NBC: A day late and a couple of decisions short

CBS and ABC announced their midseason plans yesterday; NBC dragged its feet and waited until today, but they still don't know how they're going to fill some of their timeslots or where they'll put some new shows.

(That didn't last long.)

NBC has the Super Bowl this year, so they've given that highly prized post-game slot to ... hmm. An hourlong episode of "The Office," which is already doing pretty well by NBC standards and wouldn't seem to need that kind of promotional bump. As opposed to, say, its new show "Kings" or something.

Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, enthused, press-release style, "The biggest event on television (that would be the Super Bowl, not the Jan. 16 return of "Friday Night Lights"), will provide the perfect promotional platform as we launch some of the most eagerly anticipated new and returning shows on any schedule." (Emphasis mine.)

Unfortunately, the next paragraph in the press release discusses "Chuck" (about 6 million viewers weakly weekly) and "Heroes" (down more than any other show this season). Which only fuels those rumors about what he's allowing into his system.

So here're the random new shows and stunts NBC's offering come 2009:

* "Kings," starring "Deadwood's" Ian McShane as a powerful ruler in a mythical country who lives in "a clean new city that is unspoiled by time or litter." A guy in a neighboring country is the David to his Goliath. It premieres with a two-hour debut Thursday, March 19 at 9 p.m. before settling into its 10 p.m. timeslot the following week.

* On Monday, Feb. 2, "Chuck" returns with a 3-D episode, "Heroes" starts a new storyline and "Medium" returns.

* "VIII," a miniseries starring Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff with a whiff of "The Bourne Identity" about it and involving the assassination of America's first female President and a conspiracy to overthrow the entire government, airs Sunday, Feb. 8 and 15 at 9 p.m.

* "ER" goes away for good with a two-hour series finale Thursday, March 12 at 9 p.m. Half of those tuning in will be doing so just to see if George Clooney makes an appearance.

* "Knight Rider" goes away (maybe for good) Feb. 25 at 8 p.m.; NBC isn't sure what they'll put in that timeslot yet.

* "Celebrity Apprentice" returns Sunday, March 1 with a two-hour episode at 9 p.m., because, you know, why not.

NBC also has a couple of shows - "The Philanthropist," which has, like other new NBC shows, endured some show-runner woes, and the tantalizingly titled "The Untitled Amy Poehler Project," from "The Office's" brain trust (though this isn't the "Office" spinoff that was promised earlier in the year) - that they don't know what they're going to do with at this point.

(Amy Poehler is enthusiastic about starring on an NBC primetime series. Wouldn't you be?)