NBC Announces New & Returning Series

NEW YORK: Heroes, Southland and Parks and Recreation are among the shows returning to NBC’s lineup for the 2009-2010 season, alongside a host of new pickups, including four drama series.

In all, NBC announced six new pickups. New dramas heading to the network are Parenthood from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and writer/executive producer Jason Katims, a contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film; Trauma, a medical series focused on first responder paramedics; Mercy, a medical drama coming from the point of view of nurses; and Day One, which tells the story of life on Earth following a global catastrophe. Brand-new comedies for NBC are 100 Questions, following a woman who is looking for love but ends up on a journey of self-discovery, and Community from directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Arrested Development). Community looks at the student body at Greendale Community College, which is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives and old people who want to keep their minds active.

Four returning series pickups were also announced. These were Heroes, Southland, Parks and Recreation and the addition of six new episodes of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday aired as a live half-hour prime-time show.

The new and returning lineup will launch next season and the event series Day One is slated to premiere out of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The Jay Leno Show will be broadcast weekdays at 10 p.m. beginning in the fall. NBC has already announced the pickups for The Office, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, The Celebrity Apprentice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Friday Night Lights, and new alternative series The Marriage Ref, Breakthrough With Tony Robbins and Who Do You Think You Are?

NBC announced the pickups for the upcoming broadcast season today at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, the first of a series of presentations to key advertisers. Presentations will continue in Chicago on May 7 and Los Angeles on May 12. Additional series pickups will be announced May 19, when NBC announces its 2009-2010 schedule.

"We are thrilled to be announcing such an awesome slate of new series that build on our existing quality brand and deliver emotional, human stories," said Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "NBC will strive to make viewers feel and our shows represent the full range of human emotion from laughter to tears. We can’t wait to share these concepts with our audience and our advertising partners."

"These new series will showcase fresh talent and bold, original concepts that are extremely well executed," added Angela Bromstad, the president of primetime entertainment for NBC and Universal Media Studios. "We are grateful to the producers, casts and crews—and our team—who have delivered incredibly compelling and entertaining new series."