Despite the hopes of creator Josh Schwartz that “Chuck” could return to NBC sooner than March and air more than 13 episodes, NBC Entertainment president Angela Bromstad the plan is still March and 13. The network never considered slotting “Chuck” when “Parenthood” was delayed till midseason because they wanted as many new shows as possible in the fall. “The great thing with ‘Chuck’ is they’re on a great track creatively,” Bromstad said in her “state of the network” session with TV critics. And letting it run over into summer “are discussions we will continue to have.”

“Friday Night Lights” waits till summer because although it’s a show NBC is proud of, “It just doesn’t have the ratings that we need it to have to justify it being on our fall schedule.” Instead, “Our plan is to use it as a premier summer program.”

Bromstad didn’t have answers on many topics, including trying to defer a question about ratings expectations for Jay Leno’s 9 p.m. show to today’s later Leno session — where she won’t be present. Eventually, after being pressed, she said the ratings would be judged on 52 weeks, cumulatively. Bromstad attempted to shoot down a CBS jab that it didn’t matter what Leno’s ratings were, NBC would claim victory. “We’re going to declare victories where we have them,” she said.

On other topics:

The problem with “Kings” was that it was just too complicated,” Bromstad said. The series was developed in her previous tenure at NBC and not picked up because it seemed to highbrow and complex. “In a really crowded marketplace, people want to know what something is about,” she said. “That was … too difficult to sell in a 30-second spot.”

“Southland” went astray after its premiere, becoming too serialized and spreading storylines over its large ensemble. This fall will focus on Regina King and Ben Mackenzie and their two sets of officers and detectives.

“Celebrity Apprentice” will remain at “two excruciating hours” (as a questioner put it) because ratings hold up at that length and even build in the second hour, NBC’s head of alternative programming, Paul Telegdy, said. (He shared the stage with Bromstad.) But the spring run of “The Biggest Loser” will be 90 minutes rather than 120.