NEW YORK – After losing two of its signature comedies, NBC will add five new series in the fall, casting Heather Locklear as an airport chief and bringing a crime drama back to the 50th state.
Locklear stars with Blair Underwood in “LAX,” while “Hawaii” recalls the long-running CBS series “Hawaii Five-O” (1968-80) and “Magnum, P.I.” (1980-88).
NBC minted a new hit, and as previously announced, “The Apprentice” will be back in the fall, and Matt LeBlanc’s “Friends” spinoff, “Joey,” will take over his old show’s key time slot at 8 p.m. Thursday.
NBC’s Tuesday night undergoes the biggest makeover, with the comedies “Whoopi” and “Happy Family” getting the ax.
The “Frasier” time slot at 9 p.m. will be filled with an animated comedy, “Father of the Pride,” about the lions that perform in Siegfried and Roy’s Las Vegas show.
NBC told advertisers this week that it’s emphasizing a year-round schedule, with new original programming premiering throughout the season. Besides the traditional fall schedule announcement, NBC picked up seven additional new series that will come on at some point next season.
Some already have time slots: “Revelations,” a thriller starring Bill Pullman as a scientist worried about Armageddon, will fill in for “The West Wing” in midseason. “The Contender,” Mark Burnett and Sylvester Stallone’s boxing reality series, will go up against “American Idol” on Tuesdays.
In something of a surprise, the anticipated third spinoff of “Law &Order” starring Jerry Orbach wasn’t included on the fall schedule, instead appearing slated for midseason.
NBC also announced Dennis Farina will join the cast of “Law &Order”; the comedy “Scrubs” has been renewed for two seasons; and Carson Daly has signed up for three more years as host of “Last Call.”
Additional new shows ordered by NBC:
“Medical Investigation,” a drama based on true stories about medical mysteries from the National Institutes of Health. It’s on the fall schedule for Friday.
“Crazy for You,” a midseason comedy with Jennifer Finnigan (“Crossing Jordan”) and Josh Cooke as a mismatched couple.
“The Men’s Room,” a midseason comedy about three men – aged 22, 32 and 42 – trying to come to grips with life at different stages.
“The Office,” an American remake of the popular British series, scheduled for midseason.
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