Network Scorecard: NBC

Network Upfronts start today with the Peacock getting the first go-around at the fall schedule announcements. There's still a few hours to go until NBC makes its announcement, but that wily Kevin Reilly has already officially publicized what the fall schedule will look like.

"Last year we promised a return to the NBC legacy of quality, and in terms of awards, buzz and critical acclaim, that's just what we delivered," said NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly in a statement. "We've got the class and next season we're ready to add some mass, with new shows that build on the creative accomplishments of last season and are as broad as they are good. Combine the energy of these new programs with the bulked-up strength of our existing NBC hits and you've got a lineup that's poised to take us to the next level."

Without further ado, a sneak peek at NBC's fall schedule:

NBC Primetime Schedule for the 2007-08 Season:

MONDAY
8-9 pm: Deal or No Deal
9-10 pm: Heroes
10-11 pm: Journeyman

TUESDAY
8-9 pm: The Biggest Loser
9-10 pm: Chuck
10-11 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: Deal or No Deal
9-10 pm: Bionic Woman
10-11 pm: Life

THURSDAY
8-8:30 pm: My Name Is Earl (25 episodes)
8:30-9 pm: 30 Rock
9-9:30 pm: The Office (30 episodes, including 5 hour-long installments)
9:30-10 pm: Scrubs
10-11 pm: ER

FRIDAY
8-9 pm: 1 vs 100/The Singing Bee
9-10 pm: Las Vegas
10-11 pm: Friday Night Lights

SATURDAY
8-9 pm: Dateline NBC
9-11 pm: Drama Series Encores

SUNDAY (Fall 2007)
7-8 pm: Football Night in America
8-11 pm: NBC Sunday Night Football

SUNDAY (January 2008)
7-8 pm: Dateline NBC
8-9 pm: Law & Order
9-10 pm: Medium
10-11 pm: Lipstick Jungle

For those of you keeping track of such things, here's how the NBC schedule stacks up.

Returning Series:
Deal or No Deal, Heroes, Biggest Loser, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs, ER, 1 vs. 100, Las Vegas, Friday Night Lights, Dateline,

New Series:
Journeyman, Chuck, Bionic Woman, Life, The Singing Bee,

New Timeslots for Returning Series:
The Office (moving to Thursdays at 9 pm), 30 Rock (moving to Thursdays at 8:30 pm), Friday Night Lights (moving to, er, Friday nights at 10 pm).

Midseason Launches/Returns:
Law & Order, Medium, Lipstick Jungle, The IT Crowd, World Moves, Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Reactions:
Again, NBC hasn't so much overhauled its schedule as it has shifted things around a bit, sticking to its game plan of less expensive reality fare most evenings (save its Comedy Done Right lineup on Thursdays). Hopefully, there will be less expectations in terms of ratings for Friday Night Lights on Fridays, thus keeping the series around for a bit longer. I'm surprised by the decision to launch Journeyman on the back of Heroes rather than Bionic Woman, but I'm hoping that means that the network has enough faith in the Kevin McKidd-led drama to test it in some prime real estate (and let's be honest, trashy fare like The Real Wedding Crashers wasn't working there). I'm not sure that Chuck and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an inspired combination, while Bionic Woman and Life on Wednesdays might just be the thing to make me forget that Lost doesn't return until February 2008.

And 30 episodes of The Office? Sounds like a good thing IF the network programmers allow the show's producers to properly schedule and prepare for those five one-hour installments way in advance, before the scripts are written and production begins.