NBC TWEAKS SPRING SCHEDULE BY MOVING UP PREVIEWS AND PREMIERE OF "LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY" TO MARCH 3 AND 4, ADDS PREVIEW OF "THE OFFICE" ON MARCH 24 AND ADJUSTS PREMIERE TO MARCH 29

NETWORK NOW ALSO PUTS 'THE CONTENDER' INTO RING ON SUNDAYS BEGINNING MARCH 13 AFTER TWO PREVIEWS ON MARCH 7 AND 10

Moves Allow "American Dreams" to Shift to Wednesdays (8-9 p.m. ET) for First Time in Drama's Three-year History

BURBANK, Calif. -- February 7, 2005 -- NBC has fine-tuned its next tier of Spring programming by moving up the preview and series premiere of 'Law & Order: Trial by Jury" to March 3 and March 4 (respectively) while adding a March 24 preview to its new comedy "The Office" followed by a new premiere date on March 29. NBC also gives "The Contender" two previews (March 7 and 10) prior to its new series premiere date on Sunday, March 13.

In additional news, NBC also offers fans of "American Dreams" their first chance to see the series on a weekday beginning Wednesday, March 9 (8-9 p.m. ET).

The announcement was made by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"We are tweaking our rollout of three fine and promising series in 'Trial by Jury,' 'The Office' and 'The Contender' in order to provide the best launch platform possible in March," said Reilly. "Plus, 'American Dreams' will have the chance to add new viewers to its loyal audience in its new mid-week position."

"Law & Order: Trial by Jury" will now preview on Thursday, March 3 (10-11 p.m. ET) while its official premiere will follow on the next night, Friday, March 4 (10-11 p.m. ET).

"The Office" will preview on Thursday, March 24 (9:30-10 p.m. ET) after an all-new episode of "The Apprentice." The comedy will then premiere in its regular day and time on Tuesday, March 29 (9:30-10 p.m. ET).

"The Contender" will still preview on Monday, March 7 (9:30-11 p.m. ET) but will now have a second preview on Thursday, March 10 (10-11 p.m. ET). In addition, the unscripted drama will have a new premiere date on Sunday, March 13 (8-9 p.m. ET).

"American Dreams" -- now in its third season -- will move for the first time from its Sundays (8-9 p.m. ET) perch to Wednesdays (8-9 p.m. ET) beginning March 9.

"Law & Order: Trial by Jury" is the latest series from Dick Wolf, architect of the most successful brand in primetime television with NBC's "Law & Order" -- and takes viewers where they have never been before. For the first time, a "Law & Order" series is told not only from the point-of-view of the prosecutors and police but also from the perspective of the defense attorneys, defendants, judges and jurors.

"Law & Order: Trial by Jury" stars Bebe Neuwirth ("Cheers," "Chicago"), Amy Carlson (NBC's "Third Watch"), Fred Dalton Thompson (NBC's "Law & Order"), the late Jerry Orbach (in a few episodes) and Kirk Acevedo ("Band of Brothers"). Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer; Walon Green and Peter Jankowski are executive producers; Arthur Forney and Richard Pearce are co-executive producers. "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" is a production of Wolf Films in association with NBC Universal Television Studio.

"The Office," from Reveille and NBC Universal Television Studio, offers a documentary-style look into the humorous and sometimes poignant foolishness that plagues the world of 9-to-5. The comedy is based on the award-winning BBC hit "The Office" and offers a fly-on-the-wall docu-reality parody about modern American office life, the series delves into the lives of the workers at Dunder-Mifflin paper-supply. Steve Carell ("The Daily Show"), Jenna Fischer ("Miss Match"), John Krasinski, "Kinsey"), Rainn Wilson ("Six Feet Under") and B.J. Novak ("Punk'd") star.

"The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Howard Klein.

Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone ("Rocky"), executive producer Mark Burnett (NBC's "The Apprentice," "Survivor") and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Co-Principal, DreamWorks SKG are executive producers for "The Contender" an unscripted series about the search for the next boxing superstar. "The Contender" follows 16 professional boxers as they come to a training camp to follow their dream of becoming a champion boxer.

Stallone and international sports legend Sugar Ray Leonard will serve as both hosts and boxing mentors to this group of fighters as they each try to improve their skills in order rise to the rank of professional boxers. "The Contender" is a joint production between Mark Burnett Productions, DreamWorks Television and Rogue Marble.

The evocative drama "American Dreams" has won two Emmy Awards and is set against the memorable music, the cultural clashes, and the Vietnam War during the 1960s. The ambitious series depicts the American landscape -- as seen through the youthful Pryor family of Philadelphia as they brace for the cultural turbulence ahead that still resonates in this contemporary era.

Brittany Snow, Vanessa Lengies, Gail O'Grady, Tom Verica, Will Estes, Rachel Boston, Ethan Dampf, Sarah Ramos, Jonathan Adams, Arlen Escarpeta and Ben Taylor star. Michael Rodgers also is a recurring cast member. The drama continues to embrace contemporary musicians as guest stars who portray classic 1960s icons on "American Bandstand." Dick Clark ("American Bandstand") and Jonathan Prince ("Wilder Days") are the executive producers. "American Dreams" is from NBC Universal Television Studios.