NBC’s Fall Lineup

This morning, NBC announced their fall lineup and after a quick glance, I’ve got a few thoughts.

Day One – In the aftermath of a global event that devastates the world’s infrastructures, a small band of survivors strives to rebuild society and unravel the mysteries of why the event took place and what the future has in store. Told from the point of view of an eclectic group of neighbors in a Van Nuys, California apartment building, this journey of survival will show us that hope is found in the smallest of victories and heroes are born every day.

This is NBC’s attempt at what CBS tried 3 years ago with Jericho.  My prediction?  It doesn’t get the back nine order and falls off the schedule.

Trauma – Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, Trauma is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the S.F. Bay, our heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives, and give meaning to their own existence in the process.

A few years ago, TNT did a show called Saved that was like this and it was pretty decent.  I’m interested to see what NBC does this.

Mercy – You haven’t seen inside a hospital until you’ve seen it through the eyes of those who know it best: its nurses. Veronica Callahan is one of those nurses. She just returned to Mercy Hospital from a tour in Iraq and knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia and Chloe, she navigates the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world.

It seems like everyone is jumping on the nurses medical show bandwagon.  I think NBC is the third network to put a show like this on their schedule.  I expect NBC’s version won’t be anything spectacular and will fail before the back nine order comes in.  I’ll even go so far as to say that NBC pulls this off the shelf quickly because of bad ratings.

Community – It’s been said that community college is a “halfway school” for losers, a self esteem workshop for newly divorced housewives, and a place where old people go to keep their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. Well, at Greendale Community College…that’s all true. Community focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, The Soup). They form a study group and, in “Breakfast Club” fashion, end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work.

A sitcom about a community college with Chevy Chase?  I’ll give it a chance.

Parenthood – This is the story of the Bravermans – Sarah, Adam, Crosby and Julia – four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and unexpected joys of being a parent.

Decent cast and I think it’ll have enough to make it through the season, but it might struggle to get a second season pickup.

I think the big disclaimer here is that NBC just announced the new shows, not the actual schedule.  Until they release the full schedule on May 19th, it’s just a guess.