comedy dynasties

Is Mike Schur Becoming the Shonda Rhimes of NBC?

2015 Summer TCA Tour - Day 1
Mike Schur Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

The latest Mike Schur vehicle has landed at at the National Broadcasting Company, Variety reports. A half-hour show called Landlords — about a young couple who becomes, hello, landlords — has a pilot commitment at the network, bringing Schur’s legacy as a comedy creator to the critical “third time’s a charm†threshold. Schur, one of the minds behind the late, great Parks and Recreation, has also found success this season with the fish-out-of-water afterlife comedy The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell and the ageless Ted Danson (seriously — looking good, guys!). In fact, the only Schur show not at NBC is Brooklyn 99, which is beloved as well — but at Fox. In a climate of uncertainty for network comedies (and, come to think of it, a time of uncertainty as to just what is a comedy), Schur’s continued momentum at NBC is meaningful. Perhaps the peacock is betting on a Shondaland-like hold for Schur … only with sitcoms made by a white guy. And while there are plenty of those around, Schur’s story lines tend to be diverse and female-fronted. In conclusion: Go for it NBC. Schur things are few and far between.