NBC has announced its midseason schedule, and I hope you like being angry, because it's full of all sorts of buffoonery. First and foremost (and most personal to me), Community has been *sigh* pulled from the network's lineup to make room for the return of 30 Rock.
The official word from NBC is that Community is "on the bench for a short time," meaning that it hasn't been canceled, but its renewal prospects don't look too good either. The likeliest scenario is that Community will return in the spring after one of the network's other comedies wraps its season, but even then, it might be hard to find a slot for the show. Ugh. I want to cry. There are reports that all 22 episodes of Community will be produced and make it to air, but that's precisely the type of thing NBC would say no matter what. Maybe it will burned off in the summer, maybe it will be late spring. Hopefully it will be somewhere. As much as I'd like to bonk NBC over the head for this, Community's ratings just weren't that great despite critical acclaim and positive word-of-mouth.
A hug is most definitely in order.
Also getting bad news today is Prime Suspect, which finds itself homeless come 2012. It will be replaced by The Firm, a legal drama based on the John Grisham novel and film of the same name. Prime Suspect has been on the chopping block for some time now, and NBC did everything it could to keep it alive, including airing repeats in an attempt to build an audience. That strategy didn't work. NBC is reportedly "exploring its options" with Prime Suspect, which is an empty PR phrase that translates to "things aren't looking good."
Other moves include Harry's Law from Wednesdays to Sundays and Rock Center with Brian Williams from Mondays to Wednesdays to make way for the new Broadway drama Smash.
And perhaps just as depressing as Community's yank is the absence of Awake, the mind-bending drama from Lone Star creator Kyle Killen that was (I believe) due to debut in January. That show, which recently made headlines by stopping production for script overhauls, could still premiere sometime in March if things go well, but it's another wait-and-see scenario.
Here's the updated NBC midseason schedule for those of you who like to be depressed:
NBC 2012 Midseason Schedule (January - March)
New shows are in ALLCAPS
MONDAYS
8-10pm – The Voice (season premiere Sunday, February 5 after the Super Bowl; series resumes February 6)
10-11pm – SMASH (beginning February 6)
TUESDAYS
8-10pm –The Biggest Loser (beginning January 3)
10-11pm – Parenthood (through February 28)
10-11pm – FASHION STAR (beginning Tuesday, March 13 with a two-hour premiere from 9 to 11pm; one-hour episodes resume March 20)
WEDNESDAYS
8-8:30pm – Whitney (beginning January 11)
8:30-9pm – ARE YOU THERE, CHELSEA? (beginning January 11)
9-10pm – Rock Center with Brian Williams (beginning February 8)
10-11pm – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
THURSDAYS
8-8:30pm – 30 Rock (beginning January 12)
8:30-9pm – Parks and Recreation
9-9:30pm – The Office
9:30-10pm – Up All Night (beginning January 12)
10-11pm – THE FIRM (two-hour premiere Sunday January 8; Thursday time period premiere January 12)
FRIDAYS
8-9pm – Who Do You Think You Are? (beginning February 3)
9-10pm – Grimm
10-11pm – Dateline NBC
SATURDAYS
8-9pm – Harry's Law (encore broadcasts)
9-10pm –THE FIRM (encore broadcasts)
10-11pm – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encore broadcasts)
SUNDAYS
7-9pm – Dateline NBC (beginning January 8)
8-9pm – Harry's Law (beginning March 4)
9-11pm – The Celebrity Apprentice (beginning February 12)
Okay, let's hear your thoughts about NBC's decisions!
What total crap! But I would expect nothing more from "NBC.....Nothing But Crap!" Wednesdays are especially horrible....Handler, really.....and not even as herself? Could you get any stupider? Maybe I should get a job lining up shows for NBC, I sure couldn't do any worse!
Wow - NBC has only three shows I actually watch!
Parenthood, Harry's Law, Up All Night, Who Do You Think You are, are the only shows left worth watching on NBC. Cost effective reality shows are ridiculous and even the younger people is tiring of them.
Parenthood is about family and has "reality" episodes. People can relate.
Harry's Law, just like Boston Legal, touches on issues people need to know about. Who knew the dangers of football on young men??? It is one of the best shows on TV.
Law and Order SVU has been barely watchable. After Mariska, if I last that long, departs, so do I.
I have been reading a lot more books lately and watching Cable shows. TNT, FX and HBO are kicking the Networks butts.
Looks like I will watch The Firm, Harry's Law each week and L&O SVU sometimes if there is nothing else on. CBS is favorite major channel, then ABC and then NBC. Believe me, TNT, USA, FX, Fox, TBS are making a lot of headway against the "majors."
i think harry's law should've stayed with LAW AND ORDER:SVU!!!
I think some good could come from this. When Chuck was shelved, there was a petition by fans to bring it back - and NBC brought it back. I've got the link to the petition for community, everyone sign it and tell all your friends to sign it
http://www.save-community.com/
Damn Jeff Zucker!
The rule is "If it's good, it will be gone soon"
I Agree with the other comments about the fast-talking clever humor.
Community actually requires thinking and familiarity with the movies that the show cleverly mimics.
People don't want to think any more.
For that we have such things as smart phones.
Also if rating doesn't include DVR or Hulu than NBC shouldn't have tried putting Community against CBS' The Big Bang Theory.
"Community actually requires thinking and familiarity with the movies that the show cleverly mimics.
People don't want to think any more." -so so true.
As far as I can tell, no one is watching Whitney. Or enjoying it. Just put it on the chopping block, NBC, and stick with what works for you. Community works. So does P&R, The Office (for the most part), and Chuck. And give Grimm a chance would ya? For shows like Whitney try showing them during the summer. When people don't care.
This is sad.
Let them do 4 seasons, NBC. Let Jeff graduate. Give him the chance! It's not like there's a lot of other quality shows out there right now, anyway...
Horrible, Community destroys Parks and Recreation which is barley watchable at most time! The Office is dead, show is no longer enjoyable!
Whoa whoa whoa there, P&R is watchable as is Community. Let's not be nasty here.
Still pissed about this...
I love 30 Rock very much but i will defend Community to my grave. Why they don't yank The Office instead ?
30 rock is the most overrated show evah
My friends and I were discussing the appeal of Community and we found that the fast-talkin humor probably speaks to us 20-30 somethings. My parents don't get it and tweens wouldn't understand the subtle nuance. The problem is our age group watches tv on the INTERNET!!! (well mostly). We download and stream, and ratings, as far as I know, don't take those things into account. So until the ratings people start to include things like hulu into their numbers then shows like Community might not reach the top because those homes that are being counted are all watching Dancing with the Stars :(
I agree with the second part, but I know many different age ranged people that watch the show. My younger sister watches it with my older parents. But of course they are older. Anyway, it has an universal appeal, if you get it that is. Thing is, Dancing with the Stars is so much easier to 'get.'
icould not care less as i do not watch this channel
Then why bother commenting?
NBC you douchebags! Look at ALL these comments... WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!
Noooo are they f*** crazy???! Why are all the good comedy shows always canceled because most americans are to stupid to understand the humor. GODDAMNIT!!
I am deeply OUTRAGED by this decision. NBC is a whore, a cheap on at that, and gives itself to whoever they think will bring them rating. Have fun with Whitney and Chelsea, whores, hope you have more crap on the bench when those go belly up.
God... Damn.. IT!!!!! NBC, nooooooo!!! Don't you dare do it. Just pull the plug on The Office if you have to, but keep Community where it belongs.
OH HELL TO DA NO!!
Is NBC just messing with us? We all know that Community doesn't get the best ratings, but it also has one of the strongest cult fan bases around. No Emmy mentions and at the same time Dan Harmon and co seemed to be a little erratic this season. I'm all for the experimental episodes and I've enjoyed the season so far, but by now we're in the 3rd of probably a 4 season show. Isn't Jeff the main character? Well he acts like he'll be there for 10 seasons. What happened to that doctor guy who was going to teach him how to make muffin tops? What happened to Jeff's former job? Does he have a big plan to get back to where he was or has community college changed his life trajectory?
I guess what I'm trying to say, and what I'm hoping is true, is that NBC benched it strategically with little to no actually intentions of cancelling it. It didn't get shunned to friday nights or anything. I think they want to simultaneously enrage and motivate both the cult fanbase as well as the writers. They put Community on the backburner knowing that they were also dousing it in gasoline. Let's just hope that's what they were thinking and that Community will rise again with ratings that will jump around again.moreless
I was somewhat thinking the same. I really hope it is just a clever powerplay of some sort to gain or regain interest and more casual viewership in Community. One can only hope.
So cancel (or whatever you call it) the only show I watch on NBC? Nice
Troy and Abed back on Teeeee- V!
http://www.save-community.com
I neither watch community nor whitney yet, even standing in this point, knowing what people around me watch (I dont live in the US), reading comments here from people about what they watch, I can come up with a conclusion about how ridiculous this decision is.. and coming to that conclusion does not require to have a broad wits and comprehension.. this makes me think that there could be only two reasons for such a brainless decision could come: a) Whitney has a deal with the network that is beyond reasoning (were the ceo and lawyers roofied at the time of the deal? or she has some demonic superpowers to alter people's commen sense) so no matter what happens, her shows will find slots b) those rating appliences are specially placed in households that has individuals with saddening IQ scores (please dont take it offensive, when I look at the overall rating scores of shows in my own country, I feel the same thing about the placement procedure here too).. this is just inexplicable..moreless
There might still be hope. If ARE YOU THERE, CHELSEA? does very poorly, NBC might pull it and replace it with Community.
One can only hope.
Are they out of their minds or what? Community is brilliant. Actually the word 'brilliant' is not strong enough to discribe this show.
Community is the smartest comedy on TV. NBC can suck it.
Hey Community lovers, if you have a twitter account: Support #Community, add a #twibbon now! - http://twb.ly/ui4zu8
This video says it all...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc
Lol my thoughts exactly why bother finding something great if the networks are just going to screw us over and take it away
This is ridiculous -- '30 Rock' is ending this year anyway, so they might as well keep 'Community' on Thursday. I'm so bummed right now I can't even think of any mean-spirited words that N-B-C stands for...oh wait a minute: No-good Brain-dead (Sock-cuckers)!
Rock Center is awful and it kinda of stupid to be move to Wed. night
I don't like to be depressed, but you made me, are you happy?
Why to keep a horrible sh## like Whitney and cancel Community?? For just 1 million (assh###s) more?
I'm in Europe and nobody here watches Whitney, nobody knows what it is... Doesn't it matters a little bit? I mean, Community can still be sold for sure to european broadastings, Whitney, I really don't know...
They will be up all night unable to sleep from cancelling Community. Whitney cumming all over the floor will make all NBC's shows slip and die. The people at the NBC office need to do something before people throw 30 rocks at them..Who do they think they are? They are always going to become the biggest loser in the ratings. They need to make the community happy. Come on guys..let's do something. We all have a voice.
Let's hope Smash smashes records and Awake will keep NBC alive and awake.
Goddang it Community is one of the few sitcoms on NBC I actually like - and its being displaced by the other (30 Rock) - NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo!
so, they're giving up on wednesdays?! Whitney Cummings can write (2Broke Girls) but can't act (Whitney). I like moving Harry's Law on Sundays, it might do better. Also interesting to see 30 Rock anchoring the evening on Thursdays, might ignite the evening, something Community didn't do. And we might see NBC in 3rd place on Mondays in the spring.
Completely unrelated but glad to see a fellow Colts fan still flying their colors. Care to join me in the fetal position in the corner with everyone else?
I'm upset about Community too.
But um....where did Chuck go?
it was only given a 13 episode fifth and final season. It'll be done before this schedule takes effect.
....it's on Friday nights now?