NBC fall lineup praying for boost

NBC hopes that star power, comedy veterans, familiar concepts and two shows centered around… NBC hopes that star power, comedy veterans, familiar concepts and two shows centered around backstage antics on a sketch comedy show will put the network back on top. Or, more realistically, back out of last place.

NBC coasted through the ’90s in first place with hits like “Friends,” “Frasier” and “ER.” Now with all of them either off the air or losing viewers fast, NBC is stranded in last place with only the “Law ‘ Order” franchise and a few moderately successful reality/gameshows keeping them afloat. In the upcoming season, however, a few good dramas look to give them a respectable year.

Monday nights start with the first of two “Deal or No Deal” episodes per week, which is a ratings time bomb if anyone remembers how ABC and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” turned out. Next is the new drama “Heroes,” which looks to cash in with a toned-down “X-Men” plot.

“Heroes” stars Ali Larter (“Final Destination”) and Greg Grunberg (anything JJ Abrams has ever written) as everyday people who realize they have super powers. The show will focus on how their lives are changed by their powers, and not with them using their powers to fight crime. Think lots of “Smallville” and very little “Lois and Clark.”

“Heroes” may be a potential hit because it has the right time slot and the right producer. ABC’s “The Bachelor” is ratings deadweight and “Heroes” is good counter program for CBS’s comedy block. Also, writer/executive-producer Tim Kring showed he can handle both suspense with “Crossing Jordan” and family drama with “Providence.”

Matthew Perry returns to television (don’t worry, it’s not another “Friends” spinoff) in Aaron Sorkin’s (“The West Wing”) new dramedy “Studio 60 on Sunset Strip,” which airs after “Heroes.” “Studio 60” centers on the backstage drama at a late-night sketch show that isn’t as funny or edgy as it used to be (Yes, this is the same network that airs SNL).

Perry and Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”) star as a writing team brought in by Amanda Peet (“Identity”) to save the show after the executive producer has an on-air meltdown. With a recognizable cast, Sorkin producing and a solid concept, this could be one of the best shows on the air.

As long as “Heroes” doesn’t completely bomb, “Studio 60” has a fighting chance — the only direct competition is “What About Brian,” which no one watches, and not everyone likes to see pretty people solve murders on “CSI: Miami.”

For everyone who hoped that someone would water down the movie “Friday Night Lights” and put it on television, Tuesday at 8 o’clock will make all of your dreams come true. NBC clearly doesn’t know that movies traditionally don’t translate well to television (“Clueless”), and if they do (“Buffy”), it’s because the tone and concept were changed.

The trailer for “FNL” looks exactly like the trailer for the movie, which is good and bad. Good because the movie was pretty good, bad because it means that a two-hour movie is being stretched into a series.

Wednesday night starts with “20 Good Years,” a new sitcom starring comedy vets John Lithgow (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) and Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”). The trailer played like an updated “Odd Couple” with bright lights and a laugh track. The premise, “we have 20 years to live so let’s do a lot of stuff,” doesn’t seem worthy of the talent.

“30 Rock” is a new comedy centering on the backstage problems at a sketch show (yep, still the network that airs “SNL”). Tina Fey (“SNL,” “Mean Girls”) writes, executive produces and stars as the headwriter trying to balance everyone and their egos.

Fey is joined by fellow “SNL”ers Rachel Dratch and Tracy Morgan, plus frequent “SNL” guest host Alec Baldwin. With a solid cast and Fey writing, this could be one of the best sitcoms to come out in a long time.

The last of NBC’s new fall shows is the drama “Kidnapped,” airing after “The Biggest Loser” on Wednesdays. The serialized thriller has the unfortunate task of competing with the similarly toned “CSI: NY” and a new JJ Abram’s show. Also, it doesn’t help that Fox’s new show “Vanished” has more or less the exact same plot.

One of the best decisions NBC made was to air “ER” rerun-free this year. Since “ER” is serialized, old episodes don’t draw a large audience. Another new show, “The Black Donnellys,” will air while “ER” is on hiatus. Since all shows go into repeats at the same time, “Donnellys” will be one of the only first-run episodes on the air, granting it has a better chance of catching on.

Patricia Arquette will also have some extra time to practice her blank stare — “Medium” won’t return to the air until midseason while the newly acquired “Sunday Night Football” is on the air.

Overall, NBC has a strong group of new shows, but the actual lineup is going to hurt the network’s potential. The “Law ‘ Order” franchise has the strongest ratings on NBC’s roster, but they’re not using them to launch new shows. The two spin-offs air back-to-back on Tuesday nights and the original was shipped to Friday nights.

NBC basically has solid Tuesday and Friday nights, but the other nights are question marks that rely on the performances of new shows. “Studio 60” and “30 Rock” look to be the strongest of the group, but both rely on another new show to give them a solid lead-in to build off.

It’s basically an all-or-nothing schedule: If one show’s a hit, then the show airing after it will have a much better chance of being a hit too. But when you’re in fourth place and you can’t fall too much farther, you might as well take risks.