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NBC has put its Friday comedy block on hold. The network announced in May that it would premiere Community and Whitney on October 19 and air them in the Friday 8 PM hour. Now both shows’ return has been postponed, with Grimm reruns slated in the Friday 8 PM slot for the time being. The idea of launching a comedy block with younger-skewing comedies on the low-trafficked Friday night raised eyebrows in May. It was a decision made before the arrival of Jeff Bader as NBC’s new head of scheduling in August. In its statement today, NBC hints that Community and Whitney may be relocated to a higher-profile night Monday-Wednesday as replacements. So far, NBC has given new comedies Go On and The New Normal, which air on Tuesday, full-season orders. Guys With Kids and Animal Practice have struggled on Wednesday, though both posted week-to-week increases last Wednesday. Here is NBC’s statement:
Given the success we’ve had for the past four weeks – including winning the first week of the season in A18-49 – 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 October 19th. 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. “
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I totally saw this coming!
I feel like everyone called it when they saw the schedule. Whitney & Community in a timeslot block. YIKES!
Assuming new scheduling czar Jeff Bader made the decision, it was an excellent one. Friday + NBC Comedy does not mix. These younger skewing comedies would not work on Fridays. I think ABC will find success on Fridays considering they have the history + are targeting the right audience.
Move Whitney to Wednesdays at 8, where it performed well and will work better with multi-cam Guys with Kids. And let Community wither away on Thursdays.
BOOO!!! I WANT MY COMMUNITY NOW!!
Technically, that’s not good news for these two shows as if it was, they wouldn’t be moved and shows NBC truly has no confidence in these programs while they have a little momentum going with their other programs. Hell, why these two shows were even renewed was a mystery, but if they’re smart, they just pull them or burn off the episodes on Saturday nights and get it over with.
I hope Whitney’s delay continues for another decade.
Community and Whitney to Wednesdays
Sounds like they’re getting ready to put one or both of those shows in to replace a freshman. My money is on Animal Practice, but I’ve been wrong before, especially with NBC.
Put Community and Whitney back on Thursday and go with a 3-hour comedy block. Move Rock Center with Brian Williams to Friday.
For that to work, Whitney would have to be a funny show…
That’s disappointing but if it means that Community will get better ratings when it eventually airs, and therefore a better chance of getting picked for another season, then Im all for it.
Whitney sucks.
While I can only think of 2 people excited by the return of ‘Whitney,’ this middle finger to the fans of ‘Community’ just reminds us that NBC -nothing but crap- still has not figured out that there are some people who could not care about ‘The Voice’ or ‘The New Normal.’
As is, I only watch on Thursday, so it saves me a Friday night viewing, but it’s just another nail in decision to move away from TV altogether.
David – Your post is (for lack of a better word) silly. To say that NBC still has not figured out that there are some people who could not care about ‘The Voice’ or ‘The New Normal’ is obviously wrong. While many people do watch those 2 shows, many do not. NBC knows this. But as it relates to the Voice, this is their most successful show in ages. Do you really think they’ll show less of the Voice to put Community on? Community may have some fiercely loyal fans and the love of critics, but their ratings are abysmal. Yes, you can blame it being on NBC for that. But even in terms of NBC’s ratings, they were still abysmal. And without NBC you likely would’ve never had 1 episode of community, let alone the few seasons that have been on. Community doesn’t fit on any other network. So instead of complaining, I’d just be happy that I’ll get more episodes of Community at some point in the near future.
This move is probably a good thing for Community – will allow it to move back to Thursday nights, maybe 8:30pm, once 30 Rock ends its run in December. Friday night was not going to work well for Community. For Whitney? Who knows; perhaps going over to Wednesday nights to replace either Animal Practice or Guys w/Kids by mid-season?
the darkest timline continues :/
Animal Practice is fun and adorable. NBC should let it cook. I would hate to see it replaced with one of these shows
So re-runs of Grimm are a better bet than these two crappy shows. That’s the reality of NBC’s schedule. They don’t have enough good shows to actually put on the air which is supposedly the reason networks spend money to make shows. They do better with re-runs.
I still say Whitney has potential – I like the chemistry between Whitney and her lead – the rest of the cast needs to be revamped which I believe they have done but her co-star is GREAT. SOrry, he’s great. She’s getting there – finding her comfort soon. I was pleased with NBC that they gave this one a second chance. Now they have a SLIM chance at best so the writing needs to be better as well.
Community has a loyal fan base so NBC was smart there too. And not putting both of these POSSIBLE future successful comedies not on Friday evening? Brilliant move.
Have never seen either show but Community has a definitively large audience, Whitney probably not so much but whatever the big guys up in the glass towers do PLEASE DO NOT take away my Grimm from Friday nights at 8 pm!! It’s the prefect winter spot. Thank you
Hopefully they will build another strong comedy night, including their freshman shows on one night. I like both the new shows on Wednesday, particularly Animal Practice, but the lineup on that night just doesn’t make any sense. A block of comedy right out of the gate and then Law and Order?? It’s pretty impressive that they were able to build their audience last week considering. Hopefully Whitney and Community will help build viewership or at least strengthen the comedy face of NBC along with the new shows.
NBC needs some life on Fridays. GRIMM double feature and DATELINE? That is the best any one can do at 30 Rock? COMMUNITY and WHITNEY were nto the answer for Fridays and I think the web did right by keeping them in reserve. Maybe a WHITNEY reboot will hep its chances? Maybe COMMUNITY could go out with a bang? I think the new CHICAGO FIRE could anchor Friday as it will appeal to older viewers and kids who like action and surely could knock off the aging and dull CSI:NY on CBS.
Whitney – it’s amazing what passes as comedy these days. Hopefully this move will kill this series.
Whitney could be funny if they tell the actors to STOP LAUGHING AT THEIR OWN JOKES. Seriously, there’s some decent writing on the show but when the actors laugh at each others’ witty quips, it kills any conflict in the scene and looks like they’re just doing an improv scene.
It comes across as really smug and self-serving. You’ve already got the laugh track on 11, I don’t need more cues as to when I should laugh.
Whitney will obviously replace Animal Practice to create a painfully unfunny multi-cam duo with Guys With Kids.
Community will probably have its debut in January replacing 30 Rock or Up All Night. The fourth sitcom to air on Thursday will be the Dwight spin-off.
I see no reason to change the Tuesday line-up. This is NBC, they have very low standards.
Never mind Fridays, I want to see comedies come back on Saturdays. I’m 54, and back in the days I would watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Amen, and even Golden Girls on Saturdays before I would go out with friends. What the networks need to do is create an atmosphere of must watch on that night–they’ve done it before over the years–get a great show out there that you have to watch that night, because everyone will be talking about it the next day, and don’t put it online for viewing for weeks (and no reruns at all, even if it means losing ratings on a Friday or some other night). I’d like to see someone try that.
YES! Can’t wait for new Community. One of the best things on TV. I wish the rest of the country enjoyed it as much as me and all my friends do.
Dude, community is the best comedy NBC has, it won’t wither, w/ better surrounding blocks it’ll thrive
Hoping Whitney gets a better time slot so it can continue to grow. I admit it started off slow, but definitely got better as the season went on. As for Community…couldn’t care less. Joel Mchale is an annoying little person that television doesn’t need. Dump Community if you must, but keep Whitney!