NBC PRESENTS POST-WINTER OLYMPICS PRIMETIME SCHEDULE BEGINNING MARCH 1
January 14, 2010 by J!-ENT · View Comments
New Premiere Dates Set for “Parenthood” (March 2) and “The Marriage Ref” (March 4); New Series Join the Lineup Including “Who Do You Think You Are?” (March 5) and “Minute to Win It” (March 14); “Friday Night Lights” Returns April 30
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – January 14, 2010 – NBC unveiled its new post-Winter Olympics primetime program schedule today. The new drama series “Parenthood” will premiere on Tuesday, March 2 (10-11 p.m. ET) and the comedy panel series “The Marriage Ref” from Jerry Seinfeld will premiere Thursday, March 4 (10-11 p.m. ET) after its sneak preview on Sunday, February 28 (10:30-11 p.m. ET) following NBC’s coverage of the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
In addition, the new alternative series “Who Do You Think You Are?” from Lisa Kudrow will premiere Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET) and the new game show “Minute to Win It” joins the lineup on Sunday, March 14 (8-9 p.m. ET). Also, “Friday Night Lights” will begin a new broadcast season on NBC on Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET) starting April 30 after “Who Do You Think You Are?” concludes its run.
The long-running series “Law & Order” continues its 20th season debuting on a new night with a two-hour telecast (9-11 p.m. ET) on Monday, March 1 before settling into its regular time period the following week, Monday, March 8 (10-11 p.m. ET). “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will move to Wednesdays at 10-11 p.m. (ET) beginning March 3. Encore episodes will air at 9-10 p.m. (ET) followed by original episodes (10-11 p.m. ET). “Trauma” returns to the schedule Monday, March 8 (9-10 p.m. ET).
“Parenthood” is a one-hour drama inspired by the box-office comedy hit of the same name that debuts Tuesday, March 2 (10-11 p.m. ET). The re-imagined and updated production introduces audiences to the large and colorful yet imperfect Braverman family and features an all-star cast that includes Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Erika Christensen, and Bonnie Bedelia among others. Serving as executive producers are Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”), Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”) – who wrote the pilot episode – and David Nevins (“Friday Night Lights,” “Arrested Development”). Emmy Award winner Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing”) is the director and executive producer of the pilot. “Parenthood” is from Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios.
“The Marriage Ref” – which has a special sneak preview following the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics on February 28 – is NBC’s new comedy panel series about the unpredictable and hilarious institution commonly known as marriage. It features comedian/actor Tom Papa, who was personally selected by executive producer Jerry Seinfeld to host and serve as the “marriage ref.” The show will premiere in its regular slot on Thursdays (10-11 p.m. ET) beginning March 4.
“The Marriage Ref” is produced by Seinfeld’s Columbus 81 Productions and Ellen Rakieten Entertainment. Seinfeld, Ellen Rakieten (“The Oprah Winfrey Show”), Shed Media’s Nick Emmerson (“Supernanny”) and Jennifer O’Connell (“Supernanny”), Al Berman (“The Biggest Loser Live Finale,” “The Celebrity Apprentice Live Finale”), Howard West (“Seinfeld”) and George Shapiro (“Seinfeld”) serve as executive producers. International distribution is by Endemol.
“Who Do You Think You Are?” premieres Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET) and gives viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today’s most beloved and iconic celebrities. Among the celebrities featured are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. Ancestry.com is NBC’s official partner on the series. From executive producer Kudrow (“Friends,” “The Comeback”) – in conjunction with her production company Is or Isn’t Entertainment and the U.K.’s Wall to Wall productions – “Who Do You Think You Are?” is an adaptation of the hit BBC television documentary series created and executive-produced by Alex Graham.
“Who Do You Think You Are?” is produced by Wall to Wall productions (a Shed Media Company) in association with Is or Isn’t Entertainment. Alex Graham and Lucy Carter from Wall to Wall and Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky and Don Roos from Is or Isn’t Entertainment are the executive producers. Bryn Freedman is the co-executive producer.
All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”) will host NBC’s new game show “Minute to Win It” as it debuts on Sunday, March 14 (8-9 p.m. ET). Fieri will serve as master of ceremonies and will lead competitors through a series of simple, yet nerve-wracking games that can reward them a $1 million prize. Over eight one-hour episodes, competitors will face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items. Each game has a 60-second time limit and failure to finish the task on time will eliminate the contestant. At various points throughout the game, the contestant can walk away with the money earned up to that point – but it’ll take nerves of steel to complete all 10 tasks to win $1 million.
“Minute to Win It” is produced by Universal Media Studios with Friday Television. Craig Plestis, Tim Puntillo (NBC’s “Identity”), Mattias Olsson and Jock Millgardh serve as executive producers.
The new post-Olympics program schedule grid follows (all times ET); new series are in upper case.
MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. – “Trauma” (beginning March 
10-11 p.m. -”Law & Order” (returns March 1 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m. (ET); resumes in regular time slot March
TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. – “PARENTHOOD” (premieres March 2)
WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Mercy”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encores beginning March 3)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (originals beginning March 3)
THURSDAYS
8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “30 Rock”
10-11 p.m. – “THE MARRIAGE REF” (premieres March 4; sneak preview February 28)
FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” (premieres March 5; “Friday Night Lights” returns on April 30)
9-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC” (begins March 5)
SATURDAYS (all beginning March 6)
8-9 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser” (encore episode)
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order” (encore episode)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore episode)
SUNDAYS (all beginning March 14)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “MINUTE TO WIN IT” (premieres March 14)
9-11 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice” (season premiere March 14)
NBC UNIVERSAL AND DIRECTV TEAM UP AGAIN TO RENEW ‘FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ FOR 26 EPISODES OVER TWO ADDITIONAL SEASONS
March 31, 2009 by J!-ENT · View Comments
Innovative Partnership That Began Last Year Continues as 26 New Episodes Will Be Produced with 13 Episodes Airing During Each of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 Seasons
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. and EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. – March 31, 2009 – NBC Universal and DIRECTV — the nation’s leading satellite television provider – have extended their innovative and multi-platform partnership from last year to produce 26 episodes that would launch the fourth and fifth seasons of the critically acclaimed drama series, “Friday Night Lights.” The series would air first on DIRECTV and then subsequently on NBC with 13 episodes each during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
DIRECTV would have exclusive rights to the 13 new episodes for each of the series’ fourth and fifth seasons on DIRECTV’s entertainment channel “The 101 Network.”
Last year’s arrangement provided for 13 new episodes to be produced. Specific broadcast dates for the new installments on both NBC and DIRECTV will be announced later.
The announcements were made by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, and Marc Graboff, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, and Eric Shanks, Executive Vice President of Entertainment for DIRECTV. The deal was brokered by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.
The series is executive-produced by Peter Berg (the film “Friday Night Lights”), Jason Katims (“Roswell”), Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer (“Frost/Nixon” “The Da Vinci Code”) and David Nevins (“Arrested Development”), Sarah Aubrey (“The Kingdom”) and director Jeffrey Reiner (“Caprica”).
“We’re proud that a deal for the renewal of ‘Friday Night Lights’ has been reached,” said Silverman. “It is one of the best shows in the history of television and we’ve worked hard to keep it alive for future seasons. NBC Universal has been at the forefront of creative deals such as these, which ultimately benefit audiences, critics and advertisers alike.”
“Once again, this is a triumph for all parties and a vindication of this show’s quality and enduring appeal,” said Graboff. “We have enjoyed our successful business partnership with DIRECTV over the last year in keeping the ‘Lights’ on, and this deal symbolizes our strong desire to facilitate new creative ventures that will keep NBC Universal moving forward.”
“The first year of our “Friday Night Lights” partnership with NBC and UMS has been both extremely successful and uniquely gratifying for everyone involved,” said Shanks. “We’re very happy that we’ll be able to continue giving our customers something rare and special that they can’t get with cable. Everyone at DIRECTV is more than ready to take the journey back to Dillon, Texas.”
Expanding on the hit feature film and best-selling book “Friday Night Lights,” the award-winning “Friday Night Lights” centers on life in Dillon, Texas, where high school football brings the community together — and the drama of small town life threatens to tear it apart.
Coach Eric Taylor (Emmy nominee Kyle Chandler, “”The Day the Earth Stood Still”), his wife Tami (Connie Britton, “24″) have faced countless challenges over the course of the last three school years; juggling responsibilities between family, work and pressures from the community, and raising their teenaged daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden, “90210″). The past school year brought a wave of change to Dillon, including the arrival of the affluent McCoy family, including Joe (D.W. Moffat, “Grey’s Anatomy”) and Katie (Janine Turner, “Strong Medicine”) and their freshman son, rising star quarterback J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter, “CSI:” Miami”). The McCoy’s befriended all the right people in town — except for Coach Eric Taylor, who felt challenged and threatened by the power they wielded. Coach Taylor and Tami try to quickly recover from Joe McCoy’s premeditated political play, which forced Coach Taylor out as the Panther’s head coach. The Taylor’s now find themselves adjusting to these changes and open to the new possibilities that lay ahead at rival East Dillon High.
Additionally, the graduating senior class took a step closer to adulthood as they rode out their last year of high school. Tyra Colette (Adrianne Palicki, “Supernatural”) sorted out her feelings for Landy (Jesse Plemons, “Shrink”) and did her best to stay on track with her academics and college applications; Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) and Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly, “The Kingdom”) spent their last year examining their friendship and future as a couple. That which should have been the best year for senior quarterback Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford, “The Last Winter”) proved to be a difficult one, as he dealt with his ailing grandmother’s needs, rebuilding a relationship with his mother and increasing competition to get playtime on the field. Meanwhile, Jason Street (Scott Porter, “Speed Racer”) and Brian “Smash” Williams (Gaius, Charles, “The Messenger”) make bold decisions to pursue new opportunities and lives outside of Dillon.
Hailed as one of the Top-10 shows by numerous publications such as Time magazine, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times, “Friday Night Lights” also has been honored two years in a row (2006/2007) as an American Film Institute (AFI) Television Program of the Year, received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award in 2006 and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series in 2007.
“Friday Night Lights” is a production of Universal Media Studios, Imagine Entertainment and Film 44.
Tags: American Entertainment News, Friday Night Lights, NBCFRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: SEASON THREE ON DVD FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
February 12, 2009 by J!-ENT · View Comments
OVERVIEW: From executive producers Peter Berg (The Kingdom) and Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code) comes the third season of the critically acclaimed, Emmy® winning series Friday Night Lights, inspired by the best-selling novel and theatrical film, Friday Night Lights. Thanks to the talented ensemble cast led by Kyle Chandler (King Kong) and Connie Britton (24), Friday Night Lights provides a heartfelt look at life in the small town of Dillon, Texas. All 13 episodes of Friday Night Lights are available in 5.1 Surround Sound in this must-own four-disc collection which includes exclusive bonus features.
BONUS FEATURES:
• Deleted scenes, including 13 minutes of a lost storyline from the emotionally-charged climatic finale
• Audio commentaries
SYNOPSIS: One of the most compelling, heartfelt and intense TV series of all time – Friday Night Lights – returns to more acclaim with 13 groundbreaking Season Three episodes. Return to Dillon, Texas, where the close-knit residents face new challenges and uncertainties as they deal with the day-to-day pressures of life transitions, heartbreak and hardships. Featuring a powerful all-star cast led by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights is the realistic series that has received unrivaled recognition from Time, Entertainment Weekly, the Primetime Emmy® Awards, Writer’s Guild and the American Film Institute. Discover why this gripping series from executive producers Brian Grazer and Peter Berg is being praised as “one of the best series on TV.” (Orlando Sentinel)
TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD:
Street Date: May 19, 2009
Copyright: 2009 Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Selection Number: 61105984
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running time: TBD
Layers: Dual layer
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Rating: Not Rated
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
‘FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ KICKS OFF ITS THIRD SEASON ON NBC WITH A THREE-MONTH TIME-PERIOD HIGH FOR THE NETWORK
January 21, 2009 by J!-ENT · View Comments
UPDATE: ‘FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ KICKS OFF ITS THIRD SEASON ON NBC WITH A THREE-MONTH TIME-PERIOD HIGH FOR THE NETWORK
THE ACCLAIMED DRAMA RANKS #2 IN THE SLOT IN ADULTS 18-49
VERSUS NBC’S SEASON AVERAGE IN THE FRIDAY 9 P.M. HOUR, ‘FNL’ IS UP 33 PERCENT IN 18-49
‘HOWIE DO IT’ IMPROVES ON NBC’S SEASON AVERAGE IN THE TIME PERIOD PRIOR TO ‘HOWIE’ BY 64 PERCENT IN 18-49
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – January 20, 2009 – Last Friday’s third season debut of “Friday Night Lights” on NBC has scored the network’s highest adult 18-49 rating in the Friday 9-10 p.m. ET slot in three months (since October 17) and second highest of the season, according to “live plus same day” in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research. In total viewers, it’s NBC’s biggest overall audience in the slot in four weeks and second biggest since October 24.
“Friday Night Lights” averaged a 1.6 rating, 5 share in adult 18-49 and 4.5 million viewers overall. The acclaimed drama finished #2 in the competitive time period in adults 18-49. Note that last season, “Friday Night Lights” “live plus same day” rating increased by an average of 19 percent in 18-49 when Nielsen issued “live plus seven day” results.
Versus NBC’s 18-49 average in the time period so far during the 2008-09 television season, the January 16 “Friday Night Lights” is up 33 percent (with a 1.6 rating vs. a 1.2).
This season of “Friday Night Lights” has previously run on DirecTV as part of an innovative deal that helped keep the series in production through a third season.
From 8-8:29 p.m. ET Friday night, NBC’s “Howie Do It” (1.7/6 in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in the time period in 18-49 and #1 among men 18-49. From 8:29-9 p.m., “Howie Do It” (1.9/6 in 18-49, 6.1 million viewers overall) also finished #2 in 18-49 and #1 in men 18-49. From its first telecast to its second, “Howie Do It” improved its 18-49 rating by 12 percent.
For the 8-9 p.m. hour, “Howie Do It” improved on NBC’s season averages in the time period prior to “Howie’s” debut by 64 percent in 18-49 rating (1.8 vs. 1.1) and 1.3 million persons or 28 percent in total viewers (6.0 million vs. 4.7 million).
At 10 p.m. ET Friday night, “Dateline NBC” delivered a 1.5/4 in 18-49 and 5.6 million viewers overall. Week to week, “Dateline” is up in 18-49 rating by 15 percent (to a 1.5/4 from a 1.3/4) and in total viewers by 13 percent (to 5.6 million from 4.9 million).
Updated 18-49 averages for Friday night are: CBS 2.4/7; ABC, 1.7/5; NBC, 1.6/5; Fox, 1.2/4; CW, 0.5/1. In overall total viewers, January 16 updated results are: CBS, 10.6 million; NBC, 5.4 million; Fox, 5.3 million; ABC, 5.1 million; CW, 1.1 million
Tags: American Entertainment News, Friday Night Lights, NBC
