NBC KICKING OFF FALL SEASON ON SEPT. 18

NBC announced today that it will debut its fall 2006-07 primetime season on Monday, Sept. 18, with a special two-hour Deal or No Deal followed by the new drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Kidnapped and Heroes will subsequently premiere through the week as most of the network’s series will be launched. Five other programs, including the new Friday Night Lights, Twenty Good Years and 30 Rock will premiere in October.

“NBC will have significant momentum leading into the fall and we’re going to devote the time and effort it takes to showcase each one of our new series,” said Kevin Reilly, president, NBC Entertainment. “With the foundation of NBC Sunday Night Football, the successful series we added last season and our most distinctive new slate of shows in years, we’re looking forward to a potent fall season.”

On Tuesday, Sept. 19, NBC’s crime dramas Law & Order: Criminal Intent (9-10 p.m. ET) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10-11 p.m. ET) begin new seasons paired up on the same night. The ambitious drama Friday Night Lights (Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m. ET)—inspired by the hit feature film about a small Texas town and its passion for its top-ranked football team and stars Kyle Chandler (King Kong)—will debut on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

A calendar of NBC’s fall 2006-07 series premieres follows. New series are capitalized (except for ER) and all times are ET:

SEPTEMBER 18

“Deal or No Deal” (special two-hour edition, 8-10 p.m.)
“STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP” (10-11 p.m.)

SEPTEMBER 19

“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9-10 p.m.)
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10-11 p.m.)

SEPTEMBER 20

“The Biggest Loser” (8-10 p.m.)
“KIDNAPPED” (10-11 p.m.)

SEPTEMBER 21

“My Name Is Earl” (8-8:30 p.m.)
“The Office” (8:30-9 p.m.)
“Deal or No Deal (9-10 p.m.)
“ER” (10-11 p.m.)

SEPTEMBER 22

“Law & Order” (10-11 p.m.)

SEPTEMBER 25

“HEROES” (9-10 p.m.)

OCTOBER 3

“FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS” (8-9 p.m.)

OCTOBER 4

“TWENTY GOOD YEARS” (8-8:30 p.m. and 8:30-9 p.m.)

OCTOBER 11

“30 ROCK” (8:30-9 p.m.)

OCTOBER 20

“Crossing Jordan” (8-9 p.m.)
“Las Vegas” (9-10 p.m.)