Tag Archives: The Event

Upfronts: NBC 2011-2012 Schedule

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Ready for some brand-spankin’ new TV!? Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release TV program information to the public like the creators, producers, and stars behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Jump after the break to browse the Peacock’s upcoming TV lineup; there you’ll find trailers, synopses, and the complete fall schedule. But first start here and get acquainted with the fresh programming.

NBC’s 2011-12 schedule includes 12 new series. New comedies include All Night, Free Agents, Whitney, Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, Bent and BFF. New dramas include The Playboy Club, Prime Suspect, Grimm, The Firm, Smash, and Awake.

When and where can you find these programs in the schedule? I’ll tell you! On Monday and Tuesday, NBC is pairing new and returning dramas (respectively) with returning reality shows. On Monday The Sing-Off airs from 8-10PM and is followed by The Playboy Club. On Tuesday, The Biggest Loser airs from 8-10PM and is followed by Parenthood. Wednesday serves as a hybrid comedy/drama block for the network. New half-hour comedies Up All Night and Free Agents are followed by returning series Harry’s Law and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Thursday is packed with four half-hour comedies–Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and freshman Whitney and closes the night with the new drama Prime Suspect. The confirmed final season of Chuck (which will consist of 13 episodes) moves to Friday and is followed by new genre drama Grimm and Dateline NBC. Saturday is home to encore programming, and Sunday has NFL-related programs Football Night in America and NBC Sunday Night Football.

A number of NBC shows are being held for mid-season premieres. 30 Rock will return to Thursday at an unspecified time-slot; the post-football Sunday lineup will consist of Dateline NBC, The Celebrity Apprentice (Trump announced he is not running for president so he will return as the boss), and new drama The Firm; on Mondays The Sing-Off and The Playboy Club will make way for the second season of The Voice (in a two-hour format) and new musical drama Smash; and the following new series will enter the fray around this time as well: comedies Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, BFF, Bent, and drama Awake.

And if you’re keeping track, the following NBC shows have been cancelled and will not be returning next season: The Cape, The Event, Chase, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outsourced, and Perfect Couples.

*As specified above The Event will not be returning to NBC next season, however it may not be 100% dead yet. Executive producer Steve Stark is apparently not giving up on the show so fast. According to various sources he is shopping the underwhelming sci-fi drama to various cable and digital entities including Netflix. Universal Media Studio is providing “full support” for a potential move. Says Stark, “NBC has been an amazing partner, it launched the show beautifully.” Added creator Nick Wauters, “We have a dedicated fan base, and we promised them we will deliver one way or another and will continue to tell our stories.” If The Event does get picked up for a second chance at life, you’ll find out as soon as I get wind of it.

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TV Reminder: ‘The Event’ returns tonight on NBC [Update: Low ratings]

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After an extended three month hiatus, NBC’s sci-fi drama The Event returns to the airwaves tonight. After a promising start (remember–what happened to that plane?!), the mysteries started piling on top of each other with no cohesive plot thread tying them together and this resulted in contrived, lackluster plotlines that failed to challenge the viewer intellectually (or in any way for that matter). Save for the handful of character-driven episodes the first half of the season was dominated by run-of-the-mill action sequences, cheesy dialogue, and lots of running (Sean and Leila need more to do!). As the show’s creativity lost its touch early on, viewers dropped in significant numbers. The long hiatus provided the show’s creators plenty of time to retool things; I have faith that the show can transform itself from a rollercoaster of good-decent-filler episodes into a reliable mystery drama that’ll make me want to tune in every week. But first things first–they’ve got to tell us what the event IS! Perhaps episode 15 will provide some answers.

The Event returns tonight at 9PM on NBC. It’s a 2 hour, erm, event, so set your DVRs accordingly. Check out photos from “And Then There Were More” and “Inostranka” in the gallery below. Beware of minor spoilers. Need a refresher? Jump after the break to watch a brief recap.

Update: To the surprise of no one The Event returned not with a bang but as a bust. Though the two-hour return was (for the most part) fast-paced with some fun action segments, the writing is still poor and the story is, well, uneventful. The ratings agree: the show drew a 1.4/4 in the 18-49 demo and 5.2 million total viewers. That’s down 26% from its last original airing back on November 29. If these numbers don’t start to steadily increase and stabilize between now and April, you can kiss this thrill-less sci-fi thriller goodbye.

[Images via IGN; Deadline]

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Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘The Event’ returns tonight on NBC [Update: Low ratings] →

‘The Event’ returns this March to NBC, award-winning cinematographer tapped to direct “pivotal” episode

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With The Cape on its way out, NBC is prepared to bring back its fall sci-fi serial The Event a bit early.  The Event returns from its lengthy hiatus Monday, March 7 with a two-hour presentation and the show will air eight more episodes leading up to its epic finale this May.  In related Event news, it’s being reported that Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, War of the Worlds) is going to direct episode 15, which EW describes as being a “pivotal” one.  Producers have hinted in the past that the actual “event” will be revealed to viewers sometime during the latter half of the season, so episode 15 just might be the one we’ve been waiting oh-so-patiently for.  Producers have also stated that when the show ends this May it will wrap up all current storylines to satisfy fans just in case NBC decides to drop it going into the fall 2011 TV season.

[Via EW]

NBC grants ‘The Event’, ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles’ & ‘Outsourced’ full season orders [Update: ‘Chase’ & ‘Chuck’ picked up, ‘Undercovers’ gets 4 additional scripts]

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Happy times at the Peacock today.  NBC just picked up full season orders for freshman dramas The Event and Law & Order: Los Angeles and the controversial comedy Outsourced.  According to Deadline, the three NBC shows have averaged 9.1 million, 8.7 million viewers, and 6.3 million viewers overall, respectively.  It’s mentioned that although The Event continues to dip in viewership each week since its strong premiere, it has remained a “solid DVR performer” for the network.  So Jason Ritter (above), you can relax a bit; your stay at NBC just got longer.  Legal drama Outlaw is the sole NBC cancellation.

NBC President Angela Bromstad: “We are pleased with the quality of The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles and Outsourced, and feel they are an important part of helping to re-build our schedule and our studio pipeline.  We believe in these new series and the creative auspices behind them.”

No word on the back nine episode order for other NBC dramas Chase and Undercovers.  Deadline reports that Chase is expected to get it, and Undercovers recently received an order for 6 additional scripts.  That’s a very good sign, Abrams fans.  In addition, Ausiello reports that NBC is about to order more episodes of the fan-favorite Chuck…

Update: NBC has picked up Chase and Chuck for full season orders.  Chuck will receive an additional 11 episodes instead of the standard back nine (so it will air 24 episodes in total).  The network still hasn’t decided the fate of the J.J. Abrams spy series Undercovers, but things are looking up since they’ve ordered 4 more scripts to be penned.

[Via Deadline, here & here; thanks AndrewSeely for image help]

The Event cast & premiere stills

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Yeah, yeah I know; we’ve already been privy to cast stills from NBC’s upcoming conspiracy thriller The Event.  Well the network has decided to issue a new set of publicity shots, this time including a new cast group photo and stills from the series premiere.  You know the drill–cast and premiere photos are categorized into the two galleries below.  Go crazy.

The Event premieres Monday, September 20 at 9PM on NBC.

[Via IGN]

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What is ‘The Event’?

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I have no idea!  Sorry for the misleading post title there, but I couldn’t help myself.  No one knows what the actual “event” from NBC’s new fall program The Event is, but I’m sitting here at the edge of my seat waiting to find out.  Briefly introduce yourself to the upcoming conspiracy thriller with a quick synopsis and cloaked-in-mystery trailer.  Then check out the brand-spankin’ new character stills in the gallery below.  You will be aquainted with them on Monday, September 20 at 9PM on NBC.

Cast members include Jason Ritter, Sarah Roemer, Blair Underwood, Laura Innes, Željko Ivanek, Ian Anthony Dale, Scott Patterson, Clifton Collins Jr., Bill Smitrovich, Lisa Vidal, Taylor Cole, and Wes Ramsey.

[Via IGN]

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