http://www.thefutoncritic.com/pr.aspx?id=20060525nbc03

NBC ADJUSTS ITS 2006-07 PRIMETIME PROGRAM SCHEDULE, MAXIMIZING SUPPORT FOR ITS SLATE OF NEW FALL SERIES

Released by NBC

NBC ADJUSTS ITS 2006-07 PRIMETIME PROGRAM SCHEDULE, MAXIMIZING SUPPORT FOR ITS SLATE OF NEW FALL SERIES

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Kidnapped," "Deal or No Deal," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" Get New Nights While "Crossing Jordan" Joins Fall Lineup Among Other Changes

BURBANK, Calif. - May 25, 2006 - With a focus on strong launches for its crop of new Fall series, NBC has adjusted its new 2006-07 primetime program schedule by re-positioning several series, including "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Kidnapped," "Deal or No Deal," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and marking the Fall return of "Crossing Jordan."

The changes were announced by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment, who said: "We've enjoyed an extremely successful development season and are going to do what it takes to give each new series the strongest launch we can. Now that we've assessed the competitive landscape, we've scheduled our new shows in time periods where we believe they'll succeed and will be supporting them with robust marketing campaigns and the full resources of the network."

Starting on Mondays, NBC will move the new drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," from Emmy Award winners Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme (both from "The West Wing") to 10-11 p.m. (ET) on an otherwise unchanged night. Likewise, the network will shift "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" to Tuesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) followed by the popular "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," which remains at 10-11 p.m. (ET).

On Wednesdays, the new comedy "20 Good Years" (starring Emmy winner John Lithgow, "3rd Rock from the Sun," and Jeffrey Tambor, "Arrested Development") will now open the night at 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) followed by the new comedy "30 Rock" (starring Emmy winner Tina Fey, NBC's "Saturday Night Live") from 8:30-9 p.m. (ET). "The Biggest Loser" will shift to 9-10 p.m. (ET). Rounding out the night will be the new drama "Kidnapped," starring Jeremy Sisto ("Six Feet Under") and Delroy Lindo ("The Core"), which now moves to Wednesdays 10-11 p.m. (ET).

Thursday nights will feature a mix of comedies, a hit game show and Emmy-winning drama with the addition of "Deal or No Deal" at 9-10 p.m. (ET) seated between the comedies "My Name Is Earl" (8-8:30 p.m. ET) and "The Office" (8:30-9 p.m. ET) and "ER" (10-11 p.m. ET). The durable "Deal" has improved by 55 percent on NBC's regular-program 18-49 average in its Monday (8-9 p.m. ET) slot this season prior to "Deal" (4.5 vs. 2.9). "Deal or No Deal" will also remain in its regular Monday (8-9 p.m. ET) slot.

As previously announced, "The Black Donnellys" - from Oscar winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (both for "Crash") - will debut in January 2007 following a run of original episodes of "ER" through December. "ER" will then return later in the spring with all original episodes through the rest of the year.

The proven drama "Crossing Jordan" - originally intended for a mid-season re-launch - will now resume in the Fall on Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET) followed by "Las Vegas" (9-10 p.m. ET) and the new arrival of "Law & Order" (10-11 p.m. ET).

NBC's Saturday and Sunday-night programming remains unchanged.

"Medium," NBC's hit drama starring Emmy winner Patricia Arquette as a wife and mother who uses her psychic abilities to solve crimes, and fan favorite comedy "Scrubs," will both return to the program lineup later in the season.

NBC REVISED PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2006-07

*New programs in CAPS (with the exception of "ER"); all times are Eastern.

MONDAY

8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"

9-10 p.m. "HEROES"

10-11 p.m. "STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP" (new day and time)

TUESDAY

8-9 p.m. "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS"

9-10 p.m. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (new day and time)

10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

WEDNESDAY

8-8:30 p.m. "20 GOOD YEARS" (new time)

8:30-9 p.m. "30 ROCK" (new time)

9-10 p.m. "The Biggest Loser" (new time);

10-11 p.m. "KIDNAPPED" (new day and time)

THURSDAY

8-8:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl"

8:30-9 p.m. "The Office"

9-10 p.m. "Deal or No Deal" (new day and time)

10-11 p.m. "ER"/("THE BLACK DONNELLYS" in January 2007)

FRIDAY

8-9 p.m. "Crossing Jordan" (new day and time)

9-10 p.m. "Las Vegas"

10-11 p.m. "Law & Order" (new day)

SATURDAY

8-9 p.m. "Dateline Saturday"

9-11 p.m. Drama Series Encores

SUNDAY

7-8 p.m. "FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA"

8-11 p.m. "SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL"

---------------------------------------------------------

I love these changes!! I'm glad NBC moved 'Studio 60' to Mondays at 10pm where their only competition will be from CSI: Miami. Also, '30 Rock' will now be out of harm's way against 'Lost' and 'Criminal Minds.' Moving 'Deal' to Thursday's against CSI and GA is a smart idea because the show is cheap to produce.

wow, looking at these new schedules for the networks, made me realize how much I dont watch primetime television. I think ABC and the CW are the only networks I will be touching this fall. I just noticed the Apprentice isnt on there. Its no coming back?

Apprentice, Scrubs, and Medium are coming back for mid-season.

I really hope NBC does good in the ratings next fall. For the last 2 years, NBC rating have been at the bottom. So hopefully, things will turn around.

Apprentice, Scrubs, and Medium are coming back for mid-season.

Which is disappointing!!! I guess, the only time I'll be now watching late Tuesday and Thursday.

wow, looking at these new schedules for the networks, made me realize how much I dont watch primetime television. I think ABC and the CW are the only networks I will be touching this fall. I just noticed the Apprentice isnt on there. Its no coming back?

Apprentice comes back in January after Sunday Night Football is over with. It is going to follow America's Got Talent.

Wow... these are big changes, and awesome non-counter programming in a way.

First, thank God, Heroes stays at 9PM. Studio 60 at 10PM should be a good fit.

The Tuesday Law & Order one-two punch should put a bigger dent in the other networks, but after a while it might be better if they were separated.

Wednesdays, putting Biggest Loser against Lost will help prevent bigger losses. The two comedies now have a better shot at 8PM

Deal or No Deal against CSI/Grey's is a very good idea.

I hope Law & Order can take it on Fridays... Crossing Jordan and Las Vegas are probably the best shows to put on Fridays. Definitely "utility players" as Zucker said, their audiences will follow them.

Very good new line-up, NBC takes its biggest assets out of the line of fire and puts its utility players (Loser, Deal) in the places where other shows will do most damage

I think NBC royally screwed over Medium. At least they didn't move Las Vegas to some wacky spot. Having the first Law & Order as it's lead out is horrible.

I think NBC royally screwed over Medium. At least they didn't move Las Vegas to some wacky spot. Having the first Law & Order as it's lead out is horrible.

Interesting changes.

I'll definitely watch Studio 60 on Mondays.

I think Deal or No Deal at 9PM on Thursdays is a smart move.

Only moves that puzzle me are back to back Law & Order on Tuesday and the original moving to Fridays along with Crossing Jordan. CJ I can understand cause it's a "sister" show to Las Vegas, but I think it should be at 10PM. Can it really start a night?

And I'm thrilled NBC moved the sitcoms on Wednesday to an hour earlier, but frankly, they'll get crused by Dancing with the Stars 3 too, not as badly, but they'll still be crushed. Sigh. I really want to like them and watch them.

L&O is DOA on Friday Nights. Moving that was a huge mistake. I expect this season to be L&O's last.

My HOPE is that the mother ship can continue, maybe with cost-effective casting and production.

L&O Boss on Fall Shuffle: "[stuff] Happens"

Dick Wolf, the man who sired Law & Order and its kin, says he liked NBC's original 2006-07 schedule "better," compared to the revamped slate unveiled Thursday, which relocates original-flavor L&O to Fridays at 10, and has Criminal Intent and SVU airing back-to-back on Tuesdays. "S--- happens," Wolf tells Variety. "I lost a time slot. It would seem unseemly to complain." In rationalizing the rethink, NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said that L&O had at one time before aired on Fridays, while the CI-SVU combo was necessary due to the fact that NBC has two new dramas booked for Monday, so he needed to go with proven series the following night.

http://community.tvguide.com/forum.jspa?forumID=700000044

wouldn't it make even more sense to anchor those 2 new series with L&O rather than let them fend for themselves on monday and put essentially all your hit shows on one night?