Last Updated on November 5, 2017
The big story at NBC for the fall, naturally, is that Jay Leno is moving from the traditional 11:35pm slot up to 10:00pm.  Depending on who’s telling the story, it’s either the greatest thing that could ever happen to NBC, or the greatest thing that could happen to the other networks, including cable.
I think Leno has enough popularity to pull viewers in at 10 as long as they don’t have a favorite scripted drama on at that time elsewhere.  Think of it this way:  let’s say you’re big into CSI: Miami, for example.  On Monday night, you’re going to CBS at 10; you can even tell yourself, “Hey, I’ll just catch Jay tomorrow night.”  The biggest question will be what will happen on nights that you have your favorite show at 10 and your favorite stars as Jay’s guests.  Grab that DVR!
The 10:00pm hour is important to local stations because they want a strong performance there in the hopes that those viewers will spill over into their own 11:00pm late local newscasts.
Beyond the Leno experiment, NBC has another interesting plan: they’re actually trying to split the season into two: a fall and spring lineup.
New dramas this fall will include Trauma, billed as at an action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions: paramedics. Parenthood, based on the Ron Howard movie, focuses on four siblings facing the ups and downs of being parents.
In the spring, Day One appears, focusing on the aftermath of some sort of major catastrophe. I think this was done recently, but Jericho just couldn’t keep an audience. Maybe NBC execs can figure out their favorite snack food, work that into the script, and then when Day One is facing cancellation, maybe a band of loyal, determined viewers will inundate them with their fave food!
For laughs this fall, NBC is offering the comedies SNL Weekend Update Thursday, which as you can guess takes one of Saturday Night Live’s most popular regular segments and stretches it out to thirty minutes. Community, set in an offbeat community college for assorted misfits will star The Soup’s Joel McHale.
At midseason, in marches 100 Questions, which you’d think might be a game show, but is instead is a comedy about a popular online dating site. And Mercy focuses on a hospital from the nurses’ point of view.  If they want a hospital comedy, why did they dump Scrubs?
Reality show The Marriage Ref, produced by Jerry Seinfeld. Self-help guru Tony Robbins will host Breakthrough and Who Do You Think You Are? will look at the backstories of your favorite celebrities. Clearly, we don’t have enough shows about celebrities.
