m. – Up All Night
9-9:30 p.m. – The Office
9:30-10 p.m. – Parks and Recreation
10-11 p.m. – Rock Center With Brian Williams

FRIDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – Whitney
8:30-9 p.m. – Community
9-10 p.m. – Grimm
10-11 p.m. – Dateline NBC

SUNDAY (Fall 2012)
7- 8:15 p.m. - Football Night in America
8:15-11:30 p.m. - NBC Sunday Night Football

SUNDAY (Winter 2013)
7-8 p.m. – Dateline NBC
8-9 p.m. – Fashion Star
9-10 p.m. – The Celebrity Apprentice
10-11 p.m. – Do No Harm*

NBC Renews Parks and Recreation, Up All Night, and Whitney

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:47:05 PDT

NBC has had mostly good tidings for fans of its comedies so far, renewing 30 Rock and Community, and now it's also given additional seasons to Parks and Recreation, Whitney, and Up All Night. However, we've also got some cancellation news to report: Are You There, Chelsea, Awake, Bent, and Best Friends Forever have all gotten the ax. All four shows were midseason entrants, and I'm not terribly surprised to see them go. In the meantime, I plan on celebrating the Parks and Recreation news (especially since it's also getting a full 22-episode order) the same way the gang gave it up for Leslie's election victory on the season finale.

Photos courtesy of NBC

NBC Pilots: Find Out About the New Shows Joining the Lineup

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:40:00 PDT

The networks will trot out their brand-new TV shows at next week's upfronts, but before we get a look at previews and find out the schedules, we're going to acquaint you with the upcoming series. First up are the shows coming to NBC, so check out the comedies and dramas that the network has picked up for the Fall 2012 season.

COMEDIES

Go On: Matthew Perry stars as a sportscaster who starts attending group therapy sessions after he suffers from a loss and bonds with the members of his group.
Animal Practice: Weeds star Justin Kirk plays a veterinarian who loves his furry subjects but doesn't like their human owners.
The New Normal: A gay couple played by Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells use a surrogate to start their family in this comedy from Glee creator Ryan Murphy.
Guys With Kids: Three dudes (Jesse Bradford, Nick Cregger, and Anthony Anderson) experience the joys of being dads together.
Save Me: Anne Heche plays a woman who thinks she can channel God after she has an accident.
1600 Penn: This White House-set comedy follows a fictional president played by Bill Pullman, his first lady (Jenna Elfman), and his goofy son (Josh Gad).
Next Caller: This workplace comedy takes place in a radio station and stars Dane Cook as a chauvinistic DJ who butts heads with his female colleague.

DRAMAS:

Revolution: This drama, produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Supernatural's creator, depicts a world where all technology has suddenly stopped working and its characters (played by Giancarlo Esposito and Billy Burke) struggle to connect with their loved ones.
Hannibal: This drama explores the relationship of notorious character Dr. Hannibal Lecter as he mentors detective Will Graham, played by Hugh Dancy.
Chicago Fire: The staff of a Chicago firehouse is the focus of this action-packed drama, which stars Taylor Kinney of The Vampire Diaries and House's Jesse Spencer.
Do No Harm: A neurosurgeon struggles with his job and personal life because he also has a Jekyll & Hyde-like alter ego.
Infamous: A female detective (Meagan Good) goes undercover to return to the home of the wealthy family her mother was a maid in and solve a murder.

Photos courtesy of NBC

NBC Renews Parenthood and Gives 30 Rock One Final Season

Becky Kirsch — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:28:42 PDT

Good news for Parenthood fans who have been anxiously awaiting news on the bubble show: it's been picked up for a fourth season! NBC has also given the green light to a seventh season of 30 Rock - but it will be the last. The season will also be shortened, giving the show 13 episodes to wrap things up. I'm happy about this news across the board: I've been pulling for Parenthood since the beginning, and it feels time for 30 Rock to be put to bed. How do you feel about this news?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Watch the NBC Stars' Super Bowl Song and Dance Number!

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:38:44 PST

NBC seemed excited to be hosting this year's Super Bowl - so much so that they enlisted the casts of many of their shows to sing the song "Brotherhood of Man" from the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. They manage to cram a lot of stars in there (and convince them to all belt it out), so watch to see a whole lot of folks from 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Community, as well as newbies like Smash, and many many more.

10 Hilarious "So True" Moments on Up All Night

Kate Stahl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:02:18 PST

If you're a new parent, odds are you can't get through half an episode of Up All Night without pausing the DVR to laugh about how Reagan and Chris are just like you. From a slight freak out when that positive sign appeared and a derailed birth plan to struggles over finding your post-parent identity and falling crazy in love with your lil one, the Brinkleys remind us that sometimes the only thing that can keep a new parent sane is a lot of laughter. Keep reading for our top 10 hilarious and "so true" moments on the hit show's first season, and get pumped for new episodes starting Jan. 12, when Up All Night joins NBC's must-watch Thursday night lineup.

Source: NBC

Which NBC Comedy Had the Best Holiday Episode?

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:15:30 PST

NBC's Thursday night comedies aired their holiday episodes this week, and each one had its share of laughs, but which show was the best? On Community, the study group gets pulled into the glee club to perform in the college's Christmas pageant, and on Parks and Recreation, Leslie's colleagues pull together to give her the gift of running her campaign. Over on The Office, Dwight and Jim engage in the ultimate prank-off (but with a twist), while on Whitney, Chris and Whitney try to avoid their families so they can avoid holiday drama. Every show had me laughing out loud (especially the funny songs on Community and Tom's "Baller Time" watch on Parks and Rec), and The Office and Whitney have some sweet moments - but which one had the best holiday episode?

Photos courtesy of NBC

NBC Announces Its Midseason Schedule - Without Community

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:00:11 PST

NBC has announced its midseason schedule, and the network is fitting some new shows, like musical Smash, The Firm, Jessica Simpson's reality show Fashion Star, and Are You There, Chelsea (previously Are You There, God? It's Me, Chelsea). NBC is also shaking up its current shows, like switching the Wednesday/Thursday time slots of Whitney and Up All Night. 30 Rock is finally coming back and kicking off the Thursday night block at 8 p.m., but don't look too hard for Community - it's been taken off the schedule for now (as has struggling series Prime Suspect).

Keep your fingers crossed that Community survives its absence, and see the full schedule when you read more.

The Cast of The Playboy Club Talks Bunny Costumes, Female Empowerment, and How They're Different From Mad Men

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:20:48 PDT

NBC took front and center at the Summer TCAs on Monday, with The Playboy Club as the first new series to step into the spotlight. The cast, which includes Amber Heard, Eddie Cibrian, and Jenna Dewan, joined showrunners to discuss their upcoming drama about a Playboy Club in Chicago in the 1960s. The panel fielded a lot of questions about objectifying women (they promise that it's "empowering"), explained why the show isn't particularly racy, and addressed those inevitable comparisons to Mad Men. Here are highlights:

It's hard to ignore all the fishnets and cleavage, but the cast pounded home the theme that the show is really about female empowerment. Heard, who plays the central character Maureen in the pilot, said, "Maureen by no means relies on any character, male or female, as you'll see throughout her journey, and it's empowering. This is about choice, ultimately. It was a different generation, there were different opportunities and different expectations for women. . . . It's chauvinistic to deny a woman her sexuality. If they are making the choice, then they're not being exploited."
Her costar Jenna Dewan echoed this sentiment, saying, "Once we started doing research, we realized how independent these women were at a time when jobs for women were limited. These women had a big choice and there's freedom in that. And I think you'll feel that freedom in the show."
The showrunners were pretty straightforward when asked how the show will be distinguishable from Mad Men. They said the comparison ends with the 60s setting, and also cited the musical numbers as a major difference between the two series.

To see what the cast had to say about their costumes and Eddie Cibrian's new character, just

Speaking of music, the entire panel was very excited about the numbers that we'll be seeing on the show; apparently we can expect to see a number in almost every episode. Tony winner Laura Benati will be taking the stage most often, but the rest of the cast will get a chance to show off their pipes too. As for what icons will be sampled, the showrunners promised Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and Frank Sinatra.
The ladies got candid discussing what it's like to squeeze into those costumes. Dewan quipped, "It is tight, constricting, there's not a lot of [room for] drinking water." Heard was more transfixed with her experience, saying "You can't be in the suit for more than few seconds without feeling like you're part of the show. You're transported back to this time, to this moment in history. It's special because these costumes are just as specific as the club is, just as fantastic and imaginative. They exist nowhere else."
I was a bit surprised by how toned-down the pilot was, but apparently it's not an accident. The showrunners assured us that there's a big difference between the Playboy clubs and Playboy magazine. Bunnies aren't playmates or centerfolds, and the show favors "music" and "energy" over anything "racy" or "exploitative." That said, star Jennifer Lewis added, "The sex will be there, as it is everywhere in every show."
Hugh Hefner narrates the pilot, but that won't be the case for the rest of the season. He'll have a presence, but won't serve as the narrator.
Most of the panel's focus was on the ladies, but Eddie Cibrian did get a chance to add his two cents about prepping for his role as the dashing Nick Dalton. He said, "I looked at a lot of photos from that time, I read some books around that time and got a sense of what it felt like through a visual aspect of what these people felt in the early '60s. It was definitely a time of social revolution. It was about getting lost in a world. We're trying to invite people who've never been inside of this fantasy world, at a time politicians entertainers and mobsters all rubbed shoulders. From a nostalgia stand point, it's kinda cool for people to sit back and get lost in this world."

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Photo courtesy of NBC

NBC Announces Its Fall Premiere Schedule

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:19:59 PDT

TV addicts, take heart: Fall TV will be back before you know it, and NBC is reminding us of that fact by releasing its premiere dates for new and returning shows. In addition to the debuts of the freshman series like The Playboy Club, note the new time slot for Chuck and the absence of 30 Rock, which has been pushed to midseason.

Check out the full schedule when you

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
10:00 p.m. Parenthood (Season premiere)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
10:00 p.m. Up All Night (Series premiere)
10:30 p.m. Free Agents (Series premiere)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
8:00 p.m. The Sing-Off (Season premiere)
10:00 p.m. The Playboy Club (Series premiere)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (Season premiere)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
8:00 p.m. Up All Night (Regular time period premiere)
8:30 p.m. Free Agents (Regular time period premiere)
9:00 p.m. Harry’s Law (Season premiere)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season premiere)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
8:00 p.m. Community (Season premiere)
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation (Season premiere)
9:00 p.m. The Office (Season premiere)
9:30 p.m. Whitney (Series premiere)
10:00 p.m. Prime Suspect (Series premiere)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
9:00 p.m. Dateline NBC (Season premiere)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
8:00 p.m. Chuck (Season premiere)
9:00 p.m. Grimm (Series premiere)

Photos courtesy of NBC