NBC Fall 2021: Your Guide to Every New and Returning Show

NBC finally announced its Fall 2021 schedule, which was surprisingly filled with as much drama as a Law & Order episode. That’s because, at the last moment, the peacock network has scrapped plans to launch another new Law & Order series. There also had to be some reshuffling after Ultimate Slip-N-Slide was sidelined. NBC will still have two new shows premiering this September, though.

The new season will kick off early for NBC, thanks to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Initially, NBC planned to launch Ultimate Slip-N-Slide after the closing ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 8. However, an outbreak of giardia at the set in Simi Valley, California, forced NBC to scrap production. There were only a few days left of filming, and it is not known if the show will ever be finished or if completed episodes will air. It was not mentioned at all in NBC’s schedule announcement. The show will be replaced with Family Game Night! starring Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.

With Law & Order: For the Defense being suddenly scrapped Thursday, there are only two scripted shows premiering on NBC this fall. La Brea is another high-concept drama, this time set in a world where a giant sinkhole has opened up in the middle of Los Angeles, leaving people above ground to find out what happened and the people below to fend for themselves. Ordinary Joe tells the story of Joe Kimbrough (James Wolk), whose life can go three different ways after making a major decision. The show will follow all three paths. Scroll on to see what NBC’s fall schedule looks like and when your favorite shows are back.

Wednesday, July 21

Although not technically part of the season, NBC also announced a new special called Olympic Dreams Featuring Jonas Brothers, which will air on Wednesday, July 21 at 8 p.m. ET. The special will air two days before the Olympics kick-off and is set to feature Team USA athletes. The Olympics themselves open on July 23 in Tokyo. The games were scheduled for 2020 but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first time in the modern Olympics’ history that the games will be played in an odd-numbered year.

Aug. 8-12

The Olympics end on Sunday, Aug. 8. After the closing ceremony, Family Game Night! will debut at 10:30 p.m. ET. The hit game show The Wall will also return with new episodes on Monday, Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. ET. Family Game Night! will move to its regular timeslot on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 9 p.m. ET. The final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine will also debut on Thursday, Aug. 12.

Sept. 20-21

The main Fall 2021 season will kick off on NBC on Sept. 20 with the latest season of The Voice. Ordinary Joe will air after the singing competition. New Amsterdam returns the next day.

Monday, Sept. 20
8 p.m. ET: The Voice (Season 21)
10 p.m. ET: Ordinary Joe (new series)

Tuesday, Sept. 21
10 p.m. ET: New Amsterdam (Season 4)

Wednesday, Sept. 22 (Chicago Night)

8 p.m. ET: Chicago Med (Season 7)
9 p.m. ET: Chicago Fire (Season 10)
10 p.m. ET: Chicago P.D. (Season 9)

Thursday, Sept. 23 (Almost ‘Law & Order’ Night)

Thursday nights were going to be an all-Law & Order night, but that is no longer the case. Two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will air on Thursday, Sept. 23 as the lead-in to Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2. The Blacklist will soon move to Thursdays on Oct. 21.

Thursday, Sept. 23
8 p.m. ET: Law & Order: SVU (Season 23 – two-hour season premiere)
10 p.m. ET: Law & Order: Organized Crime (Season 2)

Thursday, Oct. 21
8 p.m. ET: The Blacklist (Season 9)

Other Premiere Dates

The new season of NBC News’ Dateline will start on Friday, Sept. 24 with a two-hour episode beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The new series La Brea begins on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET as the lead-in to New Amsterdam. La Brea was created by David Appelbaum and stars Natalie Zea (The Following) and Eoin Macken (The Night Shift).