It’s like it’s 1998 all over again (and I mean that as a good thing): The Beek, Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek, is headed back to a weekly TV series.

EW.com reports that Van Der Beek will join NBC’s freshman medical drama Mercy in the recurring role of Dr. Liam West, the hospital’s new chief of the ICU. West, described as “cocky, womanizing, and manipulative,” is determined to make the hospital money and is hiding a “deep, dark” secret.

EW.com‘s Michael Ausiello says the show may make Dr. West/Van Der Beek a regular part of the show if the character clicks with audiences, though the more pressing concern would seem to be getting the show to click with audiences.

Seeing the former Dawson Leery in action as a doc is enough to make me TiVo the show a few times, at least … how ’bout you? Any love for the former WB teen dream? Does his appearance on the show make you more likely to watch Mercy? Less Likely? Or are you asking yourself, “What’s Mercy?”

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• Filed in TV News
• Tags: James Van Der Beek, Mercy, NBC

Here’s the official line-up from NBC, followed by the network’s description of its new series:

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: 2009-2010
(All Times ET)

MONDAY
8PM – Heroes
9PM – Trauma
10PM – The Jay Leno Show

TUESDAY
8PM – The Biggest Loser
10PM – The Jay Leno Show

WEDNESDAY
8PM – Parenthood
9PM – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10PM – The Jay Leno Show

THURSDAY
8PM – SNL Weekend Update Thursday
8:30PM – Parks and Recreation
9PM – The Office
9:30PM – Community (moves to Thursdays 8PM after multi-episode run and 30 Rock returns)
10PM – The Jay Leno Show

FRIDAY
8PM – Law & Order
9PM – Southland
10PM – The Jay Leno Show

SATURDAY
8PM – Dateline NBC
9PM – Trauma encore
10PM – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit encore

SUNDAY
7PM – Football Night in America
8:20PM – NBC Sunday Night Football

…Read more

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• Filed in 30 Rock, Chuck, Comedy, Drama, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 100 Questions, Chevy Chase, Community, Day One, Jerry Seinfeld, Joel McHale, Maura Tierney, Mercy, NBC, New fall season, Peter Berg, Peter Krause, Ron Howard, SNL Weekend Update Thursday, The Jay Leno Show, The Marriage Ref, Trauma, Upfront

Monday marks the official kick-off of Upfront Week, the annual New York City gathering of TV execs, advertisers and media during which the networks announce their schedules for the TV season ahead. Like every other industry, the TV biz has been hit by the country’s economic downturn and there are lots of TV actors, actresses, writers, producers and other crew members who are waiting to find out if they have a job.

Here’s a schedule of this week’s Upfront presentations, plus a rundown of what is/isn’t/might be popping up on the networks’ 2009-10 primetime schedules, starting with NBC:

NBC (“Infront” presentation was held May 5; fall 2009 schedule announcement: Tuesday, May 19)
Returning series: 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, Chuck, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Southland
On the bubble series: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Medium, My Name is Earl
New series : Jay Leno‘s nightly talk show at 10PM, and …

– 100 Questions (Comedy)
Plot: Charlotte (Red Dwarf‘s Sophie Winkleman) joins an online dating service (where she has to answer the titular 100 questions) to find Mr. Right.
Stars: Winkleman, Heist/Quarterlife‘s David Walton and Coupling‘s Christopher Moynihan
It’s like: Every other Friends knock-off that wasn’t as funny as the original

– Breakthrough With Tony Robbins (Reality)
Plot: The self-help guru helps those in need help themselves
Stars: Uh, Tony Robbins
It’s like: The Biggest Loser for every other challenge someone might be facing

– Community (Comedy)
Plot: Following the students of Greenville Community College, including a lyin’ attorney (The Soup‘s Joel McHale) who needs a degree, fast.
Stars: McHale, Chevy Chase and Greek‘s Danny Pudi
It’s like: The funniest show NBC’s unleashed since 30 Rock

– Day One (Drama)
Plot: The residents of a California apartment building who survived some sort of apocalyptic event try to rebuild society and find out what exactly happened to their world
Stars: ER‘s David Lyons, The Shield‘s Catherine Dent, 24‘s Xander Berkeley and Popular‘s Carly Pope
It’s like: Melrose Place-meets-Jericho. And I mean that as a good thing

– The Marriage Ref (Reality)
Plot: Celebs, comedians and athletes mediate disputes between real-life marrieds. Because, as we all know, nowhere can you find better advice on how to have a good marriage than from Hollywood types
Stars: It’s executive produced by Jerry Seineld
It’s like: Well, getting marriage advice from Hollywood celebs

– Mercy (Drama)
Plot: Medical drama as told through the eyes of a nurse who has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq
Stars: Newcomer Taylor Schilling, Men in Trees‘ James Tupper, Delroy Lindo, Weeds‘ Guillermo Diaz and Buffy/Gossip Girl‘s Michelle Trachtenberg
It’s like: ER-meets-China Beach

– Parenthood (Drama)
Plot: The Braverman siblings raise their own broods
Stars: Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Dax Shepard, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia and Mae Whitman
It’s like: An occasionally funny, less annoying Brothers & Sisters

– Trauma (Drama)
Plot: An intense drama about the first-responder paramedics at San Francisco General
Stars: Derek Luke and Jamey Sheridan
It’s like: Rescue Me-meets-Third Watch

– Who Do You Think You Are? (Reality)
Plot: Celebs find out about their family trees
Stars: Episodes will feature Lisa Kudrow (an exec producer on the show), Susan Sarandon and Sarah Jessica Parker
It’s like: E! True Hollywood Story-meets-Ancestry.com

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• Filed in Celebreality, Comedy, Drama, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 100 Questions, 2009 fall season, Chevy Chase, Community, Day One, Jericho, Jerry Seinfeld, Joel McHale, Lisa Kudrow, Maura Tierney, Mercy, NBC, New TV season, Parenthood, Peter Krause, Sarah Jessica Parker, The Marriage Ref, Tony Robbins, Trauma, Upfronts, Who Do You Think You Are

UPDATE 2 – Sunday night, 8:35PM ET
Yep, there’s a catch. EW.com’s Michael Ausiello confirms those budget cuts that led to Chuck‘s renewal are going to result in two cuts to the writing staff, and less screen time for some cast members, including possibly eliminating one character altogther. Hey, as long as it’s not Jeffster! or Awesome!

UPDATE – Sunday night, 7PM ET
It’s official, says James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter: Chuck will be back on NBC for 13 episodes this fall. Woo and hoo.

Potential good news for we Chuck fans: The Hollywood Reporter is, uh, reporting, that NBC could announce as early as today that the show will get that third-season pick-up we’ve all been waiting for (and eating $5 footlongs for).

According to THR, NBC may get a jump on Upfront Week by announcing the greenlight today, after the show’s producers and NBC have worked out a compromise to cut the series budget.

Here’s hoping season three is a go, and that those budget cuts don’t mean bidding adieu to some of our favorite cast members (this means you, Jeffster! and Captain Awesome).

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• Filed in Chuck, TV News
• Tags: Bubble show, Chuck, NBC, Upfront

Chuck. You love it, or you’ve never seen it; that’s pretty much the TV viewerverse at this point, with the unfortunate reality that those of us in group one are far outnumbered by those in group two. Having just put forth maximum effort on Chuck’s massive, multi– pronged, cast– supported Save the Show campaign, loyal Nerd Herders remain anxious for any hint of news before NBC makes its official schedule announcement next week. Here’s the latest scoop on the show’s future, courtesy of EW.com’s Michael Ausiello:

Question: What’s the latest on Chuck’s renewal? –Dave
Ausiello: Warner Bros. and NBC are haggling over money. Shocking, I know. If a deal can be worked out – and I have every reason to believe it can (and will) be – it’ll be back for a 13-episode third season.

This, for fans, is horrible news. A 13-episode order is one thing for a new midseason replacement. Sometimes you have too much quality merchandise for the schedule. (And sometimes, not). Regardless, there’s no shame in a new show being given a concentrated opportunity to establish itself, with the fall failures cleared away. Some huge hit shows have started that way – Moonlighting, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Office , as a few examples.

But that’s not the case for Chuck. Its 2007 starter season was cut short, courtesy of the industry-wide writers strike. The recently-concluded second season gave the showrunners and writers the chance to really hit their stride, showcasing the entertaining action-dramedy blend that inspired such intense fan loyalty. A 13-episode order, bluntly, kills, or at least seriously weakens, the fan commitment.

The way I see it, Chuck returns at the start of the next season, ends after 13 episodes, and leaves a nine-month forget-me gap until it’s renewed (or not). Or, a 13-episode third season doesn’t return until midseason, to the considerably less excitement of fans who’ve had nine months to forget about the show/find other new favorites/decide to move to Hawaii and pursue their dream job of becoming a Benihana chef, thus leaving them less time to watch TV at all. Either way, a nine-month time out – time enough to bring a new life into the world, after all – is also just about enough time to slow walk Chuck to a premature grave.

Anyone disagree?

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• Filed in Chuck, TV News, Uncategorized
• Tags: Benihana, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chuck, Dramedy, EW, EW.com, Michael Ausiello, Moonlighting, NBC, Nerd Herd, The Office, writers strike, Zachary Levi