On Sunday, NBC announced their new lineup for the 2016-17 primetime television season. Along with five sophomore series returning to the schedule, the network will also introduce several new series to the lineup, starring some of Broadway's favorite stars! In addition, NBC will continue its emphasis on event programming with one-time-only special events, including HAIRSPRAY LIVE!, starring Harvey Fierstein, Jennifer Hudson, Martin Short and Derek Hough, airing Wednesday, December 7 (8-11 pm/ET), and Aaron's Sorkin's A FEW GOOD MEN LIVE!, which will mark the network's first live drama since it began reinvigorating live programming in 2013.
The new comedy THE GOOD PLACE will premiere this fall (Thursdays 8:30 - 9:00 pm) and will star Kristen Bell (FROZEN) and Ted Danson. From Michael Schur, executive producer of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), the series follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Bell), an ordinary woman who, through an extraordinary string of events, enters the afterlife where she comes to realize that she hasn't been a very good person. With the help of her wise newfound afterlife mentor (Danson), she's determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome (or at least the pretty good) person within. Directed by Drew Goddard, the Oscar-nominated writer of "The Martian." The cast also includes William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto and D'Arcy Carden.
Midseason will see the premiere of the new comedy GREAT NEWS, starring Tony Award winner Andrea Martin (NOISES OFF, PIPPIN), along with Briga Heelan, Adam Campbell, Kimrie Lewis-Davis, John Michael Higgins and Horatio Sanz. According to the official description: Getting along with some colleagues can be rough, but working with your mom? That's a whole other story. When Katie, an up-and-coming news producer, finds out her overbearing mom (Andrea Martin, "SCTV," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") has rejoined the workforce as an intern at the station where Katie works, it might just be the worst news ever. But, with her biggest cheerleader at her side, Katie might finally get the recognition she deserves. The laughs hit close to home in this new office comedy from executive producers Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and the producers of "30 Rock."
Broadway's John Lithgow (A DELICATE BALANCE, THE COLUMNIST), Krysta Rodriguez (SPRING AWAKENING) and Steven Boyer (HAND TO GOD) will star in the midseason mockumentary comedy TRIAL & ERROR. According to the official description: In this outrageous fish-out-of-water comedy, bright-eyed New York lawyer Josh Segal heads to a tiny Southern town for his first big case. His mission? To defend an eccentric, "rollercizing" poetry professor (Lithgow) accused of the bizarre murder of his beloved wife. Settling into his makeshift office behind a taxidermy shop and meeting his quirky team of local misfits, Josh suspects that winning his first big case will not be easy, especially when his client is always making himself look guilty. "Making a Murderer" can be funny!
Fresh off her critically acclaimed performance of Rizzo in FOX's GREASE LIVE, Vanessa Hudgens (Broadway's GIGI) will star in the midseason series POWERLESS, the first comedy set in the universe of DC Comics. Hudgens plays Emily, a spunky young insurance adjuster specializing in regular-people coverage against damage caused by the crime-fighting superheroes. It's when she stands up to one of these larger-than-life figures (after an epic battle messes with her commute) that she accidentally becomes a cult "hero" in her own right ... even if it's just to her group of lovably quirky co-workers. Now, while she navigates her normal, everyday life against an explosive backdrop, Emily might just discover that being a hero doesn't always require superpowers.The cast also includes Alan Tudyk, Danny Pudi and Christina Kirk.
From executive producers Craig Zadan, Neil Meron and Henry Winkler comes BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. Described as an "alternative series", the show will air following NBC's Rio Olympics coverage in late summer. Based on a popular Korean format, the fish-out-of-water comedy/reality show follows cultural icons Henry Winkler, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron
and George Foreman on their greatest adventure yet. Deciding it's better late than never, these four national treasures embark on the journey of a lifetime, traveling across Asia on their own with no schedule and no itinerary. The only help will come from Jeff Dye, a young tech-savvy comedian with an agenda of his own and who isn't above leading the men off track. Each stop is packed with hilarious cultural experiences, heartwarming spectacles and unexpected twists as our legends take on this unforgettable adventure. Jason Ehrlich, Stephanie Chambers, Alex Katz and Tim Crescenti also executive produce. Troy Miller directs.
Also of interest midseason will be the new drama EMERALD CITY, described as a complete reimagination of "The Wizard of Oz" set in a mystical land of dark magic, lethal warriors and a bloody battle for supremacy. According to the official description: In the blink of a tornado's eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and a K9 police dog are swept into a world far removed from our own - a mystical land of competing realms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. Starring Vincent D'Onofrio ("Daredevil," "Jurassic World") as the guileful Wizard and directed by the visionary Tarsem Singh across three European countries, this is Oz completely reimagined - a place where familiar characters show up in fresh, unexpected ways, and where an unsuspecting young woman holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands. As Dorothy navigates this dangerous world and uncovers her true destiny, we'll see there's no place like... Oz.
