2008 – 2009 Cancelled Shows: NBC Officially Announces Series Renewals and Pick Ups

NBC held their infront presentation today, a couple weeks before the other networks hold their own big presentations for advertisers. The peacock network is taking a big risk next fall, scheduling The Jay Leno Show five nights a week at 10pm. While it’s hard to tell if that decision will bring them success, we do know that there are far fewer hours left for traditional programming.

Today, NBC officially announced that it was renewing Heroes, Southland, Parks and Recreation, and six episodes of comedy filler Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday. These renewals join the previous pickups of The Office, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, and Friday Night Lights.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was previously renewed as well. The show’s stars, Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay, have been in contract negotiations and Universal Media Studios co-chair Marc Graboff indicated that an offer has been made to them. Graboff says that he hopes they’ll return but assured attendees that SVU will be back either way.

Official announcements on the fate of Chuck, Medium, and Law & Order have been delayed a couple weeks, presumably until the final schedule is presented to advertisers. However, audience members were told privately that all three were indeed coming back. It seems the delay is stemming from working out the renewal details such as episode orders. Though none of the shows’ ratings have been very good, the network is hedging its bets in case it needs to replace The Jay Leno Show come mid-season.

It seems that the fate of My Name is Earl is still up in the air. If the peacock network cancels it, FOX will likely pick it up so the sitcom will have enough episodes for a good-sized syndication package.

New shows coming next season include Trauma and Mercy, a pair of medical series; Day One, a show about a post-catastrophe world; a Friends-like sitcom called 100 Questions; and a comedy centered around a community college called Community. The new version of Parenthood has also made NBC’s schedule and may end up being paired with Heroes.

Image courtesy NBC.

More about: 100 Questions, 30 Rock, Chuck, Community, Day One, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Medium, Mercy, My Name Is Earl, Parenthood (2010), Parks and Recreation, Southland, The Apprentice, The Biggest Loser, The Jay Leno Show, The Office (US), Trauma

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