By Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times –
LOS ANGELES — Uneasy fans of “Revolution,” “The New Normal” and “Go On” can fill their DVRs with abandon as of now. All three freshmen series have been picked up by NBC for full-season orders.
NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt praised the renewals in a statement Tuesday, saying, “We’re very pleased with early results of the last three weeks of our fall season roll-out.” The network used the huge audience it had for the London Summer Olympics to promote and debut its new shows.
“Revolution,” the J.J. Abrams-produced science fiction series about a world with no electricity, grabbed 11.7 million viewers when it debuted on Sept. 17. It was the biggest drama debut on any network in three years and the biggest NBC drama premiere in five years. (Though the previous NBC record was set by “Bionic Woman,” which was canceled before it had a chance to complete its first season.)
“The New Normal,” executive producer Ryan Murphy’s comedy series about a gay couple in Los Angeles attempting to start a family with a surrogate mother, caused a bit of a pre-premiere controversy when the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City refused to air the show. It’s now carried by the city’s CW affiliate.
“Go On,” Matthew Perry’s latest attempt at a post-“Friends” series, grabbed NBC’s best comedy debut rating in two years when it premiered on Sept. 11.
