NBC Fall (?) Annotated

[Mark Jeffries]

No announced premiere date yet, but with Universal City going back into production mode this week (if not theme park mode), NBC has decided to go ahead with a fall schedule that is very familiar, even with the one new show.  It's according to tvguide.com, new show in all caps, the asterisk means it'll be on Peacock in one week for the cheap tier and next day on the premium tier (which is free--with ads--to Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers):

MONDAY

8/7c - The Voice--Showrunner Audrey Morrissey vows that this cycle will be entirely at Universal City, even if they have to avoid a studio audience, since trying to do the show with Microsoft Teams from remote locations was a bear.  Cowboy Blake's GF Gwen Stefani rejoins the panel this time in what was Nick Jonas' seat, with recently-divorced Kelly Clarkson and happily-married John Legend also returning.

10/9c - Manifest*

TUESDAY

8/7c - The Voice

9/8c - This Is Us*

10/9c - New Amsterdam*

WEDNESDAY

8/7c - Chicago Med*

9/8c - Chicago Fire*

10/9c - Chicago P.D.*

THURSDAY

8/7c -  Superstore*--America Ferrera will not be back.

8:30/7:30c - Brooklyn Nine-Nine

9/8c - Law & Order SVU*

10/9c - LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME*--The seventh scripted entry in the "L&O" franchise, and considering both the current atmosphere regarding police work (where #DefundthePolice could also mean #DefundDickWolf) and the fact that entries 4 through 6, "Trial by Jury," "LA" and "True Crime:  The Melendez Brothers" were all ratings bombs (but oh, that One Chicago franchise), it's almost a wonder that it's on the schedule.  The saving grace might be that that it's about the NYPD's department that goes after Da Boys and not anything #BLM.  Also, it's the return of Christopher Meloni as Elliott Stabler, although "SVU" hasn't needed him as long as Mariska's around.  Let's see what happens.

FRIDAY

8/7c - The Blacklist*

9/8c - Dateline NBC*

SATURDAY

8/7c - Dateline Saturday Night Mystery*

10/9c - Saturday Night Live* (encores)

"SNL" first run shows remain live in all time zones.

SUNDAY

7/6c - Football Night in America

8:20/7:20c - NBC Sunday Night Football

MID-SEASON:  In scripted shows, "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" and "Good Girls" will be back.  Now let's go back to last year's upfront:

"THE KENAN SHOW"--"SNL"'s MVP (and I think even Sikula will grudgingly agree) Kenan Thompson stars in a one-camera family comedy that has Chris Rock's involvement (and Lorne Michaels, although that is to be expected).  Its mid-season placement allows Thompson to continue on "SNL" (and he's hosting the summer reality comp "Bring the Funny").  Of course it's in-house.

It turned out that Thompson was a judge on "Bring the Funny" (and that show only lasted one season).

And back to today:

"MR. MAYOR"--Ted Danson is back as a wealthy businessman that becomes against all odds mayor of Los Angeles and doesn't have a clue how to govern.  Sound like the 2016 Presidential race?  It's a one-camera from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock and in-house.

"YOUNG ROCK"--Think Young Sheldon with ass-kicking.  It's Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a little boy in Hawaii.  Nahnatchka Khan ("Fresh Off the Boat") showruns in her first series for Universal Television and NBC (after 20th and ABC, although before Disney took 20th over).

In unscripted "Ellen's Game of Games" will be back (and why do these idiot contestants keep begging for Ellen not to give them the punishment when they've watched these damn games on this show and her talk show and know how they end?), along with:

"THAT'S MY JAM!"--Those music games from the Fallon "Tonight Show" (Wheel of Musical Impressions, History of Rap), with celebrity guests (and no civilians?) and Fallon not hosting.  In-house, no host yet to be announced.

'TRUE STORY"--Actors, some of them famous, re-enact stories from the lives of real people in this Americanization of the Australian series of the same title, with Ed Helms and Randall Park as hosts.  In-house, with Mike Darnell's reality division of Warner Bros.

'SMALL FORTUNE"--Contestants compete to complete stunts on dollhouse-size sets for big money in this Americanization of a British series.  No host yet, in-house.

OK ABC, it's your turn.

[Bob Jersey]

Cast (mostly newcomers) announced for "Young Rock": https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/dwayne-johnson-young-rock-nbc-comedy-main-cast-1234785844/ (link)

Mark Jeffries, from the network announcement in June:

"YOUNG ROCK"--Think Young Sheldon with ass-kicking.  It's Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a little boy in Hawaii.  Nahnatchka Khan ("Fresh Off the Boat") showruns in her first series for Universal Television and NBC (after 20th and ABC, although before Disney took 20th over).

B