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NBC's New Schedule Offers Super (Bowl)-sized Office
The Office by Chris Haston/NBC Photo, Saturday Night Live by Dana Edelson/NBC Photo, Christian Slater by Karen Neal/NBC Photo
Ausiello gave you a first glimpse at NBC's new fall-winter-summer (!) schedule, and now here are some other details coming out of the network's earlier-than-usual upfront presentation.
• Super Bowl host NBC this year will air a special episode of The Office after the big game, followed by an episode of the Office spin-off.
• As you may have gleaned from that previous item, the long-rumored (and first reported by TVGuide.com) Office spin-off is a go, and will premiere in the winter.
• SNL Thursday Night Live, a four-week series leading up to the election, airs after The Office (which will, again and alas, present hour-long episodes all September).
• Friday Night Lights will return for a third season in the winter, in the same Fridays-at-9 time slot.
• Knight Rider has landed a Wednesdays-at-8 berth.
Brand-new fare includes:
• My Own Worst Enemy, starring Christian Slater as an unwitting spy (Mondays at 10 pm, leading out of Heroes).
• Crusoe, based on the Daniel Defoe novel and pegged as "equal parts MacGyver, Castaway and Pirates of the Caribbean" (Friday, 8 pm).
• Kath & Kim, based on an Aussie hit and starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair (Tuesday, 9 pm).
• Kings, starring Ian McShane (Deadwood) and Christopher Egan and billed as "an inspiring exploration of the David vs. Goliath struggle... set in a modern metropolis under siege" (winter).
• Merlin, a limited winter series starring Colin Morgan (Doctor Who) and Bradley James as the titular sorcerer and Arthur, respectively.
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Apr 2, 2008 3:12 PM
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• Friday Night Lights will return for a third season in the winter, in the same Friday-at-8 time slot.
It's Friday-at-9 
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Apr 2, 2008 3:15 PM
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Yay, I am so happy for the cast of Friday Night Lights and for us!!
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Apr 2, 2008 3:18 PM
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NBC is not looking good these days.
One thing I found really funny is that they're promoting the 8PM hour as "family" programming. So Earl and 30 Rock are family shows now? Are they going to make those two tone things down, or actually advertise the "family" thing and get complaints from parents?
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Apr 2, 2008 3:21 PM
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YES!!  All of us FNL fans that sent footballs should be very proud.
I still want to know the details of the DirecTV deal, though.
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Apr 2, 2008 3:22 PM
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One other thing...
NBC only has four new shows in the fall. Knight Rider is obviously a remake, Kath & Kim is a remake of a foreign show. That only leaves TWO truly new shows, and one is based on a well known book.
Pretty sad.
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Apr 2, 2008 3:44 PM
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I wonder if FNL will be available for download on either Amazon or Hulu when it plays on DirecTV so that those of us without DirecTV can pay to see it during the fall too.
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Apr 2, 2008 3:45 PM
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I just read the NBC press release and DirecTV will premiere the new season on October 1st while those of us without DirecTV will have to wait until February or watch the show on our computers. Not the best scenario, but at least FNL will see a 3rd season.
Merlin appears to be a BBC production which NBC will air in the United States.
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Apr 2, 2008 3:47 PM
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Friday Night Lights lives!!
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Apr 2, 2008 4:13 PM
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I think Knight Rider is such a mistake and I don't understand the logic behind the 8pm time slot. So glad FNL got a 3rd season, but can't believe I have to wait till Winter. And what' up with moving Life to fridays, I love this show...NBC is being rather stupid.
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Apr 2, 2008 4:17 PM
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I'm very happy FNL was renewed (more Taylor Kitsch - hooray!). What I'm not happy about is having to wait until 2009 to see the episodes because I don't have Direct TV. As someone suggested, if we can watch them online, that would be wonderful.
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Apr 2, 2008 4:29 PM
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Is it true that FNL is only getting a 13-episode Season 3?
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Apr 2, 2008 4:30 PM
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Yes, but 13 episodes is better than none at all.
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Apr 2, 2008 4:34 PM
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*cries* no more Medium....
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Apr 2, 2008 4:49 PM
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Maybe Medium will be back in the winter next year when NBC schedule starts to crumble as it did this year. Considering the fairly decent numbers, which lately have been nearly twice FNL's (Woohoo!), I don't get the logic of cancellation. Wow, there's an oxymoron.
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Apr 2, 2008 5:57 PM
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