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Upfront Update: NBC Hooked on Digital, ABC on Comedy

NBC announced its schedule of shows for next season in its upfront presentation yesterday, though it acknowledged that the schedule was subject to change depending on competitor schedules, the New York Times reports. According to Jeff Zucker, chief executive at the NBC Universal Television Group, the network has put “a ton of thought” and effort into the digital world. He spent so much time on the network’s digital efforts, in fact, that the audience grew restive waiting for the prime time schedule for next season to be unveiled.

Some of those digital efforts include a broadband comedy channel (dotcomedy.com), a broadband preview channel, 30 webisodes of The Office that will appear on NBC.com, an animated digital comic book, and more.

As for the fall lineup, six dramas will form the cornerstone of the network’s prime time schedule: Heroes, The Black Donnellys, Friday Night Lights, Kidnapped, Raines and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Vp and programming director at Carat USA Shari Anne Brill said that the new dramas are “much better than what they’ve had.”

NBC’s schedule, which will also include four sitcoms, can be viewed at NBC First Look.

ABC will be announcing its schedule today. The network has ordered 12 new scripted series - 5 new comedies and 7 dramas - that will star a range of familiar faces, including Calista Flockhart, Ted Danson, Taye Diggs, Anne Heche, Chi McBride and David Arquette.

Plus, Mick Jagger will play himself in a regular cameo role in a new unnamed comedy from Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman, former writers for David Letterman and creators of the series Ed.

According to the Times, ABC will emphasize comedy more than any other network next season.

Virginia Heffernan, television critic for the New York Times, is following the upfront in a blow-by-blow blog. About Zucker’s digital ramblings, for example, she writes, “He looks by turns exhausted, robotic and grieving. His big news: NBC has acquired iVillage. And nbc.com has a new video player. He’s really trying to act high on digital. He’s even picked up the futuristic and withering name for regular television: ‘linear’ broadcasting.”