NBC Picks Up ‘Awake,’ ‘Playboy Club,’ ‘Grimm’; Renews ‘Parenthood,’ ‘Harry’s Law’

NBC unveils bold slate of new dramas as “Parenthood,” “Harry’s Law” get renewals

NBC has picked up “Awake,” an "Inception"-like thriller, "The Playboy Club," a sexy 1960s drama, and the fairy tale-inspired "Grimm." It also renewed "Parenthood" (below left) for a third season and "Harry's Law" for a second.

"Awake," formerly known as "REM," is written by "The Beaver" screenwriter Kyle Killen and executive produced by former "24" showrunner Howard Gordon. It stars Jason Isaacs as a detective whose life is split into two realities after an accident. In one reality, his wife survives and his son dies. In the other, his son lives and wife dies.

Also read: How '24' Vet Howard Gordon Simultaneously Writes Novels and Shows

"Playboy," starring Eddie Cibrian and Amber Heard, includes Brian Grazer among its producers and explores the lives of 1960s Playboy bunnies and the men in their lives.

"Grimm" starring David Giuntoli, is a fantastical cop drama about a world populated by characters inspired by Grimm's Fairy Tales. 

Also read: NBC's Fall TV Pilots

The three pickups suggest new NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt's willingness to try bold, untraditional formats as he prepares to unveil his first slate with the network.

The pickups and renewals come a day after NBC picked up four other shows: the comedies "Up All Night," with Christina Applegate, and an unnamed sitcom starring comedian Whitney Cummings; and the dramas "Smash," starring Debra Messing and Katharine McPhee, and an Americanized version of the U.K. series "Prime Suspect" with Maria Bello.

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