NBC Announces January Schedule

NBC has just announced it’s lineup for January.  We’ve got some new shows, some returning favorites, and others…well, they just are no where to be found.

Let’s get at it.

“Superstars of Dance” – from the producers of “So You Think You Can Dance?” — will be airing on Mondays at 8pm, which means “Chuck” will be getting a break during the month.  But before you go all panicky, this was planned all along.  I, for one, will miss “Chuck” but knowing that this mini-hiatus means more original episodes…I can live with that.

Airing on Mondays at 9pm, in place of “Heroes” will be “Mamas Boys“, a new reality show from Ryan Seacrest.  Yes, the same Seacrest that brought the Kradashian’s and Denise Richard’s reality shows into the world. I’m not expecting much.

“The Biggest Loser: Couples” and “Law & Order: SVU” will air back-to-back starting at 8pm. But don’t worry “Life”ers…you’re show is safe.  It’s just going into no-peat land a la “Chuck” and “Heroes”.

Clearly NBC didn’t get my memo on how I’d like to see less of Howie Mandel rather than more.  On Fridays, we will have a new show from Mandel called “Howie Do It” – right, because that’s necessary.

As already reported, “Friday Night Lights” will return in all its glory on January 16th. (Um, with “Dollhouse“, “FNL” and “Battelstar Galactica” all airing on Friday nights, Friday is clearly THE night for TV.”  Sweet!! Finally having no life is going to pay off!!)

Notably missing from the January schedule is “Lipstick Jungle“.  The show was canceled and then not.  But now it is. Put the Maybelline away ladies, this one can’t be saved…

Thoughts on changes at NBC?  Other than the FNL news, I can’t say this this news is all that exciting. Although with “Chuck” off my schedule for a month, it does free up my Monday night’s in January.  I just went from 4 favorites up against each other at 8pm to 3 faves.  It’s the little victories.

The full January schedule by night can be found after the jump.

MONDAYS (beginning January 5)

8-10 p.m. — “SUPERSTARS OF DANCE”; premieres Sunday, January 4 (9-11 p.m.); season finale Monday, January 26 (8-9 p.m.)

10-11 p.m. – “MOMMA’S BOYS”

(“Chuck” and “Heroes” return in February)

TUESDAYS (beginning January 6)

8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser: Couples”

10-11 p.m. — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”

TUESDAY (January 20)

10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”: Presidential Inauguration Special (10-11 p.m. ET)

WEDNESDAYS (beginning January 7)

8-9 p.m. — “Knight Rider”

9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” encores (“Life” returns in February)

10-11 p.m. — “Law & Order”

THURSDAYS (beginning January 8)

8-8:30 p.m. – “My Name Is Earl”

8:30-9 p.m. — “Kath & Kim”

9:00-9:31 p.m. — “The Office”

9:31-10 p.m. — “30 Rock”

10-11 p.m. – “ER”

FRIDAYS

8-9 p.m. — “HOWIE DO IT” (series premiere January 9)

9-10 p.m. – “Friday Night Lights” (beginning January 16)

10-11 p.m. — “Dateline NBC” (beginning December 5)

SATURDAYS (beginning January 10)

8-11 – “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” encores

SUNDAYS (January 4)

7-9 p.m. – “Saturday Night Live Sports Extra”

9-11 p.m. – “SUPERSTARS OF DANCE” (premiere)

“Sunday — Event Specials”

8-11 p.m. – “THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS” (January 11)

9-11 p.m. – “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FILM FESTIVAL” (January 18)

9-11 p.m. — THE LAST TEMPLAR — (January 25 and Monday, January 26)

6:15-10 p.m. — SUPER BOWL XLIII (February 1)