HIGHLIGHTS

• Just four new shows are slated for the fourth quarter. Christian Slater starrer “My Own Worst Enemy” is set to air Mondays at 10, laffer “Kath & Kim” will bow Tuesdays at 9:30 (following “The Biggest Loser: Family Edition”, “Knight Rider” will drive into Wednesdays at 8, and “Crusoe” is set for Fridays at 8.

• NBC has acquired a series take on the Camelot legend called “Merlin” that will anchor the net’s winter Sunday sked at 8 p.m. FremantleMedia is distributing the series, which was produced by Elisabeth Murdoch’s Shine Group for the BBC. Shine recently acquired the Silverman-founded Reveille production outfit.

  Cast of “Merlin” includes Anthony Head (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). Skein just began production for the BBC, which plans to air it in the fall.

• “Friday Night Lights” will be back--but not until the winter. “ER,” “30 Rock,” “Medium” and “Law & Order” have also been renewed, as has “Lipstick Jungle.” Peacock lableled “ER’s” next season its last.

• Matthew Broderick has been booked for the season finale of “30 Rock.”

• NBC will use the post-Super Bowl berth to air a special episode of “The Office,” followed by the previously reported “Office” spinoff.

  Peacock will once again air hourlong “Office” episodes in September. In October, “The Office” will be followed by the tentatively titled “SNL Thursday Night Live,” a live half-hour of politically-themed sketches geared to the election. Primetime “SNL” will air for four weeks.

• Tom Fontana drama “The Philanthropist” takes over for “Worst Enemy” Mondays at 10 in the winter. “The Office” spinoff will air Thursdays at 9:30, after the original, starting in February.

  “Who would have ever thought that Americans would be subjected to a mock-documentary after the Super Bowl?” said creator Greg Daniels. “What has happened to this country?"

  And “The Celebrity Apprentice 2” will sub for “ER” Thursdays at 10 in the winter.

• “Medium” will move to 9 p.m. Sundays in the winter, followed by new drama “Kings.” Latter project will air as a backdoor pilot in the fall. Peacock is also planning plenty of specials for Sunday nights.

• Net will emphasize quality fare Fridays in the winter, with “Friday Night Lights” slated to return at 9 and critically praised drama “Life” following at 10 (in the timeslot that housed “Homicide” for years). Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life") is joining “Life” as Captain Brian Tidwell, Crews' (Damian Lewis) and Reese's (Sarah Shahi) new boss.

• For now, NBC is planning to hold off a third season of “American Gladiators” until summer 2009 (season two premieres next month). Other summer fare in the works includes the cooking reality skein “The Chopping Block,” the Canadian drama “The Listener” and the Thom Beers/BermanBraun reality skein “Shark Taggers”.

• “Scrubs” is not on NBC’s schedule for next season and has been expected to move to ABC. (source)

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2009

*New programs in UPPER CASE

MONDAY (January)
8-9 p.m. "American Gladiators"
9-10 p.m. "AMERICA'S TOUGHEST JOBS"
10-11 p.m. "Dateline NBC"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. Most Outrageous Moments
9-10 p.m. "America's Got Talent"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Encores)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "SHARK TAGGERS"
9-10 p.m. "America's Got Talent" (Results Show)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order" (Encores)

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. "The Office"
8:30- 9 p.m. "THE OFFICE SPINOFF"
9-10 p.m. "Last Comic Standing"
10-11 p.m. "THE LISTENER"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "CHOPPING BLOCK"
9-11 p.m. "Dateline NBC"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. Drama Encores
9-10 p.m. Drama Encores
10-11 p.m. Drama Encores

SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. "Monk"
9-10 p.m. "Nashville Star"
10-11 p.m. "KINGS" (Encores)