Friday, March 13, 2009

NBC Announces Summer 2009 Schedule; Nick Upfront, Includes Details on Nick at Nite's Glenn Martin

NBC will serve up a sizzling menu of new and returning summer series -- accented by all-new original scripted programming with the series premieres of The Philanthropist, Merlin and The Listener - and paced by the new alternative series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and Great American Road Trip plus the return of summer's top-rated America's Got Talent. I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, based on the international hit from Granada America, will debut as a two-hour television event on Monday, June 1 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT and will be stripped over four weeks in June from Mon-Thurs in the 8pm hour. The series was briefly brought over to the U.S. in 2003 on ABC.
In addition, NBC's season finales of Medium, Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order and the premiere of The Listener will provide additional primetime momentum at 10 p.m. for the inaugural week of The Tonight Show Starring Conan O'Brien beginning Monday, June 1 from 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET/PT. NBC's eventful summer will also include the action-packed original miniseries Meteor and The Storm. In addition, Law & Order: Criminal Intent episodes from USA Network will join the NBC lineup for its 16 new episodes.
Check out the full NBC summer schedule that starts June 1 basically.

Nickelodeon had their upfront yesterday, and of course Nick at Nite was there. They announced talent for their upcoming original animated comedy. Also, two Nickelodeon channels are renaming (more on that below), but first...
A star-studded voice-over cast featuring Kevin Nealon (Weeds, Anger Management), Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration, Chicken Little) and Judy Greer (27 Dresses, Miss Guided) has been tapped for Nick at Nite's upcoming stop-motion animated comedy, Glenn Martin, DDS set to premiere this Summer. The first television production to come from Michael Eisner's Tornante Animation, Glenn Martin, DDS follows a beleaguered dentist and his family trading in the suburbs for life on the road. Crisscrossing the country, the Martins are beset by an array of colorful locals and crazy situations in locations ranging from Las Vegas to Amish Country. Many of the characters they encounter are voiced by enough instantly recognizable guest stars to fill a parking lot of RVs, including: Chrissie Hynde, Betty White, Gene Simmons, Wendie Malick and more.
Each of season one's 20 episodes follows the life of Glenn Martin (Kevin Nealon), who yearns for a change of scenery and a deeper connection with his family. Determined to bring the family closer together, Glenn takes the Martins on a road trip to protest the destruction of a beloved childhood park. As things unravel right from the get-go, the family is forced to make the dental-mobile - replete with a giant decorative toothbrush on the roof - their new home. Glenn, Jackie and Courtney (Jackie Clarke) - an 11-year-old future corporate maven who brings along her personal assistant, Wendy (Judy Greer), a 14-year-old North Korean exile - and son, Conor (Peter Oldring), the 13-year-old hormone-addled tween who's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed--quickly learn when hitting the road that the road can sometimes hit back in unexpected ways. The Martins are accompanied on their journey by the family dog, Canine, who's pronounced buttocks only add to the hilarity.
In other Nickelodeon upfront news, The N will be renamed to TEENick Network later this year, likely the fall. That is not all... Noggin will also be renamed. Noggin will be renamed to Nick Jr. Nickelodeon had programming blocks on their network for TEENick and Nick Jr. and they will now be dropped. The name changing for both networks is because Nickelodeon wants to show their Nickelodeon brand on all their channels so instantly they know what to expect such as Nick at Nite, TEENick, Nick Jr., and NickToons TV.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, March 30

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Things We Do for Love" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Marty meets Courtney’s intimidating father to ask for his blessing, but Clancy’s (Anthony Anderson) cryptic response sends Calvin and Tina digging for answers. Meanwhile, Gemma and Dave are stunned by Grover’s tattoo.

DMV - "Gilbert" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Colette and Gregg convince Vic to foster a dog and help him clean up his act to meet the dog rescuer Howie’s (Thomas Lennon) high standards. Meanwhile, Ceci tries to repay Barb by boosting Noa’s processing time, mainly by toning down his hotness.

St. Denis Medical - "Here a Righteous Woman Comes" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Joyce hosts a ribbon-cutting for the birthing center; Matt and Serena take on an awkward assignment; Ron tries to knock out a quick physical before his fishing trip.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "The World Is Full of Beaks" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin tries to keep his personal life separate from the documentary, but Reggie doesn't make it easy for him; Monica helps Brina with her music career.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 30)

Monday, March 30