NBC Tweaks Fall Schedule, Unveils New Development Deals

LOS ANGELES, July 16: Ben Silverman, the new co-chairman of
NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, issued a raft of announcements
at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour today, including tweaks
to NBC’s fall schedule and several new programming initiatives, among them a
celebrity version of The Apprentice, a
new dramedy from Normal Lear and an unscripted series with Criss Angel and Uri
Geller based on SevenOne International’s The Successor.

NBC’s fall season premieres the week of September 24. The
network is moving the new comedic spy thriller Chuck from Tuesdays at 9 p.m. to Mondays at 8 p.m.,
bumping Deal or No Deal to
Fridays at 8 p.m. Also on Fridays, Friday Night Lights will switch places with Las Vegas, moving up an hour to 9 p.m.

In addition, NBC will expand The Biggest Loser to 90 minutes on Tuesdays, leading into The
Singing Bee at 9:30 p.m.

"We can't wait for the new season to begin and we
believe that these programming changes will allow for a powerhouse Monday night
with Chuck, Heroes and Journeyman," said Silverman. "On Tuesdays, the 90-minute The
Biggest Loser has always performed well and
will fit perfectly with our new summer hit The Singing Bee. On Fridays, we can hammock Friday Night
Lights between two proven hits—Deal
or No Deal and Las Vegas, with new cast member Tom Selleck."

All of NBC's prime-time entertainment series will bow during
the week of September 24 with the exception of The Biggest Loser (Tuesday, September 11), 30 Rock (Thursday, October 4), Friday Night Lights (Friday, October 5) and Scrubs (Thursday, October 25).

In addition, NBC has signed a series deal with Emmy
Award-winning television producer Norman Lear (All in the Family) to join Reveille, Act III Productions and Universal
Media Studios in producing a one-hour dramedy focused on a mother who reenters
the work force and is pitted against her late husband's ruthless partner in a
money-charged battle of the sexes on Wall Street.

Silverman commented: "Norman Lear is an idol of mine
and bringing his voice back to network television is the fulfillment of a
personal dream. The series will push the envelope by tackling gender issues
through comedy, character and emotion."

NBC also revealed today that Isaiah Washington, recently
axed from ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, will
guest-star in an arc of five episodes on the new drama series Bionic
Woman. Universal Media Studios is also
developing an action-series project with Washington. Furthermore, the studio
has entered into an exclusive first-look deal with independent film producer
Charles Corwin, and has named Gary Scott Thompson, creator of Las
Vegas, as the executive producer of the
U.S. English-language version of the Colombian telenovela Sin Tetas
No Hay Paraiso/Without Breasts
There Is No Paradise. "We are looking
to take bold steps in our development slate and these are only a few of our
ambitious efforts that are in the creative pipeline," said Silverman.
"As is evident, these programs are in different stages of development and
are indicative of the fact that we are aggressively targeting a variety of
arenas and talents."

On the unscripted programming end, NBC has signed a series
deal with Criss Angel and Uri Geller for Phenomenon, a live competition series in which both men will
conduct an intensive search for the next great mentalist. "The match-up of
two world-famous personalities, Uri Geller and Criss Angel—who have
demonstrated astounding skills—makes for a riveting series format,"
said Silverman. "Factor in the mystery of the genre, the live competitive
angle as the contestants attempt to follow in Criss and Uri's footsteps, and
incredible interactive applications, and we think viewers will have many
compelling reasons to watch."

Phenomenon is a
Granada America/Keshet Broadcasting/Kuperman Productions co-production in
association with SevenOne International.

Lastly, NBC has renewed The Apprentice for mid-season; in the new version, celebrity
contestants will vie for Donald Trump's attention. Contestants will be raising
money for various charities throughout the competition.