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NBC unveils summer lineup

Geplaatst op 12 maart 2009 19:57 door gsprimo

NBC has unveiled a surprising summer lineup that includes several scripted projects -- including the long-awaited scheduling of "The Philanthropist" starring James Purefoy and Neve Campbell.

The lineup also includes freshman dramas "Merlin" and "The Listener," in addition to new reality shows "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here" and "Great American Road Trip."

The headline-maker here is "Philanthropist," produced by Universal Media Studios. Once planned for last fall, the expensive and ambitious drama stars Purefoy as a billionaire man of action who helps those in need, and Campbell as his wife. The project was sidelined by financing issues as NBC sought an overseas production partner and Purefoy endured an injury.

"Merlin” and "Listener" are overseas co-productions. "Merlin" and was produced by Shine Television for the BBC, a 13-part series that updates the story of the sorcerer of Arthurian legend in the mythical city of Camelot. "Listener" is a Canadian drama co-produced by CTV about a telepath who helps people in crisis.

Two miniseries are included here too -- “The Meteor” (rocks tumbling toward Earth) and “The Storm" (James Van Der Beek stars in this story of a weather creation experiment that goes bad -- "hurricanes change course, winds go instantly from hot to cold, torrential rains bring regions to a standstill, and buildings crumble into ruins under explosive lightening storms").

"Merlin" will take over the Sunday 8 p.m. spot from "Kings." "Philanthropist" will take over for "Law & Order" on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. And "The Listener" will relieve "Southland" on Thursdays at 10 p.m.

It may be popular to pick on NBC's creative choices right now (and one must wonder about the quality of "Philanthropist" since it landed in the summer instead of the fall), but I really like that the network is avoiding the usual strategy of packing the off-season with reality fare and is instead balancing its schedule with three scripted series. There's a lot of (and I cannot stand this word but) escapist programming on this lineup. NBC has had poor luck with its co-production choices this season ("Crusoe," "Last Templar," "XIII"), but CBS proved with "Flashpoint" that this model can work. Hopefully, "Merlin," "Listener" and "Meteor" can pop some good numbers while most competitors are airing repeats and reality.

MONDAY, JUNE 1

“I’M A CELEBRITY…GET ME OUT OF HERE!” -- premiere (8-9 p.m.)
“Medium” season finale (10-11 p.m.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 2
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” -- season finale (10-11 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
“Law & Order” -- season finale (10-11 p.m.)

THURSDAY, JUNE 4
“THE LISTENER” -- premiere (10-11 p.m.)

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 and JUNE 14
“METEOR” -- miniseries (9-11 p.m.)

MONDAY, JUNE 8
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC season premiere; 9-10 p.m.)
”Dateline NBC” (10-11 p.m.)

SUNDAY, JUNE 21
“MERLIN” (premiere 8-10 p.m.; June 28 airs 8-10 p.m.; July 5 resumes regular time 8-9 p.m.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 23 and WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
“AMERICA’S GOT TALENT” (9-10 p.m. both nights)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
“THE PHILANTHROPIST” -- premieres (10-11 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1
“GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP” -- premieres (8-9 p.m.)

SATURDAY, JULY 4
“MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR” (9-10 p.m.)

SUNDAY, JULY 19 and SUNDAY, JULY 26
“THE STORM” -- miniseries (9-11 p.m.)



Official show descriptions:

>> “The Philanthropist” chronicles the heroic adventures of a billionaire playboy turned vigilante philanthropist. James Purefoy (“Rome”) stars as Teddy Rist, a successful tycoon whose life is forever changed after rescuing a young boy during a hurricane in the Nigerian town he was visiting. Rist is spontaneous and impulsive and quickly decides to channel his passion, power and money into helping those in need. Rist’s actions are not just about helping others – he is purging his soul to help exorcise the inner demons which have been festering ever since his young son died and he lost everything he truly loved

>> “Merlin” is a new 13-part drama series that updates the story of the infamous sorcerer of Arthurian legend for a new audience in the mythical city of Camelot, in a time before history began. In this fantastical realm, Merlin is a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers who arrives in the kingdom and quickly makes enemies, including the heir to Uther's crown, the headstrong Prince Arthur. But guided by Uther's wise physician, Gaius, Merlin is soon using his talents not just to survive but also to unlock Camelot's mystical secrets.

>> “The Listener” centers on Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik, “The Timekeeper”), a 25-year-old paramedic who has a big secret -- he’s a telepath. Until now, Toby kept his ability hidden, exploring its possibilities only with his long time mentor and confidant, Dr. Ray Mercer (Colm Feore, “24: Redemption”). As he makes the rounds with his energetic paramedic partner -- “Oz” Bey (Ennis Esmer, “Young People F*#king”), “The Listener” follows Toby as he tries to help people in crisis, and in the process, unravel the truth about his past. While his professional life is in check, Toby’s personal life could use its own rescue. And with the help of Detective Charlie Marks (Lisa Marcos, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”) and his E.R. doctor/ex-girlfriend Olivia Fawcett (Mylène Dinh-Robic, “Da Vinci’s City Hall”), Toby realizes his gift can help others.

>> “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” is the ultimate Swiss Family Robinson as ten celebrities are dropped into the heart of the jungle to face fun and comedic challenges designed to test their survival skills. America is the puppetmaster, controlling their favorite celebrities by putting them into challenges and tasks to win food, supplies and luxury items. In each episode, friendships will be tested, hilarity will ensue and viewers will decide which celebrities stay or go. The last remaining star will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle, winning a substantial cash prize for their favorite charity.

>> “Great American Road Trip” from BBC Worldwide, is a hilarious and relatable new series where seven families from divergent backgrounds are selected take the journey of a lifetime. Over eight episodes, the families will travel through cities large and small all while competing in a medley of humorous challenges that will ultimately lead one family to victory. These comical, clever challenges are set against iconic American backdrops like the majestic Grand Canyon and the regal Washington Monument. Along the way, our families and our viewers will also discover quirky American landmarks ranging from the World's Largest Chair to a sneaker the size of a car. Although family fun is the centerpiece of the show, the competition is real and one family will be eliminated each week based on their performance in the challenges. Ultimately, only one family will return home with a dream prize that perfectly compliments their extraordinary and memorable summer vacation.

>> In “Meteor,” two massive rocks, tumbling debris older than the solar system itself, collide in space. The course has been altered. The target is Earth. In a remote observatory, Dr. Lehman (Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd, “Back to the Future”), discovers a meteor approximately three times the size of Mount Everest barreling its way towards Earth. His devoted young assistant Imogene O’Neill (Marla Sokoloff, “The Practice”) feverishly types in the coordinates only to find the previously identified meteor named Kassandra is headed their way. It’s only the beginning of their troubles as showers of smaller meteorites begin to lay waste to major cities around the globe.

>> In “The Storm,” from RHI Entertainment, billionaire Robert Terrell (Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Treat Williams, “Everwood”) has fulfilled a lifelong obsession and made history with “weather creation” technology though his Atmospheric Research Institute. But during a test run, a blast of energy is sent into the ionosphere with unexpected results. The experiments hurtle the planet towards destruction—hurricanes change course, winds go instantly from hot to cold, torrential rains bring regions to a standstill, and buildings crumble into ruins under explosive lightening storms. It’s only the beginning. Only one scientist, Dr. Jonathan Kirk (James Van Der Beek, “Dawson’s Creek”), steps forward to demand that the system be terminated.