NBC Sets Premiere Dates For Tweaked Fall Schedule; Scripted Series Delayed; ‘New Amsterdam’, ‘Brooklyn’, ‘Manifest’, ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Held For 2021

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

NBC is the latest broadcast network, which had announced a regular fall 2020 schedule, to make lineup changes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ground the majority of new and returning TV series.

The peacock network is planning on returning scripted series to start rolling out in late October. NBC’s reworked fall 2020 lineup includes seven returning scripted series, that are yet to start production on their new seasons, comedy Superstore, slated to premiere Oct. 22, and five dramas scheduled for a November bow, led by flagship This Is Us, which would open its fifth season with a two-hour premiere on Nov. 10.

Also slated to return the second week of November, following the Presidential election, are the three Chicago dramas (Nov. 11), Law & Order: SVU (Nov. 12) and The Blacklist (Nov. 13).

Fall Premiere Dates 2020: Here’s What’s Coming As Production Slowly Starts To Ramp Up Amid Pandemic

All premiere dates have been set after detailed conversations with the series’ producers to get assurances that having the shows ready by then is realistic. Of the dramas, The Blacklist is expected to be first back in production in New York.

NBC’s fall schedule announced in June also featured New Amsterdam, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Manifest and the new Law & Order: SVU spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime, starring Christopher Meloni. Those series will now premiere after Jan. 1.

Also held for 2021 as previously planned are returning series Good Girls, Making It, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist as well as new comedy series Kenan, Mr. Mayor and Young Rock as well as alternative series That’s My Jam, Small Fortune, True Story, and Who Do You Think You Are?.

Stepping in to fill the fall voids in September, October and beyond are — largely previously announced — Canadian medical drama Transplant, which subs for New Amsterdam; American Ninja Warrior and Ellen’s Game Of Games, which will fill in for The Voice until the reality mainstay is ready for return October 19, Weakest Link, which will air in Manifest‘s Monday slot, remote comedy Connecting…, which was fast-tracked during the pandemic and will replace Brooklyn Nine-Nine on the fall schedule. There is no replacement yet for L&O: Organized Crime yet, with the Thursday 10 PM slot likely to feature a newsmagazine in the fall.

All reality series listed above, including The Voice, are either in production or about to start shooting.

Here is a list of NBC’s fall premiere dates:

SEPTEMBER
Transplant (Tuesday, 9/1, 10-11 PM)
American Ninja Warrior (Monday, 9/7, 8-10 PM)
NBC Sunday Night Football (Thursday, 9/10 and Sunday, 9/13, 8:20 PM ET)
Weakest Link (Monday, 9/28, 10-11 PM)
Dateline NBC (Friday, 9/25, 10-11 PM)

OCTOBER
Connecting … (Thursday, 10/1, 8:30-9 PM)
Ellen’s Game of Games (Tuesday, 10/6, 8-10 PM, then shifting to 9-10 p.m. on 10/13)
The Voice (Monday, 10/19, 8-10 PM, Tuesday, 10/20, 8-10 PM then switches to 8-9 PM on 10/27)
Superstore (Thursday, 10/22, 8-8:30 PM)

NOVEMBER
This Is Us (Tuesday, 11/10, 9-11 PM; returns to 9-10 PM on 11/17)
Chicago Med (Wednesday, 11/11, 8-9 PM)
Chicago Fire (Wednesday, 11/11, 9-10 PM)
Chicago P.D. (Wednesday, 11/11, 10-11 PM)
Law & Order: SVU (Thursday, 11/12, 9-10 PM)
The Blacklist (Friday, 11/13, 8-9 PM)

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