NBC Pushes Back ‘This Is Us,’ ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ ‘Chicago’ Premieres Until November

NBC is holding back its most-watched dramas for November, as the coronavirus pandemic’s ripple effects reach network television. New episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the Chicago shows, This Is Us and The Blacklist will not premiere until the week of Nov. 9. A small handful of shows will launch in October and only a few reality shows will kick off in September.

Law & Order: SVU is coming back for its 22nd season, a year after breaking the record for the longest-running primetime scripted drama. The Season 22 premiere will include the return of Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler to re-introduce the character after more than a decade away from the show. Stabler will then show up in his own Law & Order spin-off, Law & Order: Organized Crime, which has been held back until 2021.

NBC is also holding Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Good Girls, Making It, Manifest, New Amsterdam and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist for 2021. Other new shows that will debut in the next year are Mr. Mayor, That’s My Jam, Small Fortune, True Story, Who Do You Think You Are? and Young Rock. Kenan, the long-awaited sitcom starring Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson, will begin next year as well. Speaking of SNL, NBC did not set a premiere date for the sketch comedy’s 46th season. Scroll on for a look at the premiere schedule NBC set Thursday.

Early September

Although most of NBC’s programming will not return until October and November, the peacock network will have a few premieres in September. On Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 10 p.m. ET, the Canadian medical drama Transplant will debut. The show stars Hamza Haq, Laurence Leboeuf, John Hannah, Jim Watson, and Ayisha Issa and centers on a Syrian doctor trying to start a new life in Canada. It will debut right after the America’s Got Talent finale. On Monday, Sept. 7, American Ninja Warrior returns at 8 p.m. ET.

Late September

Sunday Night Football kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 8:20 p.m. ET with the Houston Texans facing the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. On Sunday, Sept. 13, the Dallas Cowboys will face the Los Angeles Rams in the first game at SoFi Stadium. The Jane Lynch-hosted Weakest Link will start on Monday, Sept. 28 at 10 p.m. ET and Dateline NBC‘s new season starts on Friday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET.

October

October will see a few scripted shows debuting. Connecting…, a comedy from Blindspot executive producer Martin Gero, debuts on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Superstore Season 6 kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET. Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellen’s Game of Games will premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 6 with a two-hour episode at 8 p.m. ET before moving to 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 13.

The Voice

As usual, The Voice will take up a major chunk of NBC’s schedule The new season kicks off on Monday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on each night. Every Monday episode will be two hours, while only the first Tuesday episode will be two hours before switching to one. Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Blake Shelton are back as coaches, while Gwen Stefani is returning to replace Joe Jonas.

November Dramas

The next chapter in the Pearson family drama This Is Us debuts on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. ET with a two-hour episode. The following week, the show will be back to one hour. Law & Order: SVU starts its 22nd season on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 9 p.m. ET. The Blacklist is back for an eighth season on Friday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ET.

Chicago Shows

Lastly, the Chicago shows will all be back for new seasons in their traditional Wednesday slots on Nov. 11. Chicago Med Season 6 starts things off at 8 p.m. ET. Chicago Fire Season 9 starts at 9 p.m. ET. Chicago P.D. Season 8 ends the night at 10 p.m. ET.