NBC turns cautious: three new shows, lots of back-ups

In the not-so-distant past, every autumn brought a deluge of new network TV shows, each heralded as bigger and better.
Don’t expect that now: NBC has announced a line-up with only three new shows (including “Found,” shown here); that comes after CBS set one with only two.
That means NBC viewers won’t face much separation pain. Three comedies – “American Auto,” “Young Rock” and “Grand Crew” – have indefinite futures. Two dramas (“New Amsterdam” and “This Is Us”) have ended runs of five and six years; another (“The Blacklist”) has a 10th and final season ending this summer. Other shows– even “Lopez vs. Lopez,” blasted by critics – will be back sometime.
This cautious approach might partly reflect long-range changes, with viewers less willing to sample new shows. But it also can reflect the current writers’ sttrike: When a strike ends, it’s quicker to re-start an old show than to launch a new one. Here’s an overview:
WHAT’S NEW
— “The Irrational” stars Jesse Martin as a human-behavior expert, working high-stakes cases. It will be 10 p.m. Mondays, after “The Voice.”
— “Found” stars Shanola Hampton (shown here), who spent 11 years as Veronica, the high-spirited neighbor on “Shameless.” She plays someone who was once missing; now her team probes disappearances that might have been overlooked. That’s at 10 p.m. Thursdays, behind two “Law & Order” shows.
— “Extended Family” is the lone new comedy, with Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men”) again playing a semi-welcome housemate. He and his ex-wife (Abigail Spencer) try to alternate being in the house and doing child-raising; then her new guy complicates things. That’s at 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays behind “Night Court,” which was a ratings success this year.
WHAT’S THE SAME
Almost everything. “Quantum Leap” changes nights, sliding to 10 p.m. Tuesdays, and “The Wall” gets a spot at 8 p.m. Fridays. Others stay put.
It will be “The Voice,” 8-10 p.m. Mondays and 9-10 p.m. Tuesdays … “Night Court,” 8 p.m. Tuesdays … three Chicago shows Wednesdays … “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” 8 and 9 p.m. Thursdays … “Dateline,” 9 and 10 p.m. Fridays … and football Saturdays and Sundays.
WHAT WILL WAIT
A lot. After football season, NBC fills Sundays with new shows and Saturdays with reruns. It has plenty of shows waiting their turn, including:
— Three returning dramas – “Magnum P.I.,” “La Brea” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Also, the Canadian medical drama, “Transplant.”
— One comedy, “Lopez vs. Lopez.’
— Several non-fiction shows. They include “Password” and variations on “Deal or No Deal” and “America’s Got Talent.” Also, the BBC unit that makes spectacular nature films is preparing a 10-hour “The Americas.” The version NBC airs will be narrated by Tom Hanks.
— And the network says its’s still considering several pilot films (plus the three comedies in limbo). They could end up this coming season, the following summer, the 2024-25 season or not at all.