NBC Sets 2012 Midseason Schedule

NBC on Monday announced its midseason schedule for 2012, and missing from the lineup are CommunityPrime Suspect and three previously announced new series.

Legal drama The Firm will replace the low-rated Prime Suspect on Thursdays, though the network says it is still weighing options for the future of the cop drama, which posted just a 1.2 in its last airing. 30 Rock will take over the Thursday 8 p.m. time period from Community, temporarily benching the latter series, though it is expected to return later in the season.

Three other previously announced freshman series -- supernatural drama Awake and comedies Bent and Best Friends Forever are also absent from the midseason schedule, but could get premiere dates later in the season.

New musical drama Smash, easily the most anticipated of NBC series this season, will air out of The Voice on Mondays, as previously announced. Both series will debut the week of Feb. 5 to leverage the promotional platform of the Super Bowl.

Several series will see new time periods come midseason, with freshman comedies Up All Night and Whitney switching places, so that the former will now air out of The Office. The move puts the single-camera Up All Night in NBC's single-camera block of Thursday comedies, while the mulit-camera Whitney will now launch new comedy Are You There, Chelsea? on Wednesdays starting Jan. 11.

New reality series Fashion Star, hosted by Elle Macpherson, will debut March 13 taking the place of Parenthood on Tuesdays to form an all-reality night paired with The Biggest Loser.

When Smash premieres Feb. 6, new newsmagazine Rock Center With Brian Williams will shift to Wednesdays at 9 p.m., with current time period occupantHarry's Law moving to the same hour on Sundays.

Full midseason schedule below:

MONDAYS
8-10 p.m. -- "The Voice" (season premiere Sunday, February 5; series resumes February 6)
10-11 p.m. - "SMASH" (beginning February 6)

TUESDAYS

8-10 p.m. -- "The Biggest Loser" (beginning January 3)
10-11 p.m. - "Parenthood" (through February 28)
10-11 p.m. - "FASHION STAR" (beginning Tuesday, March 13, 9-11 p.m. ET with two-hour premiere; one-hour broadcasts resume March 20)

WEDNESDAYS

8-8:30 p.m. - "Whitney" (beginning January 11)
8:30-9 p.m. - "ARE YOU THERE, CHELSEA?" (beginning January 11)
9-10 p.m. - "Rock Center with Brian Williams" (beginning February 8)
10-11 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

THURSDAYS

8-8:30 p.m. - "30 Rock" (beginning January 12)
8:30-9 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
9-9:30 p.m. - "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. - "Up All Night" (beginning January 12)
10-11 p.m. - "THE FIRM" (two-hour premiere Sunday January 8; Thursday time period premiere January 12)

FRIDAYS

8-9 p.m. - "Who Do You Think You Are?" (beginning February 3)
9-10 p.m. - "Grimm"
10-11 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"

SATURDAYS

8-9 p.m. - "Harry's Law" (encore broadcasts)
9-10 -- "THE FIRM" (encore broadcasts)
10-11 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcasts)

SUNDAYS

7-9 p.m. - "Dateline NBC" (beginning January 8)
8-9 p.m. - "Harry's Law" (beginning March 4)
9-11 p.m. - "The Celebrity Apprentice" (beginning February 12)