NBC Orders More ER, Police From Producer John Wells

It will be a longer goodbye for NBC’s veteran medical drama ER, whose 15th and final season has been extended by three episodes. NBC and executive producer John Wells had been talking about adding an additional three hours to the 19-episode final season of ER, which has performed well, regularly winning its 10 pm Thursday slot. It is not clear how the extra hours of ER will affect NBC’s new drama Kings, which was scheduled to air in the slot following the ER series finale March 12.

As part of NBC’s deal with Wells, the network also has ordered six episodes of Wells’ new cop drama Police. NBC and WBTV have been in intense negotiations during the past few weeks for a Police series pickup. The network had been asking for a 12-episode midseason order, while WBTV had been reluctant to commit to such a large order in light of NBC’s recent decision to launch a Jay Leno-fronted talk show in the 10 pm hour in the fall, which would limit the network’s needs for drama series. Ordered to pilot in June, Police is an ensemble show starring Tom Everett Scott, Regina King, Benjamin McKenzie and Kevin Alejandro as a group of police officers in Los Angeles. It’s executive produced by writer Ann Biderman, director Christopher Chulack and Wells.