NBC Renews ‘Revolution,’ ‘Chicago Fire,’ ‘Parenthood,’ ‘Grimm’, ‘Law & Order: SVU’
NBC has handed the expected early renewals to its stronger drama series: freshmen Revolution and Chicago Fire as well as Parenthood, Grimm and veteran Law & Order: SVU. All have received full-season, 22-episode pickups. Missing from the drama list is recent addition Hannibal, which has dropped in the ratings the past two weeks after a solid start, and fellow midseason drama Deception. I hear NBC has not closed the door completely on Deception though a renewal appears unlikely. “On the verge of our 2013 fall scheduling decisions, we’re pleased to renew five drama series that will be important to our new-season lineup,” NBC’s entertainment president Jennifer Salke said. “We’re especially pleased to be renewing Revolution and Chicago Fire — two first-season successes — and there will be more returning series announcements made in the next couple of weeks.” Those announcements will no doubt include reality hit The Voice and veteran comedy Parks And Recreation, which are assured a return for next season. All the other NBC comedies are heavily on the bubble. Things look a little better for The New Normal, which just won a GLAAD Award and comes from top producer Ryan Murphy, with Matthew Perry starrer Go On also in contention. Meanwhile, cult favorite Community‘s future is cloudy, with the future of multi-camera entries Whitney and Guys With Kids also in limbo. NBC might keep one of the multi-cam sitcoms for continuity as it is likely to order at least one, the Sean Hayes/Victor Fresco project, and expanding NBC’s multi-camera footprint appears to be a priority for the network’s brass.
The renewal for Law & Order: SVU comes before the producers have secured the return of star Mariska Hargitay. Today’s announcement gives producer Dick Wolf two series on the NBC schedule next season, L&O: SVU and Chicago Fire. They could be joined by the proposed Chicago Fire spinoff. The renewal brings more good news for Grimm, which recently received a temporary time slot upgrade and The Voice lead-in. Here are details about NBC’s newly renewed dramas:
Revolution, the Monday night drama that centers on a family trying to reunite amidst a worldwide power failure, is executive produced by Eric Kripke, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk (Lost, Star Trek). The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions, Kripke Enterprises and Warner Bros. Television.
Revolution is the season’s top-rated drama on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and top-rated new series among those networks in adults 18-49, scoring a 4.6 rating, 12 share and 11.8 million viewers overall in “most current” averages for the season to date. Revolution has teamed with The Voice to help improve NBC’s Mondays this season versus last by 24 percent in 18-49 (with a 3.6 rating vs. a 2.9).
Chicago Fire, from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf and creators Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, goes inside a Windy City firehouse and the lives of those who engage in one of our nation’s noblest professions.
In addition to Wolf, Haas and Brandt, executive producers also include Matt Olmstead, Joe Chappelle, Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski. The series is produced by Universal Television and Wolf Films.
Chicago Fire has topped its premiere audience of 6.6 million persons a total of eight times this season, and the only other new drama on the broadcast networks to have done it even once this season is NBC’s Hannibal. Chicago Fire originals have improved the time period versus year-ago results by 24 percent (“live plus same day”).
Parenthood, adapted from the 1989 feature film, examines the colorful Braverman family, and all its foibles and triumphs. The series is executive produced by Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon), Emmy winner Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) and Lawrence Trilling (Pushing Daisies). The series is produced by Universal Television and Imagine Entertainment.
Parenthood grew this season versus last by 8 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 2.8 rating from a 2.6) and also increased by 8 percent year-to-year in total viewers (7.1 million vs. 6.6 million). This season’s last seven Parenthood telecasts beat both the ABC and CBS drama competition in the time period in 18-49.
Grimm, inspired by the classic Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, is a Universal Television and Hazy Mills production. The series was created by Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf. Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner and Norberto Barba also serve as executive producers along with Greenwalt and Kouf.
Grimm is Friday’s #1 series in adults 18-49 and is up versus one year ago by 14 percent in 18-49 rating (with a 2.4 vs. the year-ago 2.1, “most current”) and is up 12 percent in total viewers (6.9 million vs. 5.2 million).
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will enter its 15th season for NBC. The series chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Television. Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer. Warren Leight, Julie Martin and Peter Jankowski are also executive producers.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit originals this season have improved the time period versus year-ago results by 70 percent in adults 18-49 (“live plus same day”) and are building on the time slot’s lead-in by 31 percent in 18-49 and 70 percent in total viewers.
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