day 236

nbc just can't win

oh, nbc...two steps forward, three steps back. the peacock net has been focusing nearly all their advertising efforts for the fall on jay leno's new 10 o'clock show and the only chance they have for a series with longevity, parenthood. now, only one of those shows will be premiering on schedule. parenthood's premiere has been shifted to midseason, while midseason grey's anatomy rip-off mercy - the nursing dramedy staring michelle trachtenberg - will take the wednesday slot come september 23rd. why, you ask? nbc says its because parenthood star maura tierney, who gained fame on nbc's er, requires an 8-week medical leave. what medical problem she allegedly has is unknown. however, because there's not much of an explanation, nbc may have just wanted to retool the series before it started regular production later this month. this is the second time parenthood has been cursed with medical emergencies and scheduling push-backs. when the pilot was being filmed in april, the nbc vice president of drama dropped dead on the hollywood set, halting all work for 2 days. maybe parenthood isn't destined to make it to the small screen. nbc has yet to release an official announcement on whether or not their schedule will only have the one change or if a complete retooling is coming. with the addition of mercy, nbc will be launching two medical skeins at the same time; trauma will premiere two days earlier on monday the 21st. plus, is mercy even suited for an 8/7c debut? jay leno's 10/9c nightly talk fest has forced nbc to be completely devoid of late night drama, their bread and butter since the launch of the law and order series. as of now, it doesn't look like nbc will be getting back on their feet as the 4th place network anytime soon. it's pretty sad that they've faltered since the loss of friends 5 years ago.