NBC Hates Community AND You

 

The last time NBC fought this hard against one of its own shows, I had to work overtime to make sure I caught every precious Freaks & Geeks episode that hit air (sometimes Friday night, sometimes Saturday night, then not for a month, then Saturday afternoon...that business was nuts). I remember thinking, "Do they not want me to watch this amazing show they've gone to all the trouble to produce and present?" And the answer, surprisingly, was YES, STOP WATCHING. WE ARE NBC AND WE WANT TO TAKE AWAY SHOWS YOU LIKE. THIS WAY WE CAN GIVE YOU MORE HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAMMING SUCH AS OUTSOURCED.

Now they've moved Community's October 19th season premiere to TBD. Correction, they've moved the half-season premiere to TBD. "But Beck, wait a sec," you say. "Why would they do that?" The Hollywood Reporter says:

"Given the success we’ve had for the past four weeks -- including winning the first week of the season in adults 18-49 -- we’ve decided to continue to concentrate our promotional strength on our new NBC shows that are scheduled Monday through Wednesday and have therefore decided to hold Community and Whitney from their previously announced premieres of Oct. 19," NBC said in a statement. "Without having to launch these comedies on Friday at this time, we can keep our promotion focused on earlier in the week; plus, we will have both comedies in our back pocket if we need to make any schedule changes on those nights. When we have a better idea of viewing patterns in the next few weeks, we will announce new season premieres of Whitney and Community."

First things first, let's NOT start lumping Community together with Whitney. Let's quash that ungodly pairing here and now. Community is popular with internet-loving young adults whereas Whitney is popular with the CBS fans who are too stupid to realize they're two channels off. Community is smart and willing to bend the rules of the Sitcom Universe whereas Whitney relies on reinforcing dumb sitcom foibles with every line of chalky dialogue. And I may like Chris D'Elia, but I LOVE everyone on Community.

But besides that, what is this logic? NBC doesn't want any Friday programming? NBC doesn't want to just go ahead and commit to inserting Community into the slot that 30 Rock will be leaving at the end of its OWN half-season? NBC thinks its new shows are so much better than Community that just having Community nearby on the schedule would sully them somehow? If they're so confident in the new shows, what exactly do they think they'd take Community out of their back pocket for? I have a great idea! Shitcan Whitney and put Community ONTO TELEVISION.

photo courtesy NBC.com, who hates you.