Watch the Trailers for NBC’s New Fall Series ‘Bluff City Law,’ ‘Sunnyside’ & More (VIDEO)
It’s upfront week time for broadcast television which means besides announcing their schedules for the upcoming 2019-20 season, they’ll also be presenting the shows to a slew of hungry marketing and advertisers looking to invest in the next big hits of tomorrow. TV Insider will be following the action all week long so keep checking back for more updates.
First up in the string of upfront presentations is NBC, which will present Monday morning at Radio City Music Hall. That said, TV Insider joined a press call this morning with the heads of the network to find out the schedule early.
One big surprise was the unprecedented three season renewal (18 episodes per season) of drama, This Is Us. “In a television landscape with nearly 500 original scripted series, there are very few, if any, that have the critical and cultural impact of This Is Us and we couldn’t be more proud to bring fans three more seasons of a show that so well represents the NBC brand,” said Presidents of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment, Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta. “A huge thank you and congratulations to our executive producers, cast and crew who reach new heights every week with the show’s inventive and compelling storytelling.” Also, during the press call, the network said the series’ sixth season is not necessarily the final season for the show.
Also, as you’ll see in the schedule below, Dick Wolf’s strong-performing Chicago franchise will continue taking over Wednesday nights on the network. For the return of Little Big Shots, Melissa McCarthy will take over hosting duties from previous host Steve Harvey. During the morning call, the network also confirmed that Kenan Thompson getting his sitcom picked up doesn’t mean that he will no longer be on Saturday Night Live and he will be a part of it in its upcoming 45th season.
In addition, the network has yet to make decisions on the futures of the following shows: Abby’s, A.P. Bio, The Enemy Within, The InBetween, The Titan Games and The Village.
Caitlin McGee, Jimmy Smits and Michael Luwoye in ‘Bluff City Law’
Here’s the NBC’s Fall 2019-20 schedule (new shows in bold with descriptions following):
Monday:
8-10pm: The Voice
10pm: Bluff City Law
Tuesday:
8-9pm The Voice
9-10pm: This Is Us
10-11pm: New Amsterdam
Wednesday:
8-9pm: Chicago Med
9-10pm: Chicago Fire
10-11pm: Chicago PD
Thursday:
8-8:30: Superstore
8:30-9: Perfect Harmony
9-9:30: The Good Place
9:30-10: Sunnyside
10-11pm: Law & Order: SVU
Friday:
8-9pm: The Blacklist
9-11pm: Dateline
Saturday:
8-10pm : Dateline Saturday Night Mystery
10-11pm: Saturday Night Live (encores)
Sunday:
Sunday Night Football (fall)
8-9pm: Little Big Shots (post-football)
9-10pm: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (post-football)
10-11pm: Good Girls (post-football)
Post fall (with no return dates yet) will see the returns of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Will & Grace, America’s Got Talent: Champions, Making It, Ellen’s Game of Games, American Ninja Warrior, Little Big Shots (with Melissa McCarthy hosting), Manifest, World of Dance, Hollywood Game Night, Good Girls, The Wall and Blindspot. New series, previously announced, include Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, The Kenan Show, Council of Dads and Lincoln. Additional previously announced new series include Bring the Funny, Small Fortune, Songland, That’s My Jam and the return of Who Do You Think You Are?
Here are NBC’s new series for the 2019-20 season:
Perfect Harmony
Bradley Whitford stars in this comedy about finding inspiration in the most unlikely places. When former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds a group of singers that are out of tune in more ways than one. Despite the ultimate clash of sensibilities, Arthur and his newfound cohorts may just be the perfect mix of individuals to help each other reinvent and rediscover a little happiness, just when they all need it most.
Bradley Whitford in ‘Perfect Harmony.’
The cast includes Bradley Whitford, Anna Camp, Tymberlee Hill, Rizwan Manji, Will Greenberg, Geno Segers and Spencer Allport. Lesley Wake Webster will write and executive produce. Jason Winer will direct and executive produce. Bradley Whitford, Adam Anders and Jon Radler will executive produce. Perfect Harmony is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Small Dog Picture Company.
Sunnyside
Garrett Modi was living the American Dream. As the youngest New York City Councilman ever, he was rubbing elbows with the political elite, attending star-studded parties and was the pride of Queens. But instead of spending his time in office helping the people that got him elected, he lost his way amidst the power and glamour of politics. When his downward spiral got him busted for public intoxication (and downright stupidity), it was all caught on tape and ended his career. Now, Garrett’s crashing with his sister, Mallory, and wondering where it all went wrong. That is, until he’s hired by a diverse group of hopefuls who dream of becoming American citizens and believe he can help – giving him a new sense of purpose and a chance for redemption, as long as he remembers where he came from.
The cast includes Kal Penn, Diana Maria Riva, Joel Kim Booster, Kiran Deol, Poppy Liu, Moses Storm and Samba Schutte. Kal Penn and Matt Murray will write and executive produce. Michael Schur will be supervising executive producer. David Miner and Dan Spilo will executive produce. Sunnyside is produced by Universal Television in association with Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
In this joyous and celebratory drama, Zoey Clarke is a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco. After an unusual event she starts to hear the innermost wants and desires of the people around her through songs. At first, she questions her own sanity but soon realizes this unwanted curse may just be an incredibly wonderful gift. (Midseason)
Jane Levy in ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.’
The cast includes Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Peter Gallagher, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Carmen Cusack and Mary Steenburgen. Austin Winsberg will write and executive produce. Richard Shepard will direct and executive produce (pilot only). Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum, David Blackman and Daniel Inkeles will executive produce. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is produced by Lionsgate in association with the Tannenbaum Company, FeigCo Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
The Kenan Show
In this family comedy, Kenan Thompson strives to be a super dad to his two adorable girls while simultaneously balancing his job and a father-in-law who “helps” in the most inappropriate ways.
The cast includes Thompson, Punam Patel, Dani Lockett, Dannah Lockett and Andy Garcia. Jackie Clarke will write and executive produce. Chris Rock will direct and executive produce. Kenan Thompson, Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer will executive produce. The Kenan Show is produced by Universal Television in association with Broadway Video. (Midseason)
Council of Dads
When Scott, a loving father of four, has his entire life’s plan thrown into upheaval by a cancer diagnosis, he calls on a few of his closest allies to step in as back-up dads for every stage of his growing family’s life. Scott assembles a trusted group of role models that includes Anthony, his oldest friend; Larry, his AA sponsor; and Oliver, his surgeon and best friend to his wife, Robin. These men agree to devote themselves to supporting and guiding Scott’s amazing family through all the triumphs and challenges life has to offer – just in case he ever can’t be there to do so himself. (Midseason)
J August Richards, Clive Standen and Michael O’Neill of ‘Council of Dads.’
The cast includes Sarah Wayne Callies, Clive Standen, Tom Everett Scott, J. August Richards, Blue Chapman, Emjay Anthony, Michele Weaver, Thalia Tran, Steven Silver and Michael O’Neill. Tony Phelan & Joan Rater will write and executive produce. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed will executive produce. James Oh and Bruce Feiler will produce. Council of Dads is produced by Universal Television in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Midwest Livestock Productions.
Lincoln
Inspired by the best-selling book The Bone Collector, former NYPD detective and forensic genius Lincoln Rhyme was at the top of his game until a serious accident at the hands of a notorious serial killer forces him out of the field. When Amelia Sachs, an intuitive young officer who’s got her own gift for profiling finds herself hot on the killer’s trail, Rhyme in turn finds a partner for this new game of cat and mouse. As the unlikely detective duo joins forces to crack the city’s most confounding cases, they must also race to take down the enigmatic “Bone Collector” who brought them together.
The cast includes Russell Hornsby, Arielle Kebbel, Brían F. O’Byrne, Tate Ellington, Courtney Grosbeck, Ramses Jimenez, Brooke Lyons, Roslyn Ruff and Michael Imperioli. VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli will write and executive produce. Seth Gordon will direct and executive produce. Avi Nir, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan will executive produce. Lincoln is produced by Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television and in association with Keshet Studios.
Indebted
Young parents Dave and Rebecca are ready to reclaim their life after years of diapers and sleepless nights. However, things take an unexpected turn when Dave’s parents show up unannounced and broke, leaving Dave with no choice but to open the door to the people who gave him everything. But these boomerang parents aren’t great with boundaries and the question of who’s parenting who quickly become blurred in this multi-generational comedy starring Fran Drescher and Adam Pally as mother and son.
The cast includes Adam Pally, Abby Elliott, Steven Weber and Fran Drescher. Dan Levy will write and executive produce. Doug Robinson will executive produce. Indebted is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Doug Robinson Productions.
