NBC's 2009-2010 Series Pick-Ups; WGN America Minor Schedule Changes

Monday, May 04, 2009

NBC's 2009-2010 Series Pick-Ups; WGN America Minor Schedule Changes

NBC unveiled today programming for the 2009-2010 television season announcing the pickups of six new series featuring four new dramas including Trauma, Parenthood, Mercy and the event series Day One, as well as two new comedies including Community (single camera) and 100 Questions (four camera). It will be announced in two weeks which are for the fall and which are for midseason, but Day One is midseason. Four returning series pickups were also announced today including Heroes, Southland, Parks and Recreation and the addition of six new episodes of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday skewering today's top stories in live half-hour primetime shows.
The new and returning series will launch next season and the epic event series Day One is slated to premiere out of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with a two-hour event.
The Jay Leno Show will be broadcast Monday-Fridays, 10-11 p.m. ET beginning in the fall, slated for the second week of September. Previously announced series pickups include The Office, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, The Celebrity Apprentice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Friday Night Lights, and new alternative series The Marriage Ref, Breakthrough With Tony Robbins and Who Do You Think You Are?
View video clips of the new series.
NOTE: Additional series pickups will be announced May 19, when NBC announces its 2009-2010 schedule. So this means the fate of series such as My Name is Earl, Chuck, Medium, and Law & Order will be revealed during that week. I expect two of those to get cut, but knowing how desperate NBC is, they might all return. NBC will likely stock-up shows for midseason just in case Jay Leno Show is a big bust. We could get more new series announcements then too, such as David E. Kelley's Legally Mad.
View the details on the announced new series. And stay tuned in two weeks for the actual fall schedule, but before that come on back next week for our schedule predictions week!

WGN America has made some minor schedule changes. It seems new series Around The World For Free is not doing that well in the ratings on Thursday nights at 9pm ET. WGN America will move it to Mondays starting tonight, but tonight they will repeat the first two episodes from 8-10pm ET, before it joins the Monday schedule next week (May 11) at 9pm ET following an episode of AFV. Around the World for Free will also encore at 12am ET on Mondays replacing a Bob and Tom Show airing which moves to 4am ET on Mondays. That will cut the Corner Gas triple shot from 4am-5:30am to just a half-hour at 5am. Not to worry, because Corner Gas will be added to Tuesday nights starting May 12 from 4am-5:30am ET replacing Moesha. Moesha will slide over to Wednesday nights from 4am-5:30am replacing Sister, Sister which is off the schedule. Both Moesha and Sister, Sister were slated to leave the schedule after June as we previously mentioned, so Sister, Sister is leaving earlier than planned. Moesha will still leave after June. Fortunately, both shows are on other cable networks (Moesha on The N and Sister, Sister on ABC Family).
Anyway, replacing the original Around the World for Free airing on Thursdays will be various specials. Slated Thursdays at 9pm are Funniest Wedding Outtakes, Funny Things Kids Do, World's Most Shocking Moments Caught On Tape, and That Moment! With Jake Steinfeld. The specials will air out of WWE Superstars.
View the full list of changes happening on WGN America starting next week.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Monday, January 17

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Knockout" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
As Dave nears his 40th birthday, Calvin offers to coach his friend for an amateur boxing tournament. Also, sparks fly when Marty meets a new woman at the gym.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Cats in a Bathtub" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Bob accidentally reveals Morenike is gay, Abishola and Kemi are forced to defend her against their church, and even their own families. Also, Douglas comes clean to Olivia about not being poor.

Kenan - "Hustle and Flow" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Kenan and Aubrey clash when he refuses to see that she's growing up; while Gary pursues a controversial revenue stream on social media, Mika, Tami and Pam are inspired to show him the downside.

Kenan - "Dating App" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
With Gary's help, Kenan signs up for a dating app that he might not be ready for while Rick has an interesting date of his own; Mika and Pam strategize to help Tami when she is caught in an unflattering situation by a tabloid photographer.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 17)

Monday, January 17

Daveed Diggs (Central Park/black-ish) - Watch Daveed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about Snowpiercer on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Aidy Bryant (Shrill) - Aidy appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
John Early (The Afterparty/Search Party) - John is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jenifer Lewis (black-ish/The PJs) - Jenifer will be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Ricky Gervais (After Life/The Office) - Ricky talks about the third season of After Party on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) and Finesse Mitchell (Outmatched/A.N.T. Farm) - Kym and Finesse guest host The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl talks about Abbott Elementary on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Fortune Feimster (Kenan/Bless the Harts/Sunnyside/Champions) - Fortune is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael talks about his trip into space on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Ed Helms (Rutherford Falls/The Office) and Randall Park Fresh Off the Boat/Veep) - Ed and Randall talk about Peacock's True Story with Ed and Randall on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Hilary Duff (How I Met Your Father/Younger/Lizzie McGuire) - Hilary talks about How I Met Your Father on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?/Romantically Challenged) - Alyssa talks about Netflix's Brazen on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.