George and Mayan Lopez Comedy ‘Lopez vs. Lopez’ Picked Up to Series at NBC

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorThe broadcast network upfront presentations returned to New York last week, although they’re not really about broadcast — or networks — anymore. The media buyers were back, executives were back, talent returned, and members of the press were also there.But here’s what wasn’t back: The shows.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Apocalypse Clown,” an ensemble comedy directed by BAFTA-nominated George Kane (“Timewasters”) has been boarded by Charades for international rights excluding the U.K. which is handled by Vertigo Releasing.The movie was penned by Shane O’Brien, James Walmsley and Demian Fox from the comedy outfit Dead Cat Bounce.

S. Epatha Merkerson‘s jaw dropped when she saw just what Taylor Kinney had his jacket lined with while attending the 2022 NBCUniversal Upfront held at Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Monday (May 16) in New York City.

Raymond Lee and Camila Cabello are among the handful of fresh faces on NBC’s upcoming schedule, with the network once again leaning heavily on its “Law & Order” and “Chicago” series franchises.Cabello will join “The Voice” singing contest as a coach, NBC said Monday in announcing its fall schedule. The pop star, whose hit singles include “Havana” and who starred in the 2021 film musical “Cinderella,” will join returning coaches John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani.Lee stars in “Quantum Leap,” which NBC described as a “reimagining” of the network’s 1989 to 1993 sci-fi drama with Scott Bakula.

Comedy is back on NBC’s fall schedule with an hourlong Friday block — comprised by Dwayne Johnson’s Young Rock and new George Lopez series Lopez vs. Lopez — but The Blacklist is not, put on the bench until midseason only for the second time in its 10-season run. As expected, the Quantum Leap reboot, starring Raymond Lee, landed the post-Voice Monday slot while La Brea is back in the Tuesday 9 PM slot where it launched with a bang last fall.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNBC revealed its fall 2022-2023 lineup Monday, which includes “La Brea” occupying the current Tuesdays at 9 p.m. home of “This Is Us,” as well as the “Quantum Leap” reboot series taking the coveted post-“The Voice” launchpad.

The broadcast networks have largely made their new series pickups for next season. The picks include several IP-based shows, ABC’s Rookie spinoff, Quantum Leap for NBC, True Lies for CBS, Supernatural spinoff The Winchesters, Walker: Independence and Gotham Knights. There are also a couple of starring vehicles, ABC’s drama Alaska, which had been set up originally with Hilary Swank as the lead, Max Thieriot’s CBS drama Fire Country, The Rookie: Feds, starring Niecy Nash, and NBC comedy Lopez vs. Lopez with George Lopez. Pending is Fox’s straight-to-series order to John Eisendrath’s missing person procedural drama Alert, which is expected by Monday.  (Fox also has on tap for fall country music dynasty series Monarch left over from this season as well as straight-to-series anthology drama Accused, originally ordered last May.)

NBC is not moving forward with Hungry.

Young Rock will be back for a third season.

NBC has ordered a second season of comedy series Grand Crew.

Selome Hailu NBC’s comedy pilot “Lopez vs. Lopez,” created by George Lopez and his daughter Mayan Lopez, has been ordered to series.The multi-cam stars both Lopezes and is described as a working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between. In April, Variety learned exclusively that Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez and Matt Shively would also star, with Laci Mosley and Kiran Deol in recurring roles.

George Lopez and his daughter Mayan are making NBC their home.

As we are waiting for the onslaught of new series orders the next couple of days, here is some last-minute gossip on what is hot at the broadcast networks in an abbreviated edition of Deadline’s Pilot Buzz.