Canwest has picked up a raft of new NBC Universal series and renewed returning shows two weeks ahead of the Los Angeles Screenings.

The deal makes Canwest the first Canadian broadcaster to make a purchase from the new crop of American shows for this fall.

As part of its agreement with NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, Canwest acquired NBC’s new Knight Rider series, a super-charged version of the 1980s drama, and the Christian Slater-starrer My Own Worst Enemy, a series about an mild-mannered efficiency expert who shares a body with a secret agent operative.

Other pickups for 2008/09 include Kath and Kim, which is based on an Australian comedy format and stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, and a mid-season spin-off of The Office that’s to take the place of Scrubs in the winter.

Some characters from the original The Office series are expected to appear in the untitled son-of comedy.

Canwest apparently took a pass on the new version of the Robinson Crusoe saga that’s also due out from NBC Universal after the studio reduced its reliance on expensive pilots during the current development season.

The deal, which will see the new series air on Global Television and E!, also includes programming for Canwest’s 21 specialty channels, including the recently acquired Alliance Atlantis channels.

Canwest also reupped its NBC Universal series slate, including top performers like House, Heroes and The Office, while renewing the sophomore drama Life, the reality series The Biggest Loser and Friday Night Lights.

Absent from the returning list is Bionic Woman, which was cancelled.

NBC and Canwest earlier announced they will coproduce a comedy to star Howie Mandel, the star of Global game show hits Deal or No Deal and Deal or No Deal Canada.

Buying ahead of the Canadians’ annual spring migration to Los Angeles breaks a traditional gentleman’s agreement that sees domestic networks screen new U.S. series pilots in full before placing bids with studio suppliers for new series.

The ground-breaking deal is also notable as NBC Universal was the only studio supplier at last year’s LA Screenings to divvy up its series between Canwest and CTV.

In 2007, Canwest did bulk buying with CBS Paramount, Sony Pictures Television and 20th Century Fox, while CTV did volume purchases with Warner Bros. and Disney/ABC.

Ron Suter, SVP and GM at NBC Universal Television Distribution Canada, said doing an early deal with Canwest allows Canadian advertisers more time to consider his studio’s new series.

‘Our strategy to get out in front with advertisers this year provided us with an opportunity to have meaningful discussions about our new fall programming with our broadcast and cable partners earlier than we ever have,’ he explains.

Rival CTV remains tight-lipped about its upcoming fall schedule, but has for the summer picked up Disney’s High School Musical: Summer Edition for a July 20 bow, Celebrity Password starting June 1 and AMC’s Mad Men series for a June 8 debut.

That comes on top of the CTV/CBS copro Flashpoint, which will launch on July 11.