Specialty B.O. Preview: ‘Before Midnight’, … 
2012-2013 Season Network Rankings: CBS Sweeps In Final … 
Full 2012-2013 TV Season Series Rankings 
TOLDJA! Paramount Pocketing $190M From Disney For Marvel … 
‘Good Morning America’ Hits 19-Year Viewership … 
MGM Buys ‘Modern Family’ Producer Ben … 
‘Fashion Police’ Writers Chant On Picket Lines: … 
Universal Makes Seven-Figure Deal For ‘The School For … 
Steven Soderbergh Will Interrupt Retirement To Direct And … 
Cannes: EOne Announces Itself As Player In U.S. … 
Will LIN TV Stations Go Dark On Time Warner Cable? 
Very Crowded Memorial Weekend Kick-Off: ‘Hangover … 
Shareholders Quiz Time Warner Chief On Political Ties And … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Modern Family’, ‘Law … 
Hammond On Cannes: Paramount’s ‘Nebraska’ … 
Cannes: J.C. Chandor Sets Next Project ‘A Most … 
Hannibal Classics Sets Cast For Nic Cage Pic … 
Hammond On Cannes: Robert Redford’s Brave New Role … 
Hot Trailer: Jennifer Aniston And Jason Sudeikis’ … 
Brad Pitt’s Plan B Banner Promotes Jeremy Kleiner To … 
Hot Trailer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s ‘Don … 
NBC’s new Matthew Perry comedy series Go On and returning drama Grimm, already earmarked for an early launch immediately following the network coverage of the London Olympics, may be joined by two other new comedies, the Anne Heche starrer Save Me and the Ryan Murphy/Ali Adler blended family half-hour The New Normal. The August series launches are part of NBC’s strategy to take advantage of the monster promotional platform the Olympics provide.
NBC brass have been high on Save Me since it was delivered a month ago and The New Normal has been a favorite from the get-go. Save Me, from writer John Scott Shepherd, Sony Pictures TV and Neal Moritz’s studio-based Original Films, centers on Beth Harper (Heche) who, after an accident, starts to believe she is channeling God. While the project has not received a series pickup yet, informal staffing efforts are underway so it could go into production early if needed. The 20th TV-produced New Normal, also not formally greenlighted yet, has been given permission to begin staffing. The New Normal, co-written by Murphy and Adler and directed by Murphy, is described as a heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple, Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha), and a cash-strapped waitress and mother of one Goldie (Georgia King), who becomes a surrogate to help them have a child. Co-starring in the project is Ellen Barkin as Goldie’s glamorous/bigoted grandmother.
RELATED: NBC Eyes August Premieres For New Comedy ‘Go On’ & Returning Drama ‘Grimm’
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
Loading ...
3 comedies in August…so they’re definitely going to try a new night besides Thursday. Probably a 2 hour block. Where would they go? Wednesday would be fine if it weren’t for Modern Family at 9. They could try Tuesday.
8/8:30 – Go On/Save Me
9/9:30 – New Normal/Up All Night
10 – Parenthood.
I think that flows nicely. I put Up All Night in there because the show was doing pretty well all by itself on Wednesdays, but just wasn’t compatible when it moved to the post-Office slot. Behind New Normal it might fare better. Then Thursdays can add one more comedy, probably 1600 Penn. And maybe two comedies on reserve.
“a heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple”
Yeah, we get it. Ryan Murphy is all about the gay men. Now why can’t we have some heartwarming comedies about gay women or bisexual/transsexual/asexual men/woman, too? Some NOT written by Ryan Murphy preferably? Or is that too forward for TV networks?
Another pathetic move by the peacock. It doesn’t sound funny or promising. When will they learn? Start looking for new comedy VP.
I don’t get it; what’s pathetic about trying to use the promotional power of the Olympics to expose a new show to as many people as possible and/or get as many people as hooked as soon as possible?
Or were you referring to the shows themselves and their content?
Doesn’t matter if they launch in August HUT are still low. They’ll have to make up for those episodes either by ordering several extras or be saddled by repeats when it matters. But when you’re in dire straits, I guess you desperate to try something. I get why they want to take advantage of Olympics since SB definitely helped TV, but it has been sliding to new lows.
I saw Save Me, it was amazing. NBC is finally doing something innovative and
fresh!
I think they should totally reboot Thursday with 4 new comedies. Hopefully they pick up the Roseanne vehicle Downwardly Mobile and launch the 4 as NEW Must See TV… Sticking with what they have on Thursdays now DOESN’T work. They need a fresh start. It can’t hurt. They need some family comedies Mondays from 8-9 like they had in 90′s with Fresh Prince/Blossom to counter program other networks. These are just 2 extremely viable changes they need to reboot the network. Plus with launching the ALL new Thursday lineup in August they could get a solid sampling invade CBS forges ahead with a new all comedy lineup. I picked the Roseanne pilot because they need big names to pull off such a big gamble. If the new shows are a hit then they can plug Community and Parks&Rec in to give them the sampling and audience they have missed because they are funny shows just not self starters and deserve the eyeballs of a mass audience. If they need me to schedule the rest of the week… Deadline has my email.
You lost me with your second sentence. If you want to watch Roseanne, buy the DVD’s. Downwardly Mobile was a horrible read and The New Normal was so damn preachy… ugh.
NBC has forgotten that they had programs like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Blossom. Why do you think they’re just spitting out comedies like New Normal? Nobody wants to watch that. I just keep watching my Fresh Prince season 1 DVD instead. NBC needs to get FRESH
the real question here being how andrew going to get out of his iron clad Book of Mormon contract?
Iron clad? If they gave him time off to film the pilot, why would they not expect him to leave if it got picked up to series? And it’s not like he’s the draw in Book of Mormon; people want to see the show, not Andrew Rannells specifically.
Completely disagree. Mr. Rannells is a huge reason why people go to see BoM. It would be a very difficult role to fill especially with his chemistry with Josh Gad.
Gad won’t be there either…
I’ve seen Rannells in Book of Mormon, as well as two of his three covers — the show AND ROLE are in fantastic hands in his absence.
This August launch also gives them an extra excuse to renew Community, Up All Night etc. because they will have more hours to fill.
Theoretically, they could do what they did this spring and run more shows straight through, no reruns, all season.
It’d be interesting to see NBC pick one night and try to run shows in 16-20 week blocks, uninterrupted, with reality shows or primetime specials or something filling the void. Perhaps it could be the start of a new model for the broadcast networks.
Those August episodes aren’t going to do anything unfortunately. People are not going to let their last few weeks of summer go to waste to watch network television.
I wouldn’t be so negative. Let’s remember that the Olympics end on August 12. Figure that the network might want to let at least a week pass, and if so, we’re now into the third week of August. That’s might be prime vacation time, but it might not be. The thing is, almost no other network will be launching shows at that point. Plus, NBC will have “America’s Got Talent” to use as well, and perhaps even “The Voice” will be back around the same time.
All things considered, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the shows get a decent initial tune in.
Just what America wants to watch! Looney characters who are terribly quirky & witty for their own good, Save Me & Go On isn’t what NBC needs. New Normal could work though
NBC comedy is like a retired media tycoon — there was a point when he pretty much ruled the world, but these days he mostly putters around with his hobbies and smaller projects.