The Deteriorating Relationship Between NBC and Quirky

So we all know NBC sucks, right? Let's get that out of the way. The Olympics coverage was quite pathetic.

Anyway. Back to topic.



So NBC has decided to quietly attempt to kill one of their shows by taking the cult classic and moving it to Friday nights for no actual reason. They fired the original creator for no reason. Worst of all, there’s very little mention of when the next season is actually debuting. Folks, we are witnessing the attempted murder of the show Community---with NBC being the sole suspect. NBC has definitely attacked its chances of life in the past, but with the firing and movement to the Death Slot, it is only a matter of time before this gem of a program receives its final moments.
Let’s just sum this up nicely: NBC now hates quirky humor.

HATES it.

They used to embrace it and go out of their way to find it, but somewhere along the lines, the hatred towards the material began brewing. With Community about to go under, long gone are the days when NBC used to adore the likes of Scrubs, The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, My Name is Earl, etc. But when the ratings weren’t the numbers of Friends, Seinfeld, or Will and Grace, I am sure the bosses were beginning to grumble. The bosses started desiring to move back to the clichéd sitcom style of comedy that has made Two and a Half Men the top-rated comedy in the last seven years.



They will never admit it, but this may have been their breaking point and the beginning of the end of NBC’s love for quirkiness. The fans loved the self-mocking humor, loved the fun Music Man reference, and loved how Conan was basically making fun of his own network while hosting a show on the SAME network. The acclaim for his hosting was certainly there, as his zany humor was a major breath of fresh air for the award ceremony. But, the ratings to this Emmys telecast dropped, their top-rated comedy was #68, something had to be done. The quirky unique comedies’ days were numbered.

Last Episode Year:

Scrubs: 2008 (Shut down unexpectedly)

My Name is Earl: 2009 (also shut down unexpectedly, with a cliffhanger)

Late Night With Conan O’Brian: 2009 (Shut down for Tonight Show—was not opened up when Conan left Tonight Show)

Tonight Show With Conan O’Brian: 2010 (Shut down extremely unexpectedly)

The Office: 2013 (slow death)

30 Rock: 2013

Community: 2013 (I predict)

Parks and Recreation: 2014 (I predict)


This is why Conan’s Late Night show failed miserably in their eyes so darn quickly (even though it took Jay Leno THREE years to win the ratings when he first started), this is why Parks and Recreation is slowly getting dismantled, this is why Scrubs got shoddy treatment towards the end, and this is why Community has never had any hope ever since its debut a couple years ago---with the rabid fanbase saving it time, and time again. Chevy Chase, a longtime NBC friend, talking trash about the show is most likely not helping it much either.

Conan’s humor was very college-esque, while also dwelling deeper into the subpop culture fandom than arguably any talk show host in history, with Jimmy Kimmel desperately trying to gain that audience. Remember those Chuck Norris Facts? They really didn’t take off until Conan started throwing in Chuck Norris clips in his talk show. Did the ratings improve? Not really, but the online exposure took a nice bump. Remember the feud against Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert? Comedy Central does, but NBC certainly doesn’t. Actually, NBC eliminated all evidence of Conan ever being on the network. That’s how vengeful the network became.

So what does this all mean? If your show has a fun sense of humor that appeals below the mainstream and into the hearts of internet junkies----and get picked up by NBC--expect not to last, no matter how good it may be. While I doubt NBC will attempt to nab a show with the Conan or 30 Rock type of humor, NBC has always been known for changing their minds like a person changes clothes. Katy Perry reference for the win.

Community was saved TWICE by the internet, while shows like Scrubs, The Office, and 30 Rock had to receive their fanbase through syndication as opposed to love and support from NBC. Remember Fox’s obsession over trying to make Arrested Development a hit? Have you seen ABC’s love towards Modern Family and its mediocre shows that precede and follow it? Has never happened on NBC.

And this is why NBC sucks.

And this is also why Community, one of the cleverest and hippest shows in years, will shut down far sooner than we desire.