NBC Comedy Heyday Resurges
For almost two decades, NBC ruled Thursday-night television with a slew of exceptional and hilarious situation comedies. From 1984 to 1987, it was The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, and Night Court. Then from 1993 to 1994, it was Mad About You, Wings, Seinfeld, and Frasier. One could even argue that from 2001 to 2003, it was roughly Friends, Scrubs (2002-2003), Will & Grace, and Just Shoot Me (2000-2001). Capped by the long-running, hour-long dramas Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and ER at 10pm EST, this famous “Must See TV” lineup not only made NBC the network to beat on Thursday nights for some twenty years, it elevated the formerly struggling network from a dismal track record of failure to the number one spot.
Now in 2006, starting tonight, Must See TV returns with My Name Is Earl, The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock, followed at 10pm by the unexpectedly resurgent ER, now in its thirteenth season. Yes—NBC has finally come to its senses and attempted to restore its legendary and almost invincible Thursday-night comedy block, featuring four actually funny sitcoms between the hours of 8pm and 10pm EST. Along with CBS’ How I Met Your Mother and The New Adventures of Old Christine, and possibly ABC’s Help Me Help You, these four offerings are by far the most entertaining half-hour comedies on traditional network television right now.
In a November 26 Boston Globe article, former Friends executive producer Kevin Bright claimed, “We’re in a bad place. Since Will & Grace, I haven’t seen one original idea on network TV.” Apparently, he has never tuned into any of the current aforementioned NBC series. While all four may not work for everyone, the group is definitely not lacking in the originality department, especially when it comes to My Name Is Earl and Scrubs, the two most inventive of the bunch.
My Name Is Earl starts off the lineup tonight at 8pm with Born a Gamblin’ Man, an episode that once again showcases the earnest attempts of one Earl Hickey (Jason Lee) to make amends for his past behavior. This time, the spotlight is on some shady lunchroom doings when he was a boy. As always, the original mission turns into quite a different venture once Earl is reacquainted with the present-day person he once slighted.
Next in its customary post-Earl slot is The Office. The Convict is particularly must-see worthy because it was written by none other than Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the co-creators of the original British mockumentary sensation of the same name. What happens when pigheaded and misguidedly well-intentioned boss man Michael (Steve Carell) finds out after the recent merger that one of the Stamford employees now working in the Stanford branch is an ex-convict? We can only guess how awkward and then ridiculous that situation will be, but Carell will likely not let viewers down in the uncomfortably funny department.
Nine pm marks the anticipated sixth-season return of almost everybody’s favorite zany and surreal sitcom, Scrubs. When we last left our reliable Sacred Heart medical staff in the first episode of a two-parter, My Transition, J.D. (Zach Braff) had learned that fatherhood beckoned following his relationship with urologist Dr. Kim Briggs (Elizabeth Banks). The second part of that cliffhanger, My Mirror Image, features a special appearance by Blue Man Group as J.D. becomes preoccupied with the idea of being his future baby’s daddy.
And finally, in Jack Meets Dennis at 9:30 pm, former Saturday Night Live head writer Tina Fey and the cast of her freshman series 30 Rock close out the night of fun with yet more meddling by Jack (Alec Baldwin) into poor Liz’s (Fey) totally unenviable love life.
NBC currently has a load of competition on Thursday nights between 8 and 10, given the presence of ABC’s two hour-long megahits, the rookie dramedy Ugly Betty and medical drama/quasi soap opera Grey’s Anatomy, not to mention CBS’ reality favorite Survivor: Cook Islands and procedural juggernaut CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (the last of which is a repeat tonight, in case you’re looking for an excuse not to tune into NBC). Nonetheless, today marks the first time in ages that NBC has featured a block of comedy programming this willing and able to take on the other big boys. If you’re a fan of sitcoms, then, tonight marks your chance to binge on some of the best that TV has to offer these days.
Scrubs/Blue Man Group photo courtesy of NBC.
I ran across Big Day, the half hour comedy starring Wendy Malick among others. Very funny. Had heard nothing about it at all but she was in the first scene, so I ended up watching the entire show. It was weird and kooky and I don’t know if people who get married can relate, but it kept me interested the whole thirty minutes. Wonder if I can find it accidentally again next week…
I caught Big Day just last night on ABC, where it’s airing on Tuesdays from 9–9:30pm EST. Although I didn’t find the show that funny, I love Wendy Malick, and she was just as entertaining on this one as she was back when Just Shoot Me still aired. What a talent—she really deserves her own starring role in a series (anybody listening?).