John Kiesewetter

jkiesewetter@enquirer.com

Cincinnati native Charles Manson, the infamous cult leader whose followers killed actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, will be the subject of a new NBC drama in the fall TV season.

"Aquarius," set in 1967 Hollywood, will air sometime after NBC premieres six new fall series – three comedies and three dramas.

David Duchovny ("The X-Files,' "Californication") will star as a Los Angeles police officer investigating "hippie kids" with an undercover officer who follow a "a small-time cult leader… down a rabbit hole of drugs, sex, murder and cultural revolution," NBC says. "Little could they know, however, the guy they're hunting will eventually become the killer we now recognize as Charles Manson. He was a lost soul who desperately wanted to get into the music scene of the '60s until something snapped. This is the show that will explore the cat and mouse game between him and the police that will go on for several seasons, ultimately ending with the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders."

No word yet on who will play Manson, 79, born in Cincinnati on Nov. 12, 1934. He's in a California state prison.

The highlights from NBC's fall TV announcement today:

BIG MOVES: "The Blacklist," NBC's highest-rated new show from last fall, will move to Thursdays in February – when NBC bails from comedy on Thursdays after three decades.

Only Amy Poehler's "Parks and Recreation" survived among NBC's Thursday comedies which most viewers would agree haven't been Must See TV for years. It will return for a final 13 episodes at midseason.

James Spader's "The Blacklist" moves from Monday to 9 p.m. Thursday on Feb. 5, after a special broadcast following NBC' Super Bowl XLIX telecast Feb. 1.

Two new NBC comedies will air 9-10 p.m. Thursday this fall, when CBS' "Big Bang Theory" and other popular comedies are bounced to another night by Thursday night NFL games on CBS. After the NFL season, NBC's Thursday lineup will be "The Biggest Loser' (8 p.m.), "The Blacklist" (9 p.m.) and a replacement for "Parenthood" when its final 13 episodes end.

STAR POWER: Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy"), Kate Walsh ("Private Practice"), Debra Messing ("Will & Grace") and Alfre Woodard ("Desperate Housewives") will star in new shows, and Pharrell Williams will be a coach on "The Voice" this fall. Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Will Ferrell and Ellen DeGeneres will produce new NBC series.

GONERS: Thursday comedies "Community," "Michael J. Fox Show," "Sean Saves the World" with Sean Hayes and "Welcome to the World," plus "Believe" with Katie McClellan of Anderson Township, "Revolution," "Crisis," "Growing Up Fisher," "Dracula" and "Ironside."

BACK FOR MORE: "Parks and Recreation," "Parenthood (last 13 episodes for each), "The Voice," "About a Boy," "The Blacklist," "Chicago Fire," "Chicago P.D.," "Grimm," "Hannibal," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Biggest Loser," "America Ninja Warrior," "America's Got Talent," "Celebrity Apprentice" and "Hollywood Game Night."

THREE NEW DRAMAS

"The Mysteries of Laura" (8 p.m. Wednesdays): Debra Messing stars as Laura Diamond, a brilliant New York Police homicide detective and soon-to-be single mother of unruly twin boys.

"Constantine" (10 p.m. Fridays): DC Comics' "Hellblazer" series comes to NBC with Matt Ryan ("Criminal Minds") as demon hunter and occult master John Constantine.

"State of Affairs" (10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14): A top CIA analyst (Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy") works closely with the president (Alfre Woodard, "Desperate Housewives").

THREE NEW COMEDIES

"Marry Me" (9 p.m. Tuesday): Casey Wilson ("Happy Endings") and Ken Marino ("Eastbound & Down") play a couple who can't commit after six years together.

"Bad Judge" (9 p.m. Thursday for fall): Kate Walsh stars as a tough, respected criminal court judge who loves to party and play drums in a rock band. Producers include Will Ferrell and Ann Heche. (Don't worry about confusion with CBS' "Bad Teacher" sitcom, which was canceled last week.)

"A to Z" (9:30 p.m. Thursday for fall): Mismatched Andrew (Ben Feldman, "Mad Men") and Zelda (Cristin Milioti, "How I Met Your Mother") meet through a dating service computer glitch.

MIDSEASON SHOWS: Later in the season you'll see "A.D." a 12-hour miniseries sequel to "The Bible" from Mark Burnett and Roma Downey; Tim Kring's update of his 2006 "Heroes" drama called "Heroes Reborn"; the "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" sitcom starring Ellie Kemper ("The Office") from Tina Fey; "One Big Happy" sitcom with Elisha Cuthbert ("Happy Endings) from producers Ellen DeGeneres and "2 Broke Girls" vets; a second show from Will Ferrell, a comedy called "Mission Control" about a rock band singer/substitute teacher (Craig Robinson, "The Office"); and "Emerald City," a drama about a woman named Dorothy and a dog transported by a tornado into the Land of Oz.

See the full NBC release with links to Facebook pages for each new show.