NBC has just realized something: you have to spend money if you want good TV shows.

OK, maybe "realized" isn't the best word to use. More like "remembered." NBC chairman Jeff Gaspin tells The New York Times that the network is changing its strategy and will pay to get some good shows on the network.

For starters, they've ordered almost 20 new pilots this season -- scripted dramas and comedies -- up from ten last season. Instead of strictly going by the numbers and looking for a big profit margin and trying to cut costs in every way possible, they're looking for good shows they can stick with.

There is one thing that worries me about one of the new shows touted as the network's savior for next season, 'UnderCovers,' a new husband-and-wife spy drama (think 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith') from J.J. Abrams. Yes, the title actually is spelled that way according to the official site and Twitter account, not 'Under Covers' as the Times piece says. The pilot episode alone is going to cost $10 million (to compare, 'Lost's' two-hour pilot cost that much).

That's fine and I'm sure it will look fantastic, but it always concerns me when a show spends so much on the first episode to get people's attention and then the episodes that follow either don't have the budget the pilot did or the episodes don't have the same impact. It's great that 'Lost' kept up its quality after a big pilot, but can't say the same for 'Smith' or 'Trauma.'

But I'm looking forward to a lot of the new shows that NBC might have later this year. Besides 'Under Covers' (anything with J.J. Abrams deserves a chance), the network also has the 'Rockford Files' remake. I would also like to put in a request that 'Heroes' come back for one final season. There's talk that the show will indeed be renewed for 13 more episodes to wrap up the story, and that would be a good thing.

We should all just be happy that NBC is actually spending money on scripted shows. The past four or five years have been pretty bad at NBC, no matter what the bottom line was telling them and telling the industry. Remember when the mandate was "all reality at 8PM?" It's a relief that the network seems to be getting away from that mentality the way they got rid of the 10PM 'Jay Leno Show.'

Update: NBC has indeed picked up 'Undercovers.'