Parenthood's Pregnancy and Playboy's Socially Aggressive Plots: Scoop From NBC

How does Parenthood plan to address the pregnancy story line in the new season? WhichPlayboy Club star was shocked while researching the bunnies in the '60s? TVGuide.com got the scoop Monday on NBC's red carpet from Monica Potter, Peter Krause, Amber Heard and other stars from returning and anticipated new shows.

NBC's full fall schedule: Smash, 30 Rock held for midseason, The Sing-Off bumped up to fall

 Parenthood: On the heels of the renewal news, stars Monica Potter and Peter Krause are thrilled to continue the impending pregnancy story line revealed in the finale. "Having a baby along with Max and what's going on with Haddie, I think applying that pressure would be great," Krause says. He also hints that creator Jason Katims may do a minor time lapse. "It may start off right where we left or we might jump ahead six months." Potter is looking forward to sporting a baby bump: "I'm just excited I can eat whatever I want for a little bit before I have to go, 'Oh, I'm really not pregnant.'"

The Voice: While the success for the new series is no surprise to host Carson Daly, he says the thing that has stunned him the most is two of the coaches. "Blake [Shelton] is so crude it's shocking," he jokes. "I thought he was all, 'Aw shucks, yes m'am, no m'am,' but he's a hellion. Adam [Levine] is also surprising me in the sense of how serious he's taking the competition." Daly adds that Levine's dedication is paying off: "I think Team Adam is the strongest team right now."

The Marriage Ref:Season 2 of the show that centers on disputing couples will see some changes that include having the couples appear in the studio rather than via satellite. Host Tom Papa adds that the studio audience will vote on which half of the pair will get to win $25,000 as well as a billboard in the couple's hometown declaring who was right. Papa also named some of the celebrity judges coming aboard. "The first episode is going to be Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld and Julianne Moore," he says. "We have one episode with Regis Phibin and Tracy Morgan and we've got Ellen Pompeo, Bill Maher and Mary J Blige."

NBC chief Robert Greenblatt explains his new fall schedule

The Sing-Off:Host Nick Lachey admits he was nervous upon first hearing of the singing competition show. "When they first approached me about the show about four years ago now I was like, 'Well there are too many out there,' but it seems like as long as there is talent, people enjoy the process of seeing that talent nurtured and discovered," he says. Although he's unsure of how the series will fill in the gaps to expand it to the weekly format, he says he's proud of the success thus far: "I feel like it's my baby at this point."

The Playboy Club (new series, Mondays at 10/9c): There's a lot more to this one-hour drama starring Eddie Cibrian than sexy bunnies. Star Amber Heard tells us that aside from plots that stem from the legendary club, it has both social and political elements that showcase the '60s. "Hugh Hefner surprised me a lot," she says, revealing her findings from researching the role. "He was very socially aggressive. He didn't discriminate based on a race in a time when you could legally do that and I was surprised to learn he was supportive of these women living independent lives and making their own money."

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Whitney (new series, Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c): The half-hour sitcom starring racy comedienne Whitney Cummings doesn't plan to tone things down for network TV. The plot features a couple (played by Cummings and Chris D'Elia) weathering the ups and downs of modern-day committed relationships, and D'Elia says he was surprised that NBC was OK with almost crossing the line of what's acceptable. "NBC kept giving us notes to make it more edgy and sexy," he says. "One scene started with Whitney and I dressed in regular clothes and before we knew it, it was rewritten with her wearing a sexy nurse outfit."

Awake (new series, yet to be scheduled): The show sounds confusing — a police detective (Jason Isaacs) is involved in a traumatic car accident and wakes up into two fractured realities — but it's that very complexity that drew many of the actors to the project. "I was fascinated by the concept," Cherry Jones says. "You have this man desperate to hold onto both his loved ones and yet this alternate reality he's created means he's also lost a loved one. It's heartbreaking." Wilmer Valderrama adds that he initially had no plans to return to television, but that Awake was "a perfect blend of intrigue and mystery ... and unique and innovative. If you're going to come back [to TV] and take a chance on something, you got to do something different."

Fashion Star (new series, yet to be scheduled):  Yes there are a lot of fashion reality shows out there, but host Elle Macpherson says there's one element that is quite appealing: the ability to shop after watching. "You'll be able to buy the women's designs every week [after the episode]," she says. The model also adds that the series isn't just designing, but will really go behind-the-scenes into what it takes to get brands into department stores. "It's brand-building and business, combined," she says.

Which show are you most excited for?