This is the fourth and final installment in a four-part series investigating the current state of television comedy. Over the course of the week, the series has looked at the half-hour comedy offerings on the four major broadcast networks. Today's installment focuses on those comedies airing on NBC.
NBC is a struggling network. It is currently in fourth place among the broadcast networks in total viewership, averaging 7.39 million viewers, and is tied for third place in adults 18-49 (the coveted advertiser demographic) with a 2.4 rating average.
The fact that NBC lacks a certifiable hit, though (aside from "The Office" and maybe "Law and Order: SVU"), has been a blessing in disguise for most of the network's Comedy Night Done Right lineup. "Community," "Parks and Recreation" and even multiple Emmy-winner "30 Rock" all underperform in the ratings, but since the ratings threshold is so low, their performances are acceptable and good enough to be renewed for new seasons (as all four aforementioned comedies have been).
It's lucky, too, because these four shows make up the strongest comedy block on television right now. The other networks have some good series, but none has such a consistently strong group as NBC does.
"Parks and Recreation," for my money, is hands down the best comedy on TV. What was originally conceived as a spin-off of "The Office" eventually morphed into another type of office comedy centered on the local government in fictional Pawnee, Ind., and has built its world to the point where Pawnee itself is as rich a character as Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope or Nick Offerman's scene-stealing Ron Swanson.
Every episode is full of laughs, but even more importantly, the show balances its humor with real character development and smart writing, so that there is always a point to every action. And if there was one weak link in last year's wonderful second season, it was Paul Schneider's Mark Brendanawicz, the straight man to everyone else's insanity. He's gone now, replaced by Adam Scott and Rob Lowe, who have done nothing but add to the already airtight ensemble.
A close runner-up to "Parks" for best comedy is "Community." It revels in pop-culture references and meta humor, but as its most-recent episode proved, it does so with reverence for the source material and with a deep understanding of and consideration for its characters. This is not a live-action "Family Guy" — while "Community" can morph from zombie horror one week to Claymation the next, it never loses sight of its characters and isn't afraid to occasionally sacrifice laughs for darker themes that one wouldn't typically find in a TV comedy.
"30 Rock," after an uneven fourth season, has bounced back and reaffirmed its place as the most quotable show on Thursday night. It isn't as concerned about consistent characterization or long-term story lines as the rest of the lineup — and, in this sense, is actually more of a live-action cartoon à la "Family Guy" — but the satire is much more biting, and performances like Alec Baldwin's can't be beat. Some episodes are better than others, but even the off weeks provide plenty of laughs to make up for any weak plotting.
The biggest question mark belongs to "The Office," as Steve Carell nears the end of his starring role as branch boss Michael Scott. Although the show has evolved into much more of an ensemble comedy than when it began, Carell has always been the anchor, and it's hard to imagine "The Office" without him.
Although many have argued the show should end with Carell's exit, it is NBC's biggest hit, and they can't afford to lose their Thursday night mainstay. So much of this season has been dedicated to Michael's send-off (most of it hit-or-miss) that it's hard to say at this point where the series really stands, but the rest of the cast is talented enough that I'm hopeful they can continue, even if the show will never be as strong as it once was.
The only blemishes on the NBC lineup are "Perfect Couples," another formulaic romantic-pairing sitcom, complete with horrible acting from Olivia Munn, and "Outsourced," which seems to get most of its "jokes" from the idea that Indian people are SO CRAZY! and their food gives Westerners diarrhea. Granted, the show has toned down those aspects since it began (and the fact that its spot on the fall schedule meant "Parks" was held until mid-season clouds my judgment), but it is unfunny and unimaginative.
Bottom line: NBC has the two best comedies on television ("Parks and Recreation" and "Community"), two other solid offerings and even its worst two aren't awful. Thursdays are busy nights for TV, but that's what Hulu and DVRs are for. Comedy Night Done Right is true to its name and well worth your time.
