Nellie Andreeva

NBC has put in the last piece in its midseason scheduling puzzle, slotting the second season of reality competition series Fashion Star for a March 8 premiere and a run in the Friday 8 PM time period. The premiere of Fashion Star will lead into the spring return of Grimm at 9 PM after a two-month hiatus. NBC left the Friday 8 PM slot TBD in its recent midseason announcements despite wide speculation that Fashion Star had been earmarked for the hour. I hear that there was an issue with the retailers who sell the outfits from each episode if the series aired on Fridays. Fashion Star‘s first season ran on Tuesday. The store chains partnered with the show this season are returning giants Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as Express in for H&M. Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos are back as celebrity mentors, with Louise Roe replacing creator/executive producer Elle Macpherson as host. The Friday 8 PM hour is becoming a preferred slot for unscripted programming, featuring CBS’ Undercover Boss, Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares, until recently ABC’s Shark Tank, and starting in March, NBC’s Fashion Star.

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