Hither and Yon for 'Kath & Kim': NBC's Already Tinkering With Its New Schedule

NBC, the first broadcast network to announce its prime-time slate for next fall, is also the first broadcast network to announce changes in its prime-time slate for next fall.

Most notably, it is moving its new Molly Shannon sitcom "Kath & Kim" to Thursdays, and pulling one edition of "Deal or No Deal."

Back in early April, when NBC suits unveiled their new season lineup to advertisers and reporters, they planned to air "Kath & Kim" on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m., following a 90-minute version of "The Biggest Loser."

"Kath & Kim" is an adaptation of an Australian comedy about a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship. In the U.S. version, Shannon plays the mom and Selma Blair the daughter.

The Tuesday game plan appeared to emulate ABC's Monday night schedule this season in which it successfully launched sitcom "Samantha Who?" after a 90-minute "Dancing With the Stars." (ABC is sticking with that Monday play pattern next season.)

After NBC execs discovered they had nothing following "The Office," they moved "K&K" to Thursdays at 9:30. Well, they had something. More episodes of "The Office" or, more likely, some "Office" repeats, given that the showrunner also was going to have to find the time to come up with an "Office" spinoff for the time slot.

When the new schedule was unveiled in early April, NBC's programming chief, Ben Silverman, offered no details on that spinoff. "We're keeping a tight lid on that," he said, which we think was another way of saying, "We don't know what it is."

NBC also said it would air four "Saturday Night Live" election specials in the Thursday 9:30 p.m. time slot; they'll be called "Thursday Night Live."

And to fill the void left by the departure of "K&K" from Tuesdays, weight-loss competition "The Biggest Loser" just got 30 minutes fatter -- two hours a week.

NBC also announced in April that a second night of "Deal or No Deal" would air Fridays at 9. ("Deal" also is scheduled for Wednesdays at 9.)

NBC has thought better of that plan -- possibly because its over-reliance on that franchise has caused it to take a ratings tumble. Instead, the network is pulling off the bench the reality series "America's Toughest Jobs" for the Friday slot. "America's Toughest Jobs" originally wasn't going to air until the summer of 2009. It's from Thom Beers -- of "Ice Road Truckers" fame.