NBC announced its new 2007-08 primetime lineup today (May 14, 2007) at New York's Radio City Music Hall, and sci-fi is the prevalent theme among the new dramas.
NBC's 2007-08 lineup features the new dramas JOURNEYMAN (Mondays, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET, with vfx by Zoic Studios), a romantic-mystery from the Emmy Award-winning producers of THE WEST WING, concerning a San Francisco newspaper reporter (Kevin McKidd, ROME) who inexplicably begins to travel through time and alter people's lives; and CHUCK (Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00 pm ET, (with vfx by Zoic Studios), a comedic spy thriller about an unassuming computer geek who is unexpectedly catapulted into a new career as a government agent after spy secrets are mysteriously embedded into his brain.
Also new this fall is the drama BIONIC WOMAN (Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00 pm ET), a re-imagination of the classic from David Eick (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) and Jason Smilovic (KIDNAPPED). BIONIC WOMAN stars Michelle Ryan (EASTENDERS) as a young woman whose life is radically altered and empowered after a car crash. BIONIC WOMAN will be repurposed on SCI FI Channel shortly after original telecasts on NBC.
NBC "bulks up" with 30 combined episodes of HEROES and HEROES: ORIGINS, a new spin-off that each week will introduce a new character -- one of whom will be chosen by viewers through the HEROES website on NBC.com to become a cast regular the following season.
Jerry Seinfeld, star of the classic NBC mega-hit SEINFELD, returns to the network to create and star in 20 unique live-action comedy "minisodes" inspired by his experiences creating the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature, BEE MOVIE, in theaters Nov. 2. NBC Universal will also have the exclusive U.S. broadcast and cable network rights to the film, which features Seinfeld as the voice of Barry B. Benson, a disillusioned bee. Produced by Seinfeld and DreamWorks, the 20 comedy shorts will give viewers a glimpse at Seinfeld's behind-the-scenes antics during production of the movie. The "minisodes" will run on NBC's primetime schedule this fall -- as well as on NBC.com -- on designated days before and after the release of the film.
From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Kevin Falls (THE WEST WING) and Emmy Award-winning director-producer Alex Graves (THE WEST WING), JOURNEYMAN is a production of 20th Century Fox Television. Falls is exec producer and writer; Graves is exec producer and director of the pilot.
From exec producer, Josh Schwartz (THE O.C.) and exec producer/director McG (CHARLIE'S ANGELS, WE ARE MARSHALL), CHUCK is written by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak and produced by College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.
BIONIC WOMAN is produced by NBC Universal Television Studio and exec produced by Eick, Glen Morgan (THE X-FILES), Michael Dinner (KIDNAPPED) -- who also directed the pilot -- and Jason Smilovic (LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN). Laeta Kalogridis (BIRDS OF PREY) is also an exec producer on the pilot.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
