Freshman drama “Quantum Leap” is taking a quantum leap to Tuesdays, as NBC unveiled a mostly strike-proof fall schedule that features three new series (two dramas and a comedy) and a crowded midseason bench.
The Peacock net’s lineup is heavy as always on football and Dick Wolf: And even more so on the pigskin, as NBC’s new deal to cover Big Ten football kicks in with a new Saturday showcase. But with few changes in store, the network will rely on established series to launch its freshman entries.
NBC will use unscripted mainstay “The Voice” on Mondays to launch the new Jesse L. Martin starrer “The Irrational,” based on author Dan Ariely’s “Predictably Irrational,” at 10 p.m. On Tuesday, the hit “Night Court” revival will continue to lead off the night and help launch the new comedy “Extended Family,” starring Jon Cryer and Donald Faison, and from Mike O’Malley, at 8:30 p.m.
And then on Thursdays, NBC will use the Wolf double punch of “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” to premiere the new drama “Found,” starring Shanola Hampton (and from writer Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and Greg Berlanti’s production company) at 10 p.m.
“It’s about stability,” said Jeff Bader, president, entertainment program planning strategy, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We were fortunate enough to have a schedule where we have tentpoles on every night. And we put together a schedule where we’re using our highest rated shows to lead into our new shows, to give then the best possible chance for success.”
Bader noted that there were no dramatic moves or shifts in fall, but he is excited to create a multi-camera comedy block with “Night Court” and “Extended Family.” As for the “Quantum Leap” move to Tuesday, “that night starts with comedy, and so it just feels like it’s a lighter night from beginning to end.”
Meanwhile, the decision not to keep a three-prong “Law & Order” lineup on Thursdays comes out of the showrunner change on “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” “They will actually benefit from having a little time and the show will come back as part of the Thursday night stack in midseason. This opened up the opportunity to put ‘Found’ in a great time period,” Bader said.
NBC joins CBS in revealing a fall 2023 lineup that may have to make some pivots as September approaches, due to the writers strike and likely production delays. Should the strike continue through the summer, the Dick Wolf “One Chicago” and “Law & Order” series may be delayed. But other series are already in the can: “Night Court,” “Extended Family, “Quantum Leap,” “Found” and “The Irrational” are set to air, while midseason entries “La Brea,” “Magnum PI” and “Transplant” are also available if need be.
“Our schedule actually will look very much like what you’re looking at if the strike is a few months long,” Bader said. “If it’s prolonged strike, then we will have to start sliding the Dick Wolf shows… ‘Extended Family’ was picked up last summer, ‘Found’ was supposed to premiere this spring and we held it for the fall. ‘The Irrational’ was picked up last fall and went into production. We seem to be pretty well positioned.”
The availability of those shows comes out of what NBC touts as 52-week development and order cycle. That also bears out in what the network didn’t announce on Friday. Critically acclaimed comedies “American Auto,” “Grand Crew” and “Young Rock” all remain on the bubble, as the network hasn’t decided yet on the three.
That news will come at the end of May (as options for those shows’ talent are set to expire). NBC will first have to decide between renewals and pilots that remain in the mix: Comedies “Non-Evil Twin” and “St. Denis Medical,” as well as for dramas “Wolf” and an untitled entry from Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs. NBC says those projects could pop up next season or be held for the 2024-2025 TV season.
“We are in this new world of rolling development and pilot season is completely different,” Bader said. “We have two single camera comedy pilots and two dramas that will be screening at the end of May/beginning of June. And after seeing those pilots we will have a discussion that will include ‘American Auto,’ ‘Grand Crew’ and ‘Young Rock’ to decide what our remaining pickups will be. So, we’re not done picking up for next season yet.”
NBCUniversal has a stake in all three of its new fall shows to varying degrees; “Extended Family” is a co-production between Lionsgate and Universal Television; “Found” is from Warner Bros. TV and Universal Television; and “The Irrational” is a straight-ahead Universal Television production.
Meanwhile, Universal Television Alternative Studio is behind “The Americas,” along with BBC Studios Natural History Unit. Narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring music by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. The sweeping 10-hour wildlife documentary series comes from producer Mike Gunton (“Planet Earth II”). “We haven’t locked into a time period yet, but it will in the second quarter,” Bader said. “We will make a big event of this when it comes on, but that’ll be later in the spring. We have discussed everything from doing it as an event series to doing an hour a week or two hours a week. It hasn’t been determined yet.”
Among new unscripted series is “Deal or No Deal Island,” a twist on the Banijay “Deal or No Deal” format, in which 100 cases with millions of dollars are hidden on the “banker’s private island.” Endemol Shine North America is behind the series, with Sharon Levy, DJ Nurre and Howie Mandel as executive producers.
“’Deal or No Deal’ is a show that we get asked most often about coming back,” Bader said. “The twist of mashing it up with a competition show on an island, it’s fun. Rather than being on a stage where there’s briefcases to choose from, you and your team have to go and find them out on the island. The banker messes things up, just like he does on the regular show.”
Here is NBC’s fall 2023 schedule:
MONDAY
8 p.m. “The Voice”
10 p.m. “The Irrational” (NEW DRAMA)
TUESDAY
8 p.m. “Night Court”
8:30 p.m. “Extended Family” (NEW COMEDY)
9 p.m. “The Voice”
10 p.m. “Quantum Leap”
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. “Chicago Med”
9 p.m. “Chicago Fire”
10 p.m. “Chicago P.D.”
THURSDAY
8 p.m. “Law & Order”
9 p.m. “Law & Order: SVU”
10 p.m. “Found” (NEW DRAMA)
FRIDAY
8 p.m. “The Wall”
9 p.m. “Dateline NBC”
SATURDAY
7 p.m. “Big Ten Countdown”
7:30 p.m. “Big Ten Saturday Night”
SUNDAY
7 p.m. “Football Night in America”
8:20 p.m. “NBC Sunday Night Football”
SUMMER 2023
“America’s Got Talent”
“Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge”
“American Ninja Warrior”
“LA Fire and Rescue”
MIDSEASON/SUMMER 2024
Untitled “America’s Got Talent” series
“Deal or No Deal Island”
“Law & Order: Organized Crime”
“La Brea”
“Magnum P.I.”
“Lopez vs. Lopez”
“Password”
“Transplant”
“The Americas” (NEW EVENT SERIES)
STILL ON THE BUBBLE
“American Auto”
“Grand Crew”
“Young Rock”
NEW SERIES DEscriptIONS
COMEDY
“EXTENDED FAMILY”
Jim and Julia, after an amicable divorce, decide to continue to raise their kids at the family home while taking turns on who gets to stay with them. Navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated for Jim when Trey, the owner of his favorite sports team, enters the picture and wins Julia’s heart.
The cast includes Jon Cryer, Donald Faison, Abigail Spencer, Sofia Capanna and Finn Sweeney.
Mike O’Malley will write and executive produce. Tom Werner, Wyc Grousbeck, Emilia Fazzalari and George Geyer also executive produce.
Lionsgate will produce in association with Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
DRAMA
“FOUND”
In any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about. A public relations specialist, who was once herself one of those forgotten ones, and her crisis management team now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people. But unbeknownst to anyone, this everyday hero is hiding a chilling secret of her own.
The cast includes Shanola Hampton, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Kelli Williams, Brett Dalton, Gabrielle Walsh, Arlen Escarpeta and Karan Oberoi.
Nkechi Okoro Carroll will write and executive produce. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Sonay Hoffman, Lindsay Dunn and Leigh Redman also executive produce.
Berlanti Productions and Rock My Soul Productions produces in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
“THE IRRATIONAL”
based on the bestselling author Dan Ariely’s “Predictably Irrational,” Alec Mercer is a world-renowned leader in behavioral science who lends his expertise to an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations with his unique and unexpected approach to understanding human behavior.
The cast includes Jesse L. Martin, Maahra Hill, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz and Arash DeMaxi.
Arika Lisanne Mittman will write and executive produce. Mark Goffman, Samuel Baum and David Frankel also executive produce.
Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, will produce.
UNscriptED
“THE AMERICAS”
From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the creators of the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy Award-winning “Planet Earth” and “Blue Planet,” in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, comes the epic 10-part tentpole event series “The Americas.”
Marking the first time acclaimed actor, producer and writer Tom Hanks will narrate an unscripted entertainment series, “The Americas” will also feature music by two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. This incomparable project will employ revolutionary filmmaking technology that will showcase the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the Americas – Earth’s largest landmass and the only one to stretch between both poles – and reveal extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that deeply connect with millions around the world.
“The Americas” is executive produced by renowned Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning wildlife producer Mike Gunton (“Life,” “Planet Earth II,” and “Dynasties”) for BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the world’s largest production unit dedicated to wildlife filmmaking, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group.
“UNTITLED AMERICA’S GOT TALENT SERIES”
Building off the success of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” and “America’s Got Talent: All-Stars” comes the next special edition of the world’s most successful TV franchise. Last year, “All-Stars” was the #1 new alternative series of the season in both the 18-49 demo and total viewers
The new series will be co-produced by Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. Simon Cowell, Sam Donnelly and Jason Raff are the executive producers.
“DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND”
The iconic game of “Deal or No Deal” is back and unlike anything you have ever seen before! This new format transports audiences to the Banker’s private island where he makes the rules and there are twists behind every palm tree. Hidden on the island are over 100 cases with millions of dollars split between them, which teams must retrieve so that they can play a game of Deal or No Deal against the Banker. only one team will survive until the very last episode, where they’ll compete to beat the Banker for the biggest prize in “Deal or No Deal” history.
“Deal or No Deal” first launched in the Netherlands in 2002 and has been commissioned in more than 80 territories worldwide with more than 350 productions.
“Deal or No Deal Island” is produced by Endemol Shine North America and is based on the Banijay format, “Deal or No Deal.” Sharon Levy, DJ Nurre and Howie Mandel will serve as executive producers.
