The upfronts are upon us! Yes, it’s that time of year again. All the networks will be unveiling their fall 2012 schedules throughout this week, announcing time slot shifts for seasoned shows and debuts for the pilots that made the cut to full-series.  Today NBC announced their line-up with a pretty disparaging shake-up to the old schedule: Community has been moved from its prime Thursday night slot to Friday (aka where your favorite shows go to die).  The fan-favorite series wasn’t guaranteed a fourth season pick-up, but the TV gods were merciful as the show was recently given a renewal for a 13-episode fourth season.  However, the Friday slot isn’t exactly great news.  The show’s young and vocal fanbase has kept the series alive, but I wonder how many will actually choose to stay in on Friday nights to watch the show live.

There is hope, as previous ratings-challenged yet critically loved series like Friday Night Lights and Fringe managed to squeak by on Friday.  That said, with a short episode order and the new Friday timeslot I’m getting the feeling that NBC doesn’t have much faith in the show’s future post-season four.  I guess we should be thankful that it’s even coming back at all.  Nevertheless, the network has a slew of new series (some promising) that they hope will catch on.  After the jump you’ll find descriptions and clips of all of NBC’s new series, so take a look at plot out your new fall 2012 TV schedule accordingly.

Already renewed for Season 2, the NBC drama series Grimm, inspired by the classic Grimm’s fairy tales, follows Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who discovers that he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms.”  Charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world, he tries to hide the dangers of his new found calling from his girlfriend (Bitsie Tulloch) and his partner (Russell Hornsby), while getting help from Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), a reformed Grimm creature known as a Blutbad.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Silas Weir Mitchell (Prison Break) talked about how he came to be a part of Grimm, how much he enjoys playing such an interesting and cool character that’s unlike anything else on TV, that the level of peril will definitely amp up as the underpinnings of the world come to a head, that playing Monroe is all about focusing on the humanity, and that he hopes to never lose touch with the violent inner nature of the character.  He also talked about what draws him to specific characters and what it is about acting that appeals to him.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Grimm has blossomed into a solid performer for NBC in the 14 episodes since its September premiere.  In recent weeks, the fairy tale drama hovered around 5 million viewers and 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demo.  In a vacuum, that’s not very good.  But given the Friday night slot on a struggling network and an 87% increase in ratings after DVR, Grimm was a guaranteed renewal.  TV Line reports that indeed NBC committed to a renewal for a second season.  The network had little luck with the season’s new dramas.  The Playboy Club, The Firm, and Prime Suspect are done for.  Awake, too, probably won’t outlive 2012, and Smash is not the out-of-the-box hit NBC was hoping for.  Grimm is a true bright spot on a night where most broadcast television finds only darkness.

If you are one of Grimm‘s many fans, click here to check out our set visit from a few months ago.

When we were on the set of NBC’s Grimm, we had a chance to talk to Silas Weir Mitchell, one of the stars of the show. His character, Monroe, is a Wieder Blutbad – a werewolf who has forsaken killing humans and controls his urges through a balanced diet and exercise. But every once in a while his character must wolf out. Sometimes that’s done through CGI effects, but when he’s got a long day as a Blutbad, they’ll go with full make up. In this exclusive set of pictures, here’s a look at the process Mitchell must go through to become a full werewolf. Hit the jump to check out the images.

After just ordering a couple scripts for the series last week, NBC has officially announced a full season order for Grimm. In addition, NBC is testing out a special Thursday, December 8th airing before returning the series back to its regular Friday night 9/8c timeslot. NBC chairman Bob Greenblat says, “This series is turning the traditional procedural drama on its head and is attracting a loyal following for us on Friday nights. We love where it’s going creatively and we’re excited to deliver more episodes to our audience.” The show has some potential to get better, but right now it feels like a lesser, non-comedic version of Reaper, a show that I was disappointed to see get canceled a couple years back. But if you’re a fan so far, be sure to check out our extensive visit to the set right here.

While on the set of Grimm, we walked by a trailer where it looked like someone was lying down, getting an extensive amount of make-up applied. Mostly naked, it was hard not to look up with curiosity and then look away out of modesty. A big make-up wouldn’t be that surprising for the show, as it definitely deals in the fantastical and the macabre. Grimm stars David Guintoli as a cop named Nick Burckhardt who discovers he comes from a long line of Grimms – those that hunt and protect the world from the fantastical creatures of yore. To help him, he’s got his cop partner (Russell Hornsby) and Eddie Munroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), a werewolf who has decided to never use his powers for evil. But Nick tries his hardest to never let those worlds intersect.

After talking to Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, the producers of the show, we went by that trailer again on our way to lunch, and the person was still there. Finally – after some food – we got to go into the make-up trailer and only then did I realize that the body was a dummy. Movie (or in this case TV) magic. Our set visit on Grimm follows after the jump.

For the Grimm set visit, I got a chance to sit with the show’s star David Giuntoli, and talk about being given the opportunity to be the lead on a network television show. Giuntoli – like much of the cast – has been working in television for years, but mostly in one-off appearances, and has gone through a number of failed pilots. This time they’re on the air, and they’re off and running.

At the time of our talk at the Bridgeport Brewery, the pilot hadn’t aired on TV yet, and neither of us knew the show would be doing as well as it has. But as his last interview of the day, we were both relaxed, and he was unflinchingly honest about his expectations for the show, and what he thinks the show’s fate will be. Check out our conversation after the jump.

Both Reggie Lee and Sasha Roiz came into Grimm with characters that – in the pilot – are virtually non-existent. Roiz has a great moment toward the end, but Lee is someone who gets talked to. But when I met the duo for drinks at the Bridgeport Brewery in Portland, Oregon, they were in the midst of shooting their tenth episode, and were obviously happy where the characters went (and it wasn’t just the beers).

Grimm mixes fantasy with the procedural, and both Lee and Roiz play cops on the show, but Roiz has a secret that’s revealed in the pilot – he may not be in the home team when it comes to the world of Grimms, those who fight the monsters of legend. Check out our conversation after the jump.

Silas Weir Mitchell is one of those actors who you might have seen in a number of things. With 79 credits on the IMDb, he’s popped up in movies and TV shows with small bits and reoccurring characters, but for Grimm, it’s his first shot at playing a series regular. From appearances on 24, Prison Break, The Shield, My Name is Earl, and many more, he’s someone with a distinctive face – often cast as someone who is either wrongly or rightly suspected of doing something bad.

For my set visit to Grimm – the shot in Portland fantasy procedural – I got a couple minutes to drink and chat with Mitchell.  And so we talked about his career and his character in Grimm, a “Bluebod” (werewolf) who is trying to living the straight and narrow path of a reformed killer, and someone who’s lived in fear of being killed for who he is.  If you’ve seen the pilot, you can tell his character is what brings the show up to the next level. Check out our talk after the jump.

Grimm, the shot-in-Portland fantasy/thriller show, premieres tonight on NBC. Like a lot of modern shows, it mixes supernatural elements with the real in a way that recalls great genre shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and X-Files. We got a chance to talk to a number of the film’s stars, and did a set visit, but it seems the best way to introduce the show is through its producers and writers David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf.

The duo have been working together for nearly thirty years, both having worked on features and television, Kouf most notably scripted The Hidden, Rush Hour and National Treasure, while Greenwalt was involved with X-Files, Buffy and Angel. They were happy to talk about the show. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

With the amount of content available on television today, shows are fighting for ways to stand out from the pack. While my DVR is dedicated to only a handful of titles, NBC, with their outstanding Thursday night comedy lineup, leads all basic broadcasting channels. Now it looks as if I’ll have to add another NBC series to the list as Grimm could easily turn into one of my new favorite shows.

The network currently has a brilliant marketing strategy that allows you to watch the series premiere in its commercial-free entirety before it airs nationally on Friday, October 28^that 9pm. All you have to do is follow their Twitter account, @NBCGrimm, and check your email (or spam) for a direct message with a code. But if you need some more incentive to check it out, hit the jump for my review of the Grimm series premiere.

With Halloween fast approaching, NBC has gone to social media to brew up interest in its new fantasy drama, Grimm. For two weeks before the series premiere on Friday October 28^th, Twitter users who follow @NBCGrimm will be sent a unique code through direct message. This code will allow users to view the series premiere in its entirety a full two weeks early. There is also a ten city tour that will screen the premiere accompanied by select cast members and producers.

Grimm combines the wildly popular supernatural genre with a police procedural inspired by Grimms’ Fairy Tales. The series tracks Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt, played by David Giuntoli (Privileged), as he attempts to maintain the peace between humans and mythological creatures. Hit the jump for more info.

We’re just over a month away from kicking off the new television season and so the networks are really starting to push their new series into the public eye. NBC is up to bat today with a small batch of new posters promoting a few of their new series hitting in September. After the jump you can check out some slick new posters for the Mad Men-esque series The Playboy Club, the American remake of the British series Prime Suspect, the fairytale crime drama Grimm, and comedies like Up All Night, Free Agents and Whitney. Honestly, it seems like NBC has the most promising line-up of new shows, but Fox could give them a run for their money. For more details on these and the rest of NBC’s new series, check out our posts of clips from the new comedies right here, and dramas over here, not to mention complete trailers of all the series right here. Otherwise, see the new posters after the jump.

The upcoming NBC drama Grimm takes place in a world where the villains of fairy tales that children have adored for generations are real, and one man, Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) is the only one who can stop them. At the NBC portion of the TCA Press Tour executive producer Sean Hayes (best known as Jack McFarland on Will & Grace, but also currently the executive producer on the TV Land comedy series Hot In Cleveland) talked about his success as a producer, what he enjoys about juggling acting and producing, and his return to being in front of the camera, in a comedy for the network.

He also talked about the recently wrapped role he completed as Larry (with Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe and Will Sasso as Curly) in the Farrelly brothers’ version of The Three Stooges, the great co-stars they had in the film, and what a privilege it was to be a part of bringing something back to life that changed comedy forever. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

It is beginning to seem like the majority of film and TV projects getting produced right now are all falling under the category of “a reboot” or “recycled trash”, as some would call it. A pattern is occurring where such tales seem to be repelling modern audiences more than they attract. Every now and then we see reboots of classic stories such as Snow White or even The Brothers Grimm, appropriately enough. So we ask ourselves, why should I pay attention to this retelling when I know exactly what to expect? After watching the pilot for NBC’s upcoming Grimm at Comic-Con, I’m happy to report that many of you will be pleasantly surprised by this dark and twisted Fall show. Brought to you by the minds behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and The X-Files, the story revolves around a cop in Portland who begins seeing strange things (demon faces, basically) and stumbles across truly horrendous crimes, only to find that he is a very important piece to the puzzle.