"On the day after the Olympics' closing ceremony, we'll get right to it," says NBC executive Jeff Zucker, president of NBC and its cable networks.

Five shows won't even wait until September. Their premieres or season-openers will be Aug. 30 or 31.

By Sept. 9, NBC will have introduced all five of its new shows, including the "Friends" spinoff "Joey." It also will have started the season for five of its 14 returning shows.

That's part of an effort to have the Olympics (Aug. 13 to 29) catapult the season. "The halo effect of the Olympics has been unbelievable," says Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports.

In the past, viewers were accustomed to waiting for new episodes of their favorite shows. Nothing happened until after Labor Day.

That changed with competition from cable and the flexibility of reality shows, which can start and expand quickly.

Fox opened new shows ("North Shore," "The Simple Life," etc.) for the summer and September, followed by baseball's playoffs and the World Series.

WB plans a July 29 start for one of its fall shows, "Blue Collar TV," with Jeff Foxworthy blending stand-up, sketch and storytelling humor. It also will have "Studio 7" — a youth-oriented blend of reality and game shows from "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" producer Michael Davies — spanning late summer and early fall.

However, all of that is dwarfed by NBC's move. Zucker plans to have many of his shows arrive before Labor Day, Sept. 6.

"Public schools are back in session," he says, "some as early as the middle of August ... that's what really determines when life goes back to normal and when the summer ends and the fall begins."

He has a bigger motivation: The Olympics is key to NBC's pivotal season.

During the "upfronts," when advertisers do preseason buying after the networks unveil their fall schedules, the winner was NBC, as usual. It totaled $2.9 billion, Zucker says, compared with $2.4 million for CBS and $1.6 billion each for Fox and ABC.

It will be tough to live up to those expectations and avoid "make-goods," when shows fall short of promised ratings, during a transition time. NBC's top comedies, "Friends" and "Frasier," are gone; its top dramas, "ER" and "The West Wing," have slumped.

" 'West Wing' was ratings-challenged last year," grants Kevin Reilly, NBC president.

NBC's strength centers mainly on the Olympics, plus some fresh reality shows. With that in mind, Zucker's plans include:

• Aug. 30: "Fear Factor" opens its season. Then "Hawaii" — a police show juggling serious stories, humor and pretty scenery — premieres.
• Aug. 31: "Last Comic Standing" starts its third season, just three weeks after finishing its second. That's followed by the premiere of "Father of the Pride" (an animated comedy) and the season-opener of "Scrubs."
• Sept. 1: "Hawaii" settles into its regular spot at 8 p.m. Wednesdays. That means the show will have aired two episodes before Labor Day.
• Sept. 6: "Las Vegas" opens its season followed by the premiere of "LAX," a frenetic drama-comedy set at the Los Angeles airport.
• Sept. 9: The network's two top newcomers premiere. "Joey" is the amiable "Friends" spinoff with Matt LeBlanc and Drea de Matteo ("The Sopranos"). "Medical Investigation" is an intense drama starring Neal McDonough ("Boomtown"). Sandwiched between them is the opener of "The Apprentice," which will have two 18-week rounds this season.
• Sept. 10: "Medical Investigation" moves to its regular spot at 10 p.m. Fridays.
• The rest: All the other shows will be in place by Sept. 26, with the exception of "The West Wing," which arrives Oct. 20.