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PILOT PICKUPS: 1600 Penn, Animal Practice

Continuing its flurry of pickups, NBC has picked up two more single camera sitcoms - 1600 Penn and Animal Practice. They join previous announced comedy pickups Go On, Save Me, and The New Normal. Picked up dramas are Hannibal and Revolution.

1600 Penn is a family sitcom where the family happens to be the First Family. Starring Bill Pullman and Jenna Elfman. This show was another that received an early staffing order and could be paired with The New Normal if NBC wants to stake a claim to family comedies. It will almost certainly launch in the fall to take advantage of the timeliness of the Presidential Election.

Also picked up was Animal Practice (formerly Animal Kingdom) starring Justin Kirk and Tyler Labine. The show centers on a veterinarian who loves animals but doesn't like their owners. This sounds like another one of NBC's niche comedies and, though it had some buzz, wasn't one of NBC's shows that received early staffing orders. With five comedies already on tap, it looks like NBC has indeed soured on the multicam format as has been rumored, though Jimmy Fallon's Guys with Kids and possibly Roseanne's Downwardly Mobile are still likely in contention. But would NBC really pick up seven sitcoms?

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