UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Jan. 10, 2010 — NBC will showcase an impressive gallery of marquee guest stars in its series in January-February with Kathy Bates in The Office, Jack Black and Katharine McPhee in Community; Debra Winger in Law & Order; Sharon Stone and Mischa Barton in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Elizabeth Banks, James Franco and the return of Jon Hamm in 30 Rock; James Van Der Beek and Michael Imperioli in Mercy; Jason Ritter in Parenthood.
In addition, Pam and Jim experience the birth of their baby in a special two-part episode of The Office on Thursday, March 4, and Thursday, March 11 (9-9:30pm ET both nights).
The announcements were made by Angela Bromstad, president, primetime entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
A summary of the guest stars and their roles includes:
- In The Office, Oscar and Golden Globe Award winner Bates (Misery) portrays the CEO of Sabre, the mysterious company that buys Dunder Mifflin. The charismatic and iconoclastic CEO is the most exciting guest the Scranton branch has ever seen — and a Southern charmer who has always done things her way. Bates will appear in a multi-episode arc beginning on Thursday, Feb. 4.
- The popular Black (King Kong) plays a young man in Community who is eager to join the study group when it reconvenes after winter break — and must convince the members that he is worthy of admittance — on Thursday, Jan. 14.
- Community also welcomes American Idol finalist Katharine McPhee as Chevy Chase’s stepdaughter and potential love interest for Jeff (Joel McHale) in the first post-Olympics episode.
- Winger (Terms of Endearment) makes a rare television appearance in Law & Order as a high-school principal on Friday, Jan. 29.
- In 30 Rock, Banks (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) is a CNBC reporter who starts dating Jack Donaghy (Emmy and golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin) beginning Thursday, Feb. 11.
- 30 Rock also welcomes Franco (Spider-Man), who portrays himself, on Jan. 14.
- The Oscar-nominated and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Stone (Basic Instinct) appears in a four-episode arc on Law & Order: SVU as a former cop-turned prosecutor. SVU also features Barton (The O.C.), who plays a pregnant prostitute who turns to Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) for help in a life-or-death decision, date TBA.
- James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek) will appear on Mercy over an eight-episode arc as Dr. Liam West, the new head of Mercy Hospital’s intensive care unit who clashes with nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling) beginning Wednesday, Jan. 27.
- Mercy also welcomes Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as a defiant hand transplant patient who wants his donor hand amputated after discovering it once belonged to a pedophile, on Jan. 13.
- Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia) guest stars in Parenthood in a multi-episode arc as a cute English teacher who inspires Amber (Mae Whitman) to focus on her studies.