NBC Unveils Prime-Time Lineup

NEW YORK: There are three new comedies that will be anchoring NBC’s Thursday night schedule, announced alongside a number of dramas and hit returning series, including a new season of The Voice.

The new comedies are Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show. For midseason, NBC has lined up the comedies The Family Guide and About a Boy.

New dramas set for the network are The Blacklist, Ironside and Dracula. The midseason drama highlights are Believe, Crisis and Crossbones.

The network has also ordered the dramas Chicago PD and The Night Shift and the comedy Undateable for midseason.

In the way of alternative series, the 2013-14 season will include The Million Second Quiz and American Dream Builders. Returning to the schedule are The Biggest Loser and The Sing-Off. Food Fighters will be a midseason show.

Returning hits include Grimm, Parenthood, Law & Order: SVU, Revolution, Chicago Fire, Parks and Recreation and Community. Celebrity Apprentice has been renewed, but the fate of Fashion Star, Hannibal and Betty White’s Off Their Rockers remain unanswered.

The Voice will get a fifth season starting in September, airing Mondays at 8 p.m.

Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment, said, “The overriding strategy this year was to develop enough strong comedies and dramas to take advantage of the promotional heft of the Winter Olympics and devise two schedules for the upcoming season: one for fall and a slightly different one for midseason. I’m pleased to say that our development groups—headed by Jennifer Salke (scripted) and Paul Telegdy (alternative/reality)—really delivered.” He added, “This is the most robust and highest-testing slate of new shows we have had in years.”

Greenblatt continued, “And aside from our Olympics planning, we also wanted to create better flow and compatibility on each night, and deploy our strongest lead-in (The Voice) to maximum effect.

“Sunday in the fall remains the night to beat with Sunday Night Football. After football and the Olympics are over, we will launch two classy, attention-getting dramas in February: Believe from J.J. Abrams, and Crisis starring Dermot Mulroney and Gillian Anderson. We think it’s time for big dramas again on Sunday nights. And leading into these dramas at 8 p.m. will be an exciting home renovation competition hosted by Nate Berkus called American Dream Builders.

“Monday and Tuesday will again dominate with The Voice. Our highly anticipated new James Spader drama The Blacklist deserves to go into the 10 p.m. slot on Monday, and we’re moving Chicago Fire, a show we really believe in, to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays to benefit from The Voice lead-in that will be at 9 p.m. in the fall.

“After the Olympics, however, The Voice moves back to 8 p.m. on Tuesday so that we can launch two of our strongest new family comedies in the 9 p.m. hour: About a Boy and The Family Guide. Landing more comedy on the schedule is important and using The Voice as a lead-in after the Olympics is the strongest way to do that.

“I believe we’ll have a more compatible Wednesday lineup with three dramas: Revolution, Law & Order: SVU and Ironside, starring Blair Underwood, which is another new show we’ve very high on.

“Thursday will have a family theme, starting with a two-hour comedy block from 8-10 p.m. anchored by strong stars: Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation, Mike O’Malley in Welcome to the Family, Sean Hayes in Sean Saves the World and the new Michael J. Fox Show. Then at 10 p.m. Parenthood moves in to top off the night with what I know is the best family drama on television.

“On Fridays, anchored by Grimm at 9 p.m., we will have a more fun genre night with the limited-series Dracula, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers at 10 p.m. In the spring, Crossbones—with John Malkovich as the infamous pirate Blackbeard—replaces Dracula,” said Greenblatt.