NBC has announced a busy summer slate highlighted by the return of the reality hit “America’s Got Talent,” but lacking any of the scripted assets the network has been keeping on the shelf.
“America’s Got Talent,” which has been the top summer series in total viewers for each of the past five seasons, will return on Tuesday, May 31 with a two-hour premiere from 9 to 11 p.m., with its Wednesday 9 p.m. premiere coming the following night. Between June 7 and June 28, “America’s Got Talent” will air on Tuesdays from 9 to 10 p.m. and will expand to 9 to 11 p.m. starting on July 5.
The “America’s Got Talent” finale has already been set for Tuesday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 14.
Also with a concrete premiere date is “The Marriage Ref,” which will air on Sundays at 10 p.m. starting on June 26. The Jerry Seinfeld-produced relationship comedy had been scheduled to return in March, but NBC shifted “America’s Next Great Restaurant” into its proposed slot, a move that hasn’t exactly paid dividends.
In addition, NBC has announced the alternative series “It’s Worth What?,” “Still Standing” and “Love in the Wild” for the summer, but specific premieres have yet to be announced.
Several spring premieres will continue with new episodes through at least part of the summer, including the competition series “The Voice,” the rebooted “Law & Order: Los Angeles” and the broadcast premiere run of the final season of “Friday Night Lights.” The broadcast premiere of the final season of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” will also air through the summer after kicking off on Mondays at 9 p.m. on May 30.
“We want to make it clear that NBC considers the summer as an important part of its overall season and will continue to offer a varied lineup of original programs,” states NBC President Robert Greenblatt. “Our viewers will have plenty of options with new series such as ‘It’s Worth What?’ and ‘Love in the Wild’ as well as continuing shows such as ‘The Voice’ plus returning favorites like ‘America’s Got Talent.’ We even have scripted series such as ‘Friday Night Lights,’ and episodes of two separate ‘Law and Order’ franchises as we build momentum toward the fall season.”
One thing NBC’s summer schedule doesn’t currently include is the premieres for any new scripted programming and the network doesn’t lack for options. The hour-long romantic anthology “Love Bites,” plus half-hour comedies “Friends with Benefits” and “The Paul Reiser Show” were all picked up last May, but continue to wither on the NBC vine.