NBC Could Move '30 Rock' to 10PM for a Six-Comedy Thursday Night
Another season, another 10PM scheduling shakeup for NBC. Don't worry, though -- this has nothing to do with Jay Leno.Entertainment Weekly is reporting that NBC might move '30 Rock' to 10PM as part of a "six sitcom" strategy for Thursday nights. When 'Parks and Recreation' returns in 2011, the network would also debut another sitcom that has been waiting in the wings, 'Perfect Couples.'
The line-up for Thursday night could then look something like this:
8PM: 'Community'
8:30PM: 'Parks and Recreation'
9PM: 'The Office'
9:30PM: 'Perfect Couples'
10PM: '30 Rock'
10:30PM: 'Outsourced'
This is a 10PM move that might actually make sense, unlike the Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien fiasco. You rarely see comedies at 10PM -- unless it's cable -- so this could work. And it's not like NBC is moving a new show into the 10PM slot, they're moving something that has been around for several seasons. Loyal fans are likely to follow their show wherever it lands. Of course, '30 Rock' has never been a huge ratings draw, and it would now face CBS' runaway hit 'The Mentalist.' But some people might be looking for something different at 10.
Interestingly, choosing to anchor the six-comedy race with 'Outsourced' at 10:30PM could mean one of two things. Either the network isn't sure of the show's future despite its solid (for NBC) ratings and wants to place it in a position where it can do the least damage, or it wants to station one of its strongest competitors in the last slot (the more likely option). Creatively, the jury is still out on whether ''Outsourced' is going to be another 'Community' or another 'Good Morning Miami.'
As of right now, the six-comedy Thursday night is only a report coming from sources at the network, so it's still a possibility we'll see a drama or a reality show in 'The Apprentice''s vacated 10PM slot. Plus, NBC has another comedy waiting in the wings, 'The Paul Reiser Show.'
The EW article says that this wouldn't be the first time that NBC tried an entire night of comedy, and that's true. In 1991 they ran six comedies on Saturday: 'Parenthood' (NBC's original go at the show); 'Working It Out,' a show with Jane Curtin and Stephen Collins; 'The Golden Girls;' 'Empty Nest,' 'Carol & Company' (Carol Burnett's comedy anthology that didn't last long); and the Robert Urich/Johnny Galecki show 'American Dreamer.'
It certainly would be an interesting move by the network. We've been so programmed to see 10PM, well, programmed with dramas, reality shows, or news magazines. Why not put a couple of comedies in that hour and see how they do?
Anyway, it would be interesting for them to try a real entire "night of comedy."
Update: Actually, 'Perfect Couples' will air at 8:30 and 'Parks and Recreation' will air at 9:30.
Tell us: Is this a good move on NBC's part?
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