• by Wayne Friedman , May 10, 2015

Kicking off the first of big four broadcast upfront presentations this week, NBC will look to boost its Thursday nights to keep its now two-year run as the leader among 18-49 viewers.

Helping out “The Blacklist” compete with the likes of CBS and ABC on the night, NBC will offer up three drama nights -- new show “Heroes Reborn” at 8 p.m., followed by “The Blacklist” at 9 p.m. and a new effort starring Wesley Snipes, “The Player.”

“Heroes Reborn” continues the story of the NBC drama “Heroes” of some years ago, focusing on a new group of ordinary citizens with extraordinary abilities.

“The Player” looks at a former military operative turned security expert who becomes part of a high-stakes game where an organization of wealthy individuals gamble on his ability to stop some of the biggest crimes.

Through 32 weeks of the broadcast season, NBC still leads all broadcast networks among adult 18-49 viewers with a Nielsen 2.5 average rating -- which comprises 30 weeks of the live program-plus-seven days of time-shifted metric; and two weeks of the live program-plus-same day measure. 

This was down from the 2.8 rating average a year ago through the same period -- a broadcast season that included a high-rated Sochi Olympics.

CBS is next at a 2.3, followed by ABC in third place with a 2.2; Fox in fourth with a 2.0; and The CW at a 0.8. NBC is second to CBS in total viewers -- 8.8 million for NBC to 11.3 million for CBS.

On Monday nights, the fall new show “Blindspot” gets a key lead-in time period after “The Voice” at 10 p.m. It’s an international mystery about a woman discovered naked -- with intricate tattoos -- in Times Square. 

Tuesday night gets a bit of a revamped following the second night of the one-hour edition of “The Voice.” 

“Heartbreaker” -- about an outspoken, world-renowned heart-transplant surgeon who is one of the few women in her field -- goes at 9 p.m. starring Melissa George. At 10 p.m. there is an innovative, live, one-hour variety show, “Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris.”

On Fridays comes a new half-hour comedy -- “People Are Talking,” at 8:30 p.m. -- about two diverse couples who are neighbors, best friends, and a bit obsessive about everything. 

Five new key midseason comedies are scheduled to make appearances: “Coach,” a revival of the ABC comedy starring Craig T. Nelson; “Crowded,” about happy empty nesters who suddenly have grown daughters moving back; and “Hot & Bothered,” which focuses on a Latino soap opera star, starring Eva Longoria, who is dealing with family, cast and crew. “Superstore” is about a unique family of employees at a super-sized megastore, starring America Ferrara; and “You Me And The End of the World” is a one hour effort about the comedic events resulting on the news of an unavoidable collision course with Earth, starring Rob Lowe.

New midseason dramas include “Chicago Med,” an extension of the Dick Wolf's “Chicago” programs -- “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Fire” -- “Code of Silence,” about an Atlanta attorney’s long-lost childhood friends who unexpectedly reappear and deal with a dark secret; and “Shade of Blue,” starring Jennifer Lopez as a New York detective and single mother who has to work in a tight-knit group of dirty cops.

In keeping with its now two-year tradition of live Holiday season musicals, NBC will offer up “The Wiz Live.” 

Three NBC comedies from a year ago were cancelled: “Marry Me,” “About a Boy,” and “One Big Happy.” Dramas leaving the schedule include “Constantine,” and “State of Affairs.”

NBC FALL 2015-16 SCHEDULE
(New programs in upper case; all times ET)

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. — “The Voice”
10-11 p.m. — “BLINDSPOT”

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. — “The Voice”
9-10 p.m. — “HEARTBREAKER”
10-11 p.m. — “BEST TIME EVER WITH NEIL PATRICK HARRIS” (through November)
10-11 p.m. — “Chicago Fire” (premieres in November)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. — “The Mysteries of Laura”
9-10 p.m. — “Law & Order: SVU”
10-11 p.m. — “Chicago P.D.”

THURSDAY
8-9 p.m. — “HEROES REBORN”
9-10 p.m. — “The Blacklist”
10-11 p.m. — “THE PLAYER”

FRIDAY 
8-8:30 p.m. — “Undateable”
8:30-9 p.m. — “PEOPLE ARE TALKING”
9-10 p.m. — “Grimm”
10-11 p.m. — “Dateline”

SATURDAY
8-10 p.m. — “Dateline Saturday Night Mystery”
10-11 p.m. — “Saturday Night Live” (Classic encores)

SUNDAY
7-8:20 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:20-11 p.m. — “Sunday Night Football”