NBCâs comedies get shit ratings pretty much across the board. Sure, The Office does OK, but itâs been slipping lately and even at its peak wasnât nearly as high as CBSâs behemoths. But when literally not a single NBC comedy is a big hit itâs hard to justify canceling the ones with mediocre ratings yet rabid fanbases. So thatâs good news for us! The prognosticators over at TV by the Numbers, who have a pretty solid track record when it comes to these things, predicts that Community, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec and Whitney will all get picked up for new seasons. We donât have long to wait to find out for sure; NBC will announce its fall schedule at its upfronts on May 14th.
In addition to some of our favorite low-rated comedies getting renewed, NBC also looks like it may start fall a little early this year in order to get a boost from its Olympics coverage. Apparently, new comedies Go On (Matthew Perryâs new show), The New Normal (âa heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple, Bryan and David, and a cash-strapped waitress and mother of one Goldie, who becomes a surrogate to help them have a childâ) and Save Me (Starring Anne Heche, who âafter an accident, starts to believe she is channeling Godâ) will all premiere in late August following the London games. And you know how much crossover there is between fans of competitive ribbon dancing and wacky sitcoms! In any case, itâs not totally clear just how this will play out. Will a newly revamped Wednesday night kick off in August with these new shows and Whitney, with our old favorites hanging back for a traditional September premiere in September, or will the entire fall schedule be moved up? Weâll see on the 14th.