NBC Tweaks Fall TV Schedule Amid Writers' and Actors' Strikes

Quantum Leap and Magnum P.I. lead NBC's new fall TV lineup.

By Charlie Ridgely

The landscape of the fall TV season is going to look a lot different than some might have expected. The ongoing writers' and actors' strikes have put a halt on most productions across the country, and that means the majority of the TV shows that were previously scheduled for fall debuts aren't currently filming. The broadcast networks have now started to adjust the fall schedules that they had initially announced, taking away most of the new shows and finding ways to fill the weekly lineup.

CBS is leaning heavily on reality TV and reruns for its fall TV schedule, while NBC takes a slightly different approach. The network announced its adjusted schedule on Wednesday and it consists of a couple of shows with new episodes, as well as a few reruns and a heavy dose of sports.

Scripted shows Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap will anchor the fall lineup for NBC, airing new episodes on Wednesday nights. Magnum P.I. has the back half of a 20-episode season already finished, while Quantum Leap started work on its sophomore season as soon as production on Season 1 ended, so it also had episodes ready before the strikes. 

Found and The Irrational are freshman shows that had already filmed their full first seasons ahead of a normal fall production schedule. In addition to those shows, NBC is bringing in the Canadian series Transplant to air on Thursdays after Law & Order reruns. That gives NBC a total of five (mostly) new shows to air over the course of the fall.

Here's the full fall TV premiere schedule from NBC:

Saturday, Sept. 2
7:30 pm ET Big Ten Saturday Night

Thursday, Sept. 7
8:20 pm ET: NFL Kickoff

Sunday, Sept. 10
7 pm ET: Football Night in America
8:20 pm ET: Sunday Night Football

Monday, Sept. 25
8 pm: The Voice
10 pm: The Irrational

Wednesday, Sept. 27
9 pm: America's Got Talent (finale)

Friday, Sept. 29
9 pm: Dateline

Tuesday, Oct. 3
10 pm: Found

Wednesday, Oct. 4
8 pm: Chicago Med/Fire/PD (reruns)
9 pm: Magnum P.I.
10 pm: Quantum Leap

Thursday, Oct. 5
8 pm: Law & Order/SVU/Organized Crime (reruns)
9 pm: Transplant
10 pm: Dateline

Related:

Friday, Nov. 3
8 pm: The Wall

NBC Fall Schedule Reruns

In addition to the new shows and sports, NBC will have a couple of blocks of reruns built into its schedule. On Wednesday nights, beginning October 4th, NBC will kick off its programming with an old episode of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., or Chicago Med. The same will happen on Thursday nights, but with one of the various Law & Order programs.

Trending Now: