For fans of the long-running medical drama
ER, the date of March 12 wasn't a day to look forward to. That's the day
ER was scheduled to end its 15-season run with a two-hour blowout finale. Now it seems as though March 12 may be off the hook.
NBC has decided to pick up three more episodes of
ER, says The Hollywood Reporter, meaning the show could run into April if the network decides to keep it on a consistent schedule. The deal was negotiated with
ER executive producer John Wells, who simultaneously bargained for the well-being of another project of his.
Wells' drama Police has been given a six-episode order as part of the deal. I won't even try to insult your intelligence by telling you what it's about (Wells has a habit of getting straight to the point with his series titles, doesn't he?), but it does take place in Los Angeles.
Why only six episodes, you ask? The studio that will be producing Police, Warner Bros. Television, didn't want such a lengthy commitment given the fact that NBC has given Jay Leno all the weekday 10 p.m. slots, which figures to be the same slot Police would air (
ER currently airs Thursdays at 10 p.m.).
The extension of
ER also puts a possible wrench in the plans for Kings, which was going to take over
ER's slot when it expired (the plan was for Kings to debut March 19). Now Kings may not get its start until April (which is a bummer because it looks fantastic).
It's still hard to imagine television without
ER, but it had a great run.