the upfronts

I have to admit this week in May is ALWAYS my favorite and least favorite time of year for tv. Shows that I absolutely love get killed and that hurts me (Already Studio 60, the Black Donnellys and Raines got killed yesterday). Seriously. But there is also the promise of the new season. New shows to complain about. New shows to absolutely love (not that there will be many of those on the hated NBC). So, without further ado, the NBC upfronts in short review. I'll add comments with each networks schedule as it becomes available (for those of you not in the know, they do one network a day).
NBC Final 2007-2008 Primetime Schedule
Monday: Deal or No Deal, Heroes, Journeyman
Tuesday: The Biggest Loser, Chuck, Law & Order: SVU
Wednesday: Deal or No Deal, Bionic Woman, Life
Thursday: My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, The Office, Scrubs, ER
Friday: Rotating Reality Block*, Las Vegas, Friday Night Lights
Saturday: Dateline NBC, Drama Series Encores
Sunday: Football Night in America, NBC Sunday Night Football
Sundays in January: Dateline NBC, Law & Order, Medium, Lipstick Jungle
*Reality Block: 1 vs. 100, followed by The Singing Bee
Other NBC Upfront News:
Heroes: Origins - spin-off of Heroes which will begin airing in its Monday night time slot when that series goes on hiatus. This new series will focus on fresh, never-before-seen characters. NBC will also include an interactive element via NBC.com where viewers will select one Heroes: Origins character to appear on Heroes the following season. The network has ordered 30 combined episodes of both series.
The Apprentice - on the bench for now but without a time slot. NBC will reassess where to place the series after all schedules are announced.
Law & Order - NBC has opted to launch the 18th season of this series in January after Sunday Night Football completes its run. Also, as a potential US Presidential Candidate, expect Fred Thompson to leave the show.
Jerry Seinfeld will return to the Peacock as he is working with DreamWorks to produce 20 live-action comedy "minisodes" that will air as interstitials on NBC recounting his experience voicing the animated film Bee Movie. The minisodes will also air on NBC.com on specific days before and after the film launches in theaters on November 2.
Law & Order: CI is not on the fall primetime schedule because it will move to USA Network for its seventh season with first-run episodes airing on USA and encores airing on NBC.
Other comedy updates - NBC has ordered 30 half-hours of The Office and five one-hour episodes, and has increased the order of My Name Is Earl to 25 episodes. So far, the network has ordered only 18 episodes of Scrubs.
What's not on the fall schedule? The Black Donnellys, Studio 60, Crossing Jordan, Raines; Thank God You're Here, The Real Wedding Crashers, and Identity.
NBC New Series Descriptions:
Journeyman - San Francisco newspaper reporter and husband/father suddenly travels through time, changing people's lives and reuniting with his former fiance. From Twentieth Century Fox Television.
Chuck - a computer geek opens a government email and downloads a server-full of confidential data into his brain, which makes him an unlikely secret agent fighting international terrorists. Produced by College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Bionic Woman - Jamie Sommers is back in this updated version of the woman who is given extraordinary powers and tries to use them for good. From NBC Universal Television Studio.
Life a detective is given a second chance, returning to the police force after spending years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Produced by NBC Universal Television Studio.
Lipstick Jungle - dramedy based on the novel by Candance Bushnell about three high-powered friends who are successful and stand by each other during life struggles. From NBC Universal Television Studio.
The IT Crowd - comedy based on a British comedy about the overlooked techies who work for a large, impersonal corporation. From NBC Universal Television Studio.
The Singing Bee - variety-competition show where contestants must sing the lyrics correctly to popular songs. Produced by the Gurin Company and Juma Entertainment, LLC.
World Moves - a talent competition series from executive producer and American Idol judge Randy Jackson featuring dance teams from around the world hoping to win an international touring contract.