Some fans of certain NBC shows are going to be irritated, and some fans of certain other NBC shows are going to be very happy. Which is pretty much par for the course with NBC anyway.
The Peacock Network has announced that for the month of January, Chuck, Life, and Heroes will not be seen. They'll be back in February. So you're wondering, what's going to replace these shows for the month? Some exciting new action show? A searing drama? A laugh-out-loud comedy?
Well...no.
Instead we're going to get two new reality shows! One of them is called Superstars of Dance and is hopefully self-explanatory. Momma's Boys is a new dating reality show from Ryan Seacrest. All that power to produce what he wants and he gives us that? Life's time slot will be taken up by repeats of Law and Order: SVU.
Now the question is, will this time off actually help the shows (giving fans a breather for a month and then start the second half of the season in February), or will fans get turned off by the interruption and have a hard time coming back? Heroes has already gone through an interruption (the writers strike) and low ratings and fan uproar. I wonder if fans will say "enough."
In other NBC news, Friday Night Lights will return on January 16.
(Pictured above: Damien Lewis tries to figure out NBC's new schedule.)
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
11-26-2008 @ 8:32AM
Dan said...
When-Oh-when will this reality show fad be over!!??
Please, God, let it be soon!
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11-26-2008 @ 8:35AM
ozville said...
Well, this will help me catch up on my "full "TIVO. I DON'T DO REALITY!!!
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11-26-2008 @ 8:55AM
Joanne said...
That really stinks. Has NBC lost their minds?????
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11-26-2008 @ 9:09AM
Karl Moskowski said...
What irony! This post was filed under Reality-Free.
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11-26-2008 @ 1:52PM
Sheena said...
Since Hero's has totally lost my interest, then I'll take reality any-day! Well to confess, I do have the last 8 or so episodes of hero's on DVR but just can't bring myself to watch them. I LOVED that show the first year and the second season just killed it for me.
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11-26-2008 @ 3:15PM
Dan said...
So how can you say anything?
I think Heroes has gotten a lot better this season and those who still watch it tend to like it very much. We look forward to it every week and considering that I watch 3.5 hours on NBC a week and they just cut 2 of them, this doesn't make me too much of an NBC fan.
But if you don't watch it anymore, how can you say reality is better?
Obviously you're one of the people these idiot executives is counting on...people who would actually stop watching a scripted show for some moronic "reality" show.
11-26-2008 @ 9:34AM
ChrisG said...
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to congratulate you on your wise decision to intermit your normal programming, in order to inform the public about the importance of dancing superstars and boys dating their mommas. It saddens me to see that reality TV is, still, so much underrepresented in normal everyday programming; that is why it has to be complimented, whenever a network finds a niche to air one of these less profitable programs.
Yours Faithfully,
Prof. Enid Gumby, Brain Specialist
PS: MY BRAIN HURTS !!!
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11-26-2008 @ 9:49AM
Jason said...
History repeats itself. No one has learned anything new from the writer's strike. Goodbye, Chuck, Heroes and Life. Maybe if we're lucky, they'll at least let the rest of the season play out before they cancel anything. Because one of those shows at least will not survive the break.
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11-26-2008 @ 9:54AM
Modwild said...
Screw NBC. Interruptions in the schedule have proven time and time again that it kills programming. I guess that's what they want. Effin losers should just man up and say they don't want the programming, instead of blaming it on lower ratings the shows return in February. February, mind you, when shows like Lost and 24 will have returned. What an AWESOME plan!
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11-26-2008 @ 10:11AM
Ryan said...
You know what, that's fine really. First of all I watch Chuck and Heroes and it seems like NBC won't be nilly willy canceling them in the near future especially since they're in dire straights.
Having said that, I need a TV break anyways so yeah. Plus I'll be busy with 24, BSG, Lost, and so many more shows.
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11-26-2008 @ 10:14AM
Richard said...
The network is truly just killing these shows and then will blame it on ratings rather than their own murdering. Life replaced by reruns of SVU! You've got to be kidding! And, again, I DO NOT WATCH REALITY TV!
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11-26-2008 @ 10:15AM
patti8955 said...
The only thing that could possibly make this look good
is if either "Heroes", "Chuck", or "Life" is going to have
their first episode on in February be the show NBC has
on right after the Super Bowl.
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11-26-2008 @ 10:18AM
Bo Link said...
I really don't like this decision by NBC. It seems like they're purposefully trying to kill at least one of these shows. I have a feeling that Life will be the one snuffed out by this change. They switched it to Fridays at the start of the season, and then back to Wednesdays a few weeks ago. This will be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back in my opinion.
As for Friday Night Lights, season 3 is outstanding. I've been downloading them from DirecTV users on my ReplayTV. It is definitely worth looking forward to January for one night trips to Dillon, TX.
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11-26-2008 @ 10:18AM
MWM said...
Please DO NOT bring Heroes back!! Cancel it for Jan, Feb, March, April, May......
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11-26-2008 @ 12:19PM
Tony said...
Amen! That show got really unwatchable.
11-27-2008 @ 9:02AM
freedom55 said...
Agreed!!!!
11-26-2008 @ 10:19AM
Jennifer said...
You should have put the words "For January" up front. I was about to explode at first. Chuck and Heroes are 2 of my favorite shows, especially Chuck. I wish that more people would realize how great it is. Maybe when Battlestar's Six guest stars, more people will give it a try.
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11-26-2008 @ 10:19AM
khamel said...
i think someone learned something from the writers strike - the networks. they learned that for 10% of the money, they can retain 85-90% of the viewers on a low-rated scripted show by replacing it with a reality show. the plan is going to take a number of years, but if you want a peak at what tv is going to look like here, take a look at well, everywhere else. reality program is only going to get bigger and bigger because its cheap/easy to produce, there are seemingly unlimited number of people who want to be on them (no labor costs for 'stars') and people watch them. probably not people who post/read tv squad but other people whose money is just as green.
its sad but our fate is decided. maybe that will mean less shows but hopefully better ones. i'd take 20 good tv shows over 10 good, 20 ok, 10 bad anyday.
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11-26-2008 @ 10:28AM
Parton said...
It is absolutely amazing that the entertainment industry hasn't figured out they are total idiots yet. I guess this is NBC's lame way of acknowledging they know they can't keep up with the new shows returning on other networks in January. "Chuck" is a cool, off the beating path show, and I fear NBC will mess that up, too. Everyone out in America doesn't want reality TV and poorly written scripts with shows boasting tired premises and weak casting on our TVs! When you see what they are replacing the shows with, we see that they prove to be as dumb as we think they are. When will Ryan Seacrest go away?????? Thank goodness for USA and the return of "Burn Notice" and "In Plain Sight" among others in January!!
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11-26-2008 @ 10:27AM
Cyantre said...
Translation, the only three shows I care about on NBC are being taken off the air for January. NBC: I think you're brain is stupid and you have a really dumb face.
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