NBC seems anxious to bounce back in a significant way. The network has a long way to go, but casting Bill Pullman in the sitcom pilot 'Nathan vs. Nurture' was a good step. It's not just that Pullman, who's a terrific actor and extremely funny, will be on the show. It's that he's going to play opposite Jay Harrington, who was announced as the star a few days ago. Those two guys together equals potential hysteria... in a good way.

The premise of 'Nathan vs. Nurture' is promising. Jay's character is a successful heart surgeon who discovers that he was adopted and meets his biological family. And Bill Pullman is his real dad, Arthur. There are also siblings that Nathan's never met before, and between Arthur and the sibs, there's nothing that matches his level of accomplishment. How is it possible if they have the same genes? Well, that's where the comedy kicks in.