With the May UpFronts just around the corner, NBC continues to get a leg up on the competition by awarding early season pick-ups to new series. Official descriptions, photos and obligatory snap judgments of which can be found after the jump.
THE EVENT
According to the official NBC description: THE EVENT is an emotional high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Parenthood‘s Jason Ritter), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila (Sarah Roemer), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean’s quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Blair Underwood); Sophia (Laura Innes), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean’s shadowy father-in-law (GILMORE GIRLS‘ Scott Patterson). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind. Ian Anthony Dale (DAYBREAK) and Emmy winner Željko Ivanek (Damages) also star in the ensemble drama.
According to the TV Addict: HEROES chances of renewal just got that much better thanks NBC’s pick up of this high-concept serialized drama featuring a must-see cast of TV Addict favorites like GILMORE GIRLS’ Scott Patterson, DAMAGES Željko Ivanek, and ER’s Laura Innes.
LOVE BITES
According to the official NBC description: From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City), LOVE BITES is an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each episode contains multiple vignettes, all illuminating the theme of love with an edgy, irreverent spin. Becki Newton (UGLY BETTY) stars as Annie and Jordana Spiro (MY BOYS) stars as Frannie, the last two single girls standing after all of their friends get married. Annie is an infectiously bubbly optimist and Frannie is an always-a-bridesmaid realist. Their story will anchor the series, while other romantically-challenged characters will come and go each week. The pilot’s guest cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt, Greg Grunberg, Craig Robinson, Jason Lewis, and Lindsay Price.
According to this TV Addict: Even though the visual of Becki Newton’s infectious laugh sans Michael Urie is going to take some serious getting used to, it’s nice to know that at the very least one-half of television’s most dynamic of dynamic duos will be returning to our living room on a weekly basis. And on a somewhat related note, RIP: MY BOYS.
OUTSOURCED
According to the official NBC description: OUTSOURCED is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon — and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport) is the new company’s manager who learns that he’s being transferred to India to run the operation. Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji (PRIVILEGED), Sacha Dhawan (BBC’s FIVE DAYS II), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC’s DOCTORS), Parvesh Cheena (HELP ME HELP YOU), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway’s BOMBA) also star as members of Dempsy’s off-shore team.
According to this TV Addict: Despite the fact that we’re not entirely sure if the millions of unemployed Americans will find laughter in a network comedy about shipping jobs overseas, if there is one (and only!) thing NBC has a proven track record with, it’s comedy. Which is why we’ll be watching this project particularly closely come Fall. 
