While I don’t always agree with certain decisions NBC makes (the Jay Leno debacle a shining example of piss-poor planning by the peacock), I will go to my grave praising the network for having some of the smartest, funniest, most well-written shows on TV right now. Unfortunately, most of those great shows seem to be on the bubble now, with most of them getting hesitantly renewed for shortened seasons so they can focus on new shows that will be immediately cancelled after three episodes. Via Deadline:
It looks like NBC‘s 30 Rock will be back for a likely abbreviated seventh and final season. I hear the Emmy-winning comedy has closed deals with its key high-level writers to return for what is expected to be a final season of 13-14 episodes. Among those who have signed on to go back are co-executive producers Jack Burditt and Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan. As for NBC’s other bubble comedies, newbie Whitney does not appear likely to return. Fellow freshman Up All Night has been looking better, but its executive producer Jon Pollack just moved to NBC’s newly picked up comedy series Go On as a co-executive producer. Is this a bad sign for the future of the family/workplace comedy starring Christina Applegate or just a case of staff turnover?
Meanwhile, veterans Community and Parks And Recreation both are in the running, with Parks’ renewal considered likely. I hear that, like 30 Rock, all returning NBC comedy series are likely to get short orders. That would save some coin and allow NBC to pick up more new comedies.
Well, to be honest, while 30 Rock still makes for sharp television, it is starting to show its age, and Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) baby storyline does seem to indicate a way for the show to wrap itself up nicely before it goes The Office route of staying well past its welcome. Meanwhile, Community and Parks and Recreation are both shows that still have a lot further to go and still have a lot of steam in them, the only caveat being that they just can’t pull in viewers. Hopefully, Community‘s fans have rallied hard enough to make NBC think twice about cancelling it, while Parks and Rec seems to be resting comfortably on ratings, if not doing spectacularly well. As for Whitney … meh. While I think Whitney Cummings herself is talented, the show is just bad. The funny thing is, the one show that seems to be doing well, Up All Night, is basically the one show I do not give a crap about. Go figure.