‘Trial & Error’ Renewed For Season 2 By NBC

It took awhile, but NBC has closed a deal for a 10-episode second-season renewal of comedy Trial & Error, from Warner Bros TV.

Trial & Error, which will return in midseason, has been well received by critics, and with its anthology concept is able to attract big-name actors for a season-long arc, like John Lithgow in Season 1. NBC brass had been excited about a storyline planned for Season 2 of a show whose ratings were modest but on par and sometimes slightly higher that those for fellow freshman comedy Great News, from Universal TV, which landed the Thursday 8:30 PM slot for next fall behind Will & Grace.

In its first season, the 9 PM telecast of Trial & Error averaged a 1.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 5.5 million viewers overall in Live+7. The 9:30 PM episodes averaged a 1.1 in 18-49 and 4.4 million viewers. The series draws upscale and well-educated audience.

Last Sunday, NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt sounded optimistic about Trial & Error‘s future during the network’s upfront call. “This is another show we really like,” he said. “We are talking with Warners how to bring this show back. I hope to pass good news on that soon.”

Created by Jeff Astrof and Matt Miller, Trial & Error is a spoof of crime documentaries, which follows a case through trial. I hear everyone in the cast besides Lithgow is expected to return. That includes Nicholas D’Agosto, Jayma Mays, Steven Boyer, Krysta Rodriguez and Sherri Shepherd. Astrof, Miller and Jeffrey Blitz executive produce.

With the renewal, Miller will have two series on the air for a second straight year; he also is behind Fox’s Lethal Weapon reboot. In midseason, Trial & Error will join new NBC comedy series AP Bio and Champions.