• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, August 28, 2023

Due to their production schedules, five scripted series -- two new and three returning -- will be ready for fall premieres on NBC.

Their availability stands in stark contrast to the other broadcast nets, whose scripted series have largely been held up by this summer’s writers’ and actors’ strikes.

Earlier this summer, the other networks announced fall slates that were revised from the schedules they announced last May.

The schedules they planned were full of new and returning dramas -- despite the fact that a summer production shutdown was already in sight. The Writers Guild went on strike May 2. SAG/AFTRA followed on July 14.

The new schedules are heavy on unscripted shows. But due to their production schedules, four of the NBC dramas have enough episodes in the can -- produced in the months before the strikes -- to put them on this fall.

The new shows are “The Irrational,” starring Jesse L. Martin (pictured above) as a “world-renowned professor of behavioral science [who] lends his unique expertise on an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations,” says NBC.

The show is set to premiere on Monday, September 25, at 10 p.m. Eastern (and the next day on Peacock) following the Monday night edition of “The Voice” from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“The Irrational” has 13 episodes ready to go that were produced between last December, when the show was picked up, and the onset of the strikes, according to Deadline.com.

Another NBC show, the missing persons drama “Found,” also has 13 episodes available, Deadline said.

This is because the show was ready for prime time, and originally slated to premiere last February in midseason, but was rescheduled at that time for fall.

“Found” is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, October 3 at 10 p.m. Eastern, following another two-hour edition of “The Voice.”

Two of the returning dramas with episodes already produced are “Magnum P.I.” and “Quantum Leap,” also due to production schedules that allowed them to produce episodes before the strikes, according to Deadline.

“Magnum” reportedly has 10 episodes ready to go. The upcoming season -- its fifth -- will be its final season and the first one to air on NBC, which picked it up after CBS dropped the show after its fourth season.

“Quantum Leap” also reportedly has episodes ready for fall, but the number of them has not been reported.

New seasons of “Quantum” and “Magnum” are both scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, October 4, at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively.

They will follow an 8 p.m. repeat episode of one of NBC's Chicago-based dramas “Chicago PD,” “Chicago Med” or “Chicago Fire,” all of which formerly took up the entirety of NBC’s Wednesday night lineup.

A fifth drama, the Canadian-made medical series “Transplant,” is slated with new episodes starting Thursday, October 5, at 9 p.m. Eastern.

The show has been slotted after a repeat at 8 p.m. of one of NBC’s “Law & Order” shows -- “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” or “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

Despite the availability of five scripted dramas, NBC did have to revise its fall plans this summer because so many other scripted shows do not have new episodes available due to the production stoppage, including the “Chicago” and “Law & Order” dramas.

In addition, two comedies -- the returning “Night Court” and the new “Extended Family” starring Jon Cryer -- are not available.