NBC & ABC 2009/2010 Schedules

It's only day two of upfronts week but we pretty much know all the major network schedules for next season already. ABC has only delivered it's fall schedule, with no word yet on the winter/spring months. NBC on the other hand has rolled out both. Now that all the networks have revealed their schedules, the fun part now is wondering how long they'll hold up before shows start bombing and needing to be replaced.

There's not that many surprises on NBC's lineup. They have broadcast rights for the Winter Olympics, so the season is pretty much cut in two with many shows that begin in the fall making room for new ones.

I was expecting the original "Law & Order" to be paired up with it's better rated sister show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", but the "mother ship" has been banished to Friday evenings. More surprising is the fact that they only order 16 episodes but plan to stretch it from fall to spring.

I was also a bit surprised by the split of "Chuck" and "Heroes". I would think the two would be stronger together but with Heroes losing viewers and "Chuck" being kinda low rated as is, neither will be very strong partners for the new shows they are being paired with.

One baffling item on the peacock schedule is the lack of "Friday Night Lights" in it's usual Friday 9pm slot for mid season. The official schedule distributed by the network shows "Southland" airing Fridays at 9pm in both the fall and mid season schedules. The fact that the network only ordered 13 episodes of the series' second season leads me to believe someone made a mistake while typing up the press release, especially because, unless some sort of major disaster took place between NBC and DirecTV, the show is guaranteed for atleast the next two seasons.

(Updated:5/19/09 7:22pm: Friday Night Lights will not be broadcast until Summer 2010. Just another one of NBC's stupid choices for next season. In my opinion, of course)

On the ABC schedule, one surprise for me was slotting "Flash Forward" Thursdays at 8pm before "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice". According to Variety it was a pretty big struggle in the network, too, but memories of "Lost" debuting in an 8pm slot won the battle.

If the network pulled "Samantha Who?" (by the way, the remaining 7 episodes will run this summer) a few weeks ago because they didn't think it made enough of a lead-in for their beloved "Grey's Anatomy", I don't really see the thinking behind this scheduling move. There will be, of course, plenty who tune in for both, but I don't see the hardcore sci-fi crowd falling in love with "Grey's Anatomy".

(Speaking of "Grey's Anatomy", both T.R. Knight and Katherine Heigl are signed on for next season, though that's no guarantee that their characters will be there)

NBC 2009/2010 Schedule (minus the daily 10pm Leno Show)
FALL:

Monday
8pm "Heroes"
9pm "Trauma"

Tuesday
8pm "The Biggest Loser"

Wednesday
8pm "Parenthood"
9pm "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

Thursday
8pm "SNL Weekend Update Thursday"
8:30pm "Parks and Recreation"
9pm "The Office"
9:30pm "Community"

Thursday (after "SNL Weekend Update Thursday" ends)
8pm "Community"
8:30pm "Parks and Recreation"
9pm "The Office"
9:30pm "30 Rock"

Friday
8pm "Law & Order"
9pm "Southland"

Sunday
7pm "Football Night in America"
8:20pm "Sunday Night Football"

MIDSEASON:

Monday
8pm "Chuck"
9pm "Day One"

Tuesday
8pm "The Biggest Loser" 9:30pm "100 Questions"

Wednesday
8pm "Mercy"
9pm "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

Thursday
8pm "Community"
8:30pm "Parks and Recreation"
9pm "The Office"
9:30pm "30 Rock"

Friday
8pm "Law & Order"
9pm "Southland"

Sunday
7pm "Dateline NBC"
8pm "The Marriage Ref"
9pm "Celebrity Apprentice"


ABC 2009 Fall Schedule
Mondays
8pm "Dancing with the Stars" ("The Bachelor" after "Dancing")
10pm "Castle"

Tuesdays
8pm "The Shark Tank"
9pm "Dancing with the Stars" ("Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted" after "Dancing")
10pm "The Forgotten"

Wednesday
8pm "Hank"
8:30pm "The Middle"
9pm "Modern Family"
9:30pm "Cougar Town"
10pm "Eastwick"

Thursday
8pm "Flash Forward"
9pm "Grey's Anatomy"
10pm "Private Practice"

Friday
8pm "Supernanny"
9pm "Ugly Betty"
10pm "20/20"

Saturday
8pm College Football

Sunday
7pm "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8pm "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9pm "Desperate Housewives"
10pm "Brothers & Sisters"