Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been saved

NBC is turbo-charging the trend of reviving cancelled comedies with its pickup of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

The network quickly swooped in after Fox dumped it last week, adding it to NBC's midseason schedule.

While the fan outcry was heartening, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said that because of business considerations, the pickup already was in the works.

The show is made by an NBC Universal-owed studio.

Greenblatt said if he had known earlier in the series' development that Andy Samberg was going to star in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, NBC's studio never would have sold it to Fox in the first place.

"It was a missed opportunity for us from the beginning," he said. "We jumped on it really quickly, and we're thrilled to have it."

He said he believes it's a better fit for NBC's brand of comedy than it ever was for Fox.

Fan dismay over its axing quickly turned to elation.

NBC succeeded this past season with a reboot of Will & Grace, while ABC's revival of Roseanne has been an even more spectacular success.

That's left network executives scouring old cast lists for shows that can be brought back.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.