What’s new on the Peacock? NBC’s partial fall roll-out laid out
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- May
- 5
NBC unveiled six new series for fall 2009 at yesterday’s network “In-Fronts” in New York.
Without a hint of commentary, here they are for your review. Check out the summaries and the official clips.
Three series not mentioned here, because they’re not technically new, are Southland, Parks and Recreation and a six-episode run of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday.
The Jay Leno Show, meanwhile is technically new, at least in its new Monday-Friday, 10-11 p.m. time slot.
Not new at all are previously announced pickups The Office, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, The Celebrity Apprentice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Friday Night Lights. I loathingly mention new reality launches The Marriage Ref (with Jerry Seinfeld, oddly), Breakthrough With Tony Robbins and Who Do You Think You Are?, which traces stars’ geneology.
Hotly anticipated word on additional pickups, including that of Chuck, will be announced May 19 at the regualr upfronts.
OK, a little bit of commentary here: I put the one I’m looking forward to most first.
COMMUNITY
From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo comes Community, a smart comedy series about higher education—and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, Community focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked, who form a study group and end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work. In addition to McHale, the series also stars: Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie and Chevy Chase.
100 QUESTIONS
James Burrows directs 100 Questions, a new comedy series written and executive-produced by Christopher Moynihan that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals—but she has yet to meet Mr. Right. When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi – who requires her to take a 100-question compatibility test. The questions aren’t easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends Leslie, Jill, Mike and Wayne. The test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship.
PARENTHOOD
From Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and writer/executive producer Jason Katims—this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family—four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. The cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos. When Sarah Braverman, a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber and Drew, she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek, and strong mother, Camille, who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings—sister, Julia, and brothers Crosby and Adam—all struggling with issues of their own, it’s clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life.
TRAUMA
Executive producer Peter Berg delivers Trauma, the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, Trauma is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city’s Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives—and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring are Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Aimee Garcia, Kevin Rankin and Jamey Sheridan.
MERCY
Mercy, a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best—its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq—and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez and Chloe Payne, Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica’s life; Diego Klattenhoff as Mike Callahan, Veronica’s husband; and Guillermo Diaz as Nurse Angel Lopez.
DAY ONE
From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander and director Alex Graves, Day One tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world’s infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors—played by Adam Campbell, Catherine Dent, Julie Gonzalo, David Lyons, Derek Mio, Carly Pope, Thekla Reuten and Addison Timlin—strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories—and heroes are born every day.
















