NBC has set its fall 2024 schedule, which includes three new series, and a plum new home for “Found” on Thursday nights behind “Law & Order: SVU.”
Among freshman entires, the medical drama “Brilliant Minds,” starring Zachary Quinto, will debut on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET in the choice post-“The Voice” timeslot. The mockumentary comedy series “St. Denis Medical” — set in an Oregon hospital and starring Wendi McLendon-Covey, Allison Tolman and David Alan Grier — will kick off Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. Both shows had originally been picked up to series in 2023, but their premieres were delayed by the dual Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes.
Elsewhere on the schedule, the new multi-cam comedy “Happy’s Place,” starring Reba McEntire, will kick off Friday nights at 8 p.m., followed by the third season of “Lopez vs Lopez.” The latter show, starring George Lopez, previously aired on Friday nights but had moved to Tuesdays in its second season.
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“[McEntire] is a big, big name,” Jeff Bader, president of programming planning strategy at NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in an interview with PvNew. “Her last show was very, very successful and she’s doing great for us on ‘The Voice,’ so it’s a great way for us try out a family comedy block on Friday with two big names.”
“Night Court” will remain on Tuesdays, airing at 8:30 p.m. following “St. Denis Medical.” That will be followed by “The Voice” results show at 9 p.m. and the second season of “The Irrational” at 10 p.m.
NBC is keeping its “One Chicago” Wednesday night block intact, while “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” will again air back-to-back on Thursdays. One new addition to Thursdays is the second season of “Found,” which will air after “SVU” at 10 p.m. “Found” takes over the timeslot previously held by “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” which is moving to Peacock for its fifth season.
“‘Organized Crime’ is a really successful show,” Bader said. “When you’re looking at it over time, only a small a percentage of that viewing is in the time period where we schedule it. It is very successful on streaming, so it’s a perfect time to move over to Peacock and that opens up one of the best time periods on television because ‘SVU’ is one of the highest rated dramas right now.”
NBC still has two pilots in contention at present — the dramas “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” and “Suits: LA.” No decision has been made on a series order for either show at this time, though if they are picked up to series, they could potentially air either during the 2024-2025 season or be held for the 2025-2026 season.
All new series will stream next day on Peacock along with the rest of NBC’s lineup. The full schedule can be seen below.
Looking ahead to midseason, NBC is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” with a weekend-long celebration that will culminate with a live primetime special on Sunday, Feb. 16 from 8-11 p.m.
Also at midseason, NBC will air the 10-part natural history series “The Americas” beginning on Feb. 23. Narrated by Tom Hanks with music by Hans Zimmer, the series will examine the wildlife and environments of North and South America. The show was originally announced at NBC in 2019.
“There’s a reason it’s taken five years to get it ready,” said Steve Kern, senior vice president of program planning and scheduling for NBC Entertainment. “It’s very impressive. So it’ll be great for the world to see it.”
The new drama series “The Hunting Party” is slated to bow at midseason as well. It was recently announced that “Manifest” alum Melissa Roxburgh will star in the show. NBC is also set to debut the unscripted competition series “Destination X” at midseason, as well as the recently renewed “Deal or No Deal Island.”
NBC has also set a number of specials for the fall and the holiday season. “The People’s Choice Country Awards” are again set to air live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville in Sept. 26 on both NBC and Peacock. In the lead up to the theatrical premiere of “Wicked,” NBC will air the behind-the-scenes special “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked” on Nov. 25, with cast members Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande leading the show. Then for the second year in a row, NBC will air the two-hour special “Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry.” These join returning annual specials “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” hosted by Kelly Clarkson, “The National Dog Show,” and the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” The NBC New Year’s Eve celebration will once again originate from Miami, but no further details were shared on that just yet.
NBC FALL 2024-25 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8-10 P.M. — The Voice
10-11 P.M. — BRILLIANT MINDS
TUESDAY
8-8:30 P.M. —ST. DENIS MEDICAL
8:30-9 P.M. — Night Court
9-10 P.M. — The Voice
10-11 P.M. — The Irrational
WEDNESDAY
8-9 P.M. — Chicago Med
9-10 P.M. — Chicago Fire
10-11 P.M. — Chicago P.D.
THURSDAY
8-9 P.M. — Law & Order
9-10 P.M. — Law & Order: SVU
10-11 P.M. — Found
FRIDAY
8-8:30 P.M. — HAPPY’S PLACE
8:30-9 P.M. — Lopez vs. Lopez
9-11 P.M — Dateline NBC
SATURDAY
7-7:30 P.M. ET— Big Ten Pregame / Notre Dame Pregame (also live on Peacock)
7:30-11 P.M. ET— Big Ten Saturday Night / Notre Dame Football (also live on Peacock)
(In the Pacific time zone, “Saturday Night Live” will continue to air live in primetime.)
SUNDAY
7-8:20 P.M. ET— Football Night in America (also live on Peacock)
8:20-11 P.M. ET— NBC Sunday Night Football (also live on Peacock)
