UPFRONT & CENTER: NBC Unveils 2008-09 Schedule

Office Spinoff to Debut After Super Bowl; 15th and Final Season for ER; Friday Night Lights to Return After DirecTV Deal

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/2/2008 7:29:00 PM

NBC unveiled its 2008-2009 schedule Wednesday, which will feature a spinoff of The Office, a third season of fan-favorite Friday Night Lights in partnership with DirecTV, and the 15th and final season of ER.

The Office spinoff, which does not yet have a title or cast, will premiere in a cushy post-Super Bowl time slot and will be produced by the same creative team as The Office, including executive producer Greg Daniels.

Following NBC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl next January, the network will premiere a new episode of The Office, followed by the premiere of the spinoff.

As expected, the network also ordered a third season of Friday Night Lights, signing a deal with DirecTV to allow the series to return. Under the terms of the deal, new episodes of FNL will premiere first on DirecTV in October, and will move to NBC sometime after the Super Bowl.

"We're all about quality TV at NBC Universal and we're beyond thrilled that we have structured an innovative deal that allows us to continue to produce and air this beloved series," said Ben Silverman, NBC co-president of entertainment, in a statement. "This landmark deal is a win-win for NBC, Universal Media Studios and DirecTV, not to mention the many passionate fans who adore Friday Night Lights."

The network also ordered a 15^th and final season of ER, its long running and much-acclaimed medical drama. Rumors of the show’s cancellation have sprung up for the past few seasons, but the announcement by NBC finalized the show’s future.

Other series pickups include:

• Knight Rider, which debuted as a backdoor pilot earlier this year;

• Kath and Kim, based on an Australian show of the same name;

• Crusoe, based on the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe;

• My Own Worst Enemy, which will star Christian Slater;

• Kings, set in a metropolis under siege;

• Merlin, a fantasy series set in Camelot but inspired by 21^st-century storytelling;

• The Philanthropist, about a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth to help people in need;

• The Listener, about a telepathic paramedic;

• SNL Thursday Night Live, which will take the “Weekend Update” segment from Saturday Night Live and transport it to Thursday in primetime. The network ordered three half-hour episodes, set to premiere in October;

• America’s Toughest Jobs and Shark Taggers, from producer Thom Beers of Deadliest Catch fame; and

• Most Outrageous Moments, which will feature outtakes from some of NBC’s most popular shows.

The network also ordered The Templar, a four-hour miniseries, about a DaVinci Code-esque mystery; and XIII, a miniseries starring Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff, which follows the aftermath of the country’s first female president getting shot during a Veteran’s Day speech.

Returning series will include Lipstick Jungle, Medium, Law & Order and L&O: Special Victims Unit.

For complete coverage of the upfronts, click here.

NBC primetime schedule for fall 2008-09 (new programs in uppercase with the exception of ER):

 

Monday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Chuck

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Heroes

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: MY OWN WORST ENEMY

 

Tuesday:

8 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: The Biggest Loser: Families

9:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: KATH &KIM

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

 

Wednesday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: KNIGHT RIDER

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Deal or No Deal

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Lipstick Jungle

 

Thursday:

8 p.m.-8:30 p.m.: My Name Is Earl

8:30 p.m.-9 p.m.: 30Rock

9 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: The Office

9:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: The Office/SNL THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: ER

 

Friday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: CRUSOE

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Deal or No Deal

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Life

 

Saturday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Dateline NBC

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: KNIGHT RIDER (encores)

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encores)

 

Sunday:

7 p.m.-8:20 p.m.: Football Night inAmerica

8:20 p.m.-11 p.m.: NBC Sunday Night Football

 

NBC primetime schedule for winter 2009 (new programs in uppercase with the exception of ER):

 

Monday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Chuck

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Heroes

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: THE PHILANTHROPIST

 

Tuesday:

8 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: The Biggest Loser: Couples

9:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: KATH &KIM

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

 

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: KNIGHT RIDER

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Deal or No Deal

10 p.m.-11 p.m. Law & Order

 

Thursday:

8 p.m.-8:30 p.m.: My Name Is Earl

8:30 p.m.-9 p.m.: 30Rock

9 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: The Office

9:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: THE OFFICE SPINOFF

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: ER/The Celebrity Apprentice

 

Friday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Deal or No Deal

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Friday Night Lights

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Life

 

Saturday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Dateline NBC

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encores)

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Law & Order (encores)

 

Sunday:

7 p.m.-8 p.m.: specials/Dateline NBC

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: specials/MERLIN

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: specials/Medium

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: specials/KINGS

 

NBC primetime schedule for winter 2009 (new programs in uppercase):

 

Monday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: American Gladiators

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: AMERICA'S TOUGHEST JOBS

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Dateline NBC

 

Tuesday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Most Outrageous Moments

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: America's Got Talent

10 p.m.-11 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encores)

 

Wednesday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: SHARK TAGGERS

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: America's Got Talent (results show)

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Law & Order (encores)

 

Thursday:

8 p.m.-8:30 p.m.: The Office (encores)

8:30 p.m.-9 p.m.: THE OFFICE SPINOFF (encores)

9 p.m.-10 p.m. Last Comic Standing

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: THE LISTENER

 

Friday:

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: CHOPPING BLOCK

9 p.m.-11 p.m.: Dateline NBC

 

Saturday:

8 p.m.-11 p.m.: drama encores

 

Sunday:

7 p.m.-8 p.m.: Dateline NBC

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Monk

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: NashvilleStar

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: KINGS (encores)