The first of the network upfronts is out, covering NBC’s fall schedule. Here are my thoughts and what I anticipate I will be covering in one degree or another next season. The following is the schedule released by the network on 13 May 2012:
NBC FALL 2012-13 SCHEDULE
*New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)
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”
SATURDAY
Encore programming
SUNDAY (Fall 2012)
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”
SUNDAY (Post-football/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”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”
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Mondays
NBC managed to get my attention early with the pickup of the Abrams/Kripke show “Revolution”. Hopefully it will pick up the audience it deserves!
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Tuesday
Just like last season, 4 out of the 6 hours early in the week are dominated by reality programming. That’s sickening. Tuesdays will not be an NBC night for me, since the new comedies don’t really speak to me, either.
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Wednesday
Another night that seems stuck in the past. The new comedies don’t distinguish themselves, “Law and Order: SVU” was on the bubble for a reason, and “Chicago Fire” sounds like another Dick Wolf cookie-cutter production.
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Thursday
I’ve not been interested in much of the Thursday night comedy block for a while. I’m not sure how “The Office” has survived this long, but I’ve been saying that for a while.
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Friday
NBC made a nice move by bringing back “Community”, but I swear they have joined the other networks by punishing the passionate and tossing another cult favorite on Friday nights. I also wish they could have moved “Grimm”, which looks to remain opposite “Fringe” and “Supernatural”. Of course, that just means that NBC’s shows will continue to be DVR fare.
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Saturday/Sunday
Reruns and football. At least there’s hope with the football. Once football is done, the lineup is mind-numbing. The only real point of possible new interest is “Do No Harm”, but sadly, this latest attempt at a high concept show is produced by the minds behind “The Event” and “Ringer”. Which, for me, is an automatic no-go.
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Mid-Season
“Infamous” is the kind of show where you can read the summary, and still have no idea what it’s supposed to be about. It sounds like a soap, so I have little interest. “Hannibal” has the Bryan Fuller as the main producer, but is this a concept that can work as a weekly TV series?
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Final Verdict
“Chuck” and “Awake” are gone, but “Grimm” remains. With the addition of “Revolution”, I think there are two shows that are certain to get coverage on Critical Myth in the fall season.
