‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’: NBC Boss Reveals Why He Saved the Show, and When It Will Be Back
NBC would have never let its sister studio sell “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” to Fox had the network known Andy Samberg would ultimately be cast in the lead role. That’s one of the reasons the network was quick to grab the show when Fox cancelled it last week, according to NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt.
“He didn’t sign on until it was already set up [at Fox],” Greenblatt told reporters on Sunday morning. “We thought it was a missed opportunity from the beginning. We kept encouraging Fox to build it and schedule it right and do right by it, and I guess they came to a place they couldn’t keep it on. We jumped on it really quickly.
“We think it fits into our brand of comedy in many ways better than it ever fit on Fox… It all feels like it goes along side shows like ‘A.P. Bio,’ ‘Will & Grace, ‘Superstore,’ and ‘The Good Place.’ It felt like a piece of that puzzle.”
Greenblatt and his team revealed NBC’s fall 2018 lineup on Sunday, and although “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” wasn’t on it, the plan is to see how it does in midseason and then decide what the longterm plans are for the show, including more seasons beyond this next one (its sixth).
“You take these things one decision at a time,” he said. “We’d love to see it continue. It’s hard to predict, we’re just thrilled to have it.”
Although the fan outcry was appreciated, plans were already well underway to bring “Nine-Nine” to NBC by the time Fox officially decided not to continue with the show. Because it’s produced by NBCUniversal’s Universal TV, “Nine-Nine” comes with a “robust international number and a syndication upside” for the company, he said. “There are a lot of reasons for that to continue.”
Meanwhile, among the big moves on their schedule, NBC will consolidate its Dick Wolf/Chicago-set shows all on Wednesday night, and move “Law & Order: SVU” to Thursday nights at 10 p.m. Also, new drama “New Amsterdam” gets the coveted post-“The Voice” slot on Monday nights.
Returning shows for the 2018-19 schedule include “America’s Got Talent,” “A.P. Bio,” “The Blacklist,” “Blindspot,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Dateline NBC,” “Ellen’s Game of Games,” “Good Girls,” “The Good Place,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Midnight, Texas,” “Superstore,” “This Is Us,” “The Voice,” “The Wall,” “Will & Grace” and “World of Dance.” NBC hasn’t yet made a decision on “Timeless” and “Champions,” as the network will wait until after their finales to determine whether they’ll continue.
Here’s this fall’s NBC schedule, followed by descriptions of the network’s new series.
NBC FALL 2018-19 SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8 p.m. — “The Voice” (“America’s Got Talent: The Champions” in January/February)
10 p.m. — “Manifest” (new drama)
TUESDAY
8 p.m. — “The Voice” (“Ellen’s Game of Games” in January/February)
9 p.m. — “This Is Us”
10 p.m. — “New Amsterdam” (new drama)
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. — “Chicago Med”
9 p.m. — “Chicago Fire”
10 p.m. — “Chicago P.D.”
THURSDAY
8 p.m. — “Superstore”
8:30 p.m. — “The Good Place”
9 p.m. — “Will & Grace”
9:30 p.m. — “I Feel Bad” (new comedy)
10 p.m. — “Law & Order: SVU”
FRIDAY
8 p.m. – “Blindspot” / “The Blacklist” (midseason)
9 p.m. — “Midnight, Texas”
10 p.m. — “Dateline NBC”
SATURDAY
8 p.m. — “Dateline Saturday Night Mystery”
10 p.m. – “Saturday Night Live” (encores)
SUNDAY
7 p.m. — Football Night in America
8:20 p.m. — NBC Sunday Night Football
SUNDAY (January, post-football)
8 p.m. — “World of Dance”
10 p.m. — “Good Girls”
MIDSEASON
“A.P. Bio,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Blacklist,” “Good Girls,” “Abby’s” (new comedy), “The Enemy Within” (new drama), “The Village” (new drama) and “The InBetween” (new drama), “America’s Got Talent: The Champions,” “Ellen’s Game of Games,” “The Titan Games” (new reality).
NEW DRAMA SERIES
“THE ENEMY WITHIN”
In this fast-paced, spy-hunting thriller, Erica Shepherd (Jennifer Carpenter) is a brilliant former CIA operative, now known as the most notorious traitor in American history serving life in a Supermax prison. Against every fiber of his being but with nowhere else to turn, FBI Agent Will Keaton (Morris Chestnut) enlists Shepherd to help track down a fiercely dangerous and elusive criminal she knows all too well. For Keaton, it’s not easy to trust the woman who cost him so much. While Shepherd and Keaton have different motivations for bringing the enemy to justice, they both know that to catch a spy… they must think like one.
The cast includes Jennifer Carpenter, Morris Chestnut, Raza Jaffrey and Kelli Garner.
Ken Woodruff will write and executive produce. Mark Pellington will direct and executive produce the pilot. Vernon Sanders also executive produces. “The Enemy Within” is produced by Universal Television.
“THE INBETWEEN”
Cassie Bishop was born with a gift, though she may call it a curse. She can see and communicate with the dead, helping them with their unresolved problems … whether she likes it or not. When her longtime friend Det. Tom Hackett and his new partner, former FBI Agent Damien Asante, need help solving a darkly puzzling murder, Cassie agrees to use her abilities. Despite her reluctance, she may have found a way to keep her demons at bay, all while solving some of the city’s most challenging cases. From writer/executive producer Moira Kirland (“Castle,” “Madam Secretary”) comes this suspenseful, new character-driven procedural drama.
The cast includes Harriet Dyer, Anne-Marie Johnson, Cindy Luna, Chad James Buchanan and Paul Blackthorne.
Moira Kirland will write and executive produce. Charlotte Sieling will direct and executive produce the pilot. David Heyman and Nancy Cotton also executive produce. “The InBetween” is produced by Universal Television, NBCU International Television Studio and Heyday Television.
“MANIFEST”
When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years and their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they’re all given a second chance. But as their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible. From Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke comes an emotionally rich, unexpected journey into a world grounded in hope, heart and destiny.
The cast includes Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina and Parveen Kaur.
Jeff Rake will write and executive produce. David Frankel will direct and executive produce the pilot. Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke also executive produce. “Manifest” is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Compari Entertainment.
“NEW AMSTERDAM”
Inspired by Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in America, this unique medical drama follows the brilliant and charming Dr. Max Goodwin, the institution’s newest medical director who sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care. How can he help? Well, the doctors and staff have heard this before. Not taking “no” for an answer, Dr. Goodwin must disrupt the status quo and prove he will stop at nothing to breathe new life into this understaffed, underfunded and underappreciated hospital — the only one in the world capable of treating Ebola patients, prisoners from Rikers and the President of the United States under one roof — and return it to the glory that put it on the map.
The cast includes Ryan Eggold, Freema Agyeman, Janet Montgomery, Jocko Sims, Anupam Kher and Tyler Labine.
David Schulner will write and executive produce. Kate Dennis will direct and executive produce the pilot. Peter Horton also executive produces. Dr. Eric Manheimer will produce. “New Amsterdam” is produced by Universal Television, Pico Creek Productions and Mount Moriah.
“THE VILLAGE”
Welcome to the Village, an apartment building in Brooklyn that appears like any other from the outside but is quite unique inside. The people who reside here have built a bonded family of friends and neighbors. Sarah’s a nurse and single mom raising a creative teen; Gabe’s a young law student who got a much older and unexpected roommate; Ava must secure the future of her young, U.S.-born son when ICE comes knocking; Nick’s a veteran who’s returned from war; and the heart and soul of the building, Ron and Patricia, have captivating tales all their own. These are the hopeful, heartwarming and challenging stories of life that prove family is everything — even if it’s the one you make with the people around you.
The cast includes Moran Atias, Dominic Chianese, Warren Christie, Frankie Faison, Jerod Haynes, Daren Kagasoff, Michaela McManus, Lorraine Toussaint and Grace Van Dien.
Mike Daniels will write and executive produce. Minkie Spiro will direct and executive produce the pilot. Jessica Rhoades also executive produces. “The Village” is produced by Universal Television and 6107 Productions.
NEW COMEDY SERIES
“ABBY’S”
From the producers of “The Good Place” comes a hilariously aspirational new comedy about the best bar in San Diego, home to good prices, great company and, of course, Abby. This unlicensed, makeshift bar nestled in her backyard is the opposite of everything annoying about today’s party scene. There are rules at Abby’s: no cell phones (not even to “look something up”), earning a seat at the bar takes time and losing a challenge means drinking a limey, sugary “not-beer” drink. As the oddball cast of regulars will tell you, hanging out at Abby’s is a coveted honor. But once you’re in, you’re family.
The cast includes Natalie Morales, Nelson Franklin, Kimia Behpoornia, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts and Neil Flynn.
Josh Malmuth will write and executive produce. Pamela Fryman will direct and executive produce the pilot. Michael Schur and David Miner also executive produce. “Abby’s” is produced by Universal Television, Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment.
“I FEEL BAD”
Emet is the perfect mom, boss, wife, friend and daughter. OK, she’s not perfect. In fact, she’s just figuring it out like the rest of us. Sure, she feels bad when she has a sexy dream about someone other than her husband, or when she pretends not to know her kids when they misbehave in public, or when she uses her staff to help solve personal problems. But that’s OK, right? Nobody can have it all and do it perfectly. From executive producer Amy Poehler comes a modern comedy about being perfectly OK with being imperfect.
The cast includes Sarayu Blue, Paul Adelstein, Aisling Bea, Zach Cherry, Johnny Pemberton and James Buckley.
Aseem Batra will write and executive produce. Julie Anne Robinson will direct and executive produce the pilot. Amy Poehler, Dave Becky and Josh Maurer also executive produce. “I Feel Bad” is produced by Universal Television, Paper Kite Productions, CannyLads Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment.
