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UPFRONTS 2013: NBC’s Scheduling Challenges

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday May 11, 2013 @ 5:51pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, Community, NBC, Parks & Recreation, TV Pilots
Nellie Andreeva

NBC faces the task of scheduling six new comedies for next season with only two returning half-hour series: Community, which received an eleventh-hour 13-episode renewal, and Parks & Recreation. The network may just have the right man for the job. This is head of scheduling Jeff Bader‘s first turn at bat after moving to NBC last summer. As a long-time scheduling topper at ABC, he was presented with a similar challenge four years ago when the network picked up five new comedy series and returned two. Like Parks & Rec and Community, those two returning comedies, Scrubs and Better Off Ted, were quirky cult shows and not anchors that could launch new series. What Bader and ABC brass did back then was let Scrubs and Ted be, pairing them together for what became both series’ final season. Then they took four new comedies and launched a new two-hour comedy block on Wednesday. It worked – three of the four comedies are still on the air: Modern Family and The Middle on ABC and Cougar Town on TBS. (The fourth, Hank, was quickly cancelled.)

Bader may take a similar approach at NBC. Like at ABC in 2009, the two returning NBC comedies are workplace, while most of the new series are family or family-esque (Michael J. Fox, Welcome To The Family, The Family Guide, Sean Saves The World, About A Boy). Coincidentally, the last new comedy series this year, Undateable, is a multi-camera show about dating, which was also the case at ABC in 2009 with Romantically Challenged, which was scheduled behind Dancing With The Stars. READ MORE »

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‘Community’ Is Coming Back, Will Dan Harmon Return Too?

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 9:34pm PDTTags: Community, Dan Harmon, NBC
Nellie Andreeva

In a repeat from last year, NBC‘s perennial bubble comedy Community just snagged a 13-episode renewal. There have been some significant changes on the show over the past 12 months though. When NBC … Read More »

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Good Timing: ‘Community’ Finale Ticks Up In The Ratings Amidst Renewal Negotiations

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 9:30am PDTTags: Community, NBC
Nellie Andreeva

It is not a huge bump (8% to 1.3/5 in 18-49, even with the show’s finale last year), but anything helps in complicated negotiations. That is what NBC and Community producer Sony … Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Idol’ & ‘Office’ Rise, ‘Scandal’ Hits Series High, ‘Glee’ & ‘Two Men’ Finales Down, ‘Community’ Finale Even

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 9:05am PDTTags: American Idol, Community, Glee, Scandal, TV Ratings

There was big drama both on and off the stage for American Idol (2.8/9) last night after longtime judge Randy Jackson announced he was leaving earlier in the day and the finalists were voted down to the final two. Now Kree Harrison and Candice Glover will face off in next week’s Season 12 finale along with, according to Ryan Seacrest, a “surprise duet” performance featuring Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert. Coming off a string of all-time lows, Idol was up last night from last week’s results show. The Fox series rose 12% from its May 2 fast nationals and 8% from last week’s final numbers. ABC’s Scandal (3.2/9), meanwhile, surged up 23% from its May 2 show to not only beat Idol again in the key demo in fast nationals but also hit a series high for the political drama.

Related: Seacrest Jokes With Jackson On-Air About ‘Idol’ Departure Read More »

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UPDATE: RATINGS RAT RACE: NBC’s ‘Hannibal’ Tops Premiere In Second Week

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday April 12, 2013 @ 1:58pm PDTTags: American Idol, Community, Glee, Go On, Hannibal, NBC, TV Ratings

UPDATE, 1:58 PM: Looks like NBC’s Hannibal has some teeth. Final numbers for last night have the network’s new drama rising up over … Read More »

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Andy Bobrow Signs Overall Deal With Sony

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday April 8, 2013 @ 5:12pm PDTTags: Andy Bobrow, Big Deals TV, Community, Sony Pictures TV
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Community co-executive producer Andy Bobrow has signed a new two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures TV, which produces the cult NBC comedy, which is on the bubble for renewal. In addition to his work … Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘American Idol’ & NCAA Tournament Dip, ‘Wife Swap’ Returns Strong, ‘Beauty & The Beast Rises, ‘Community’ & ’1600 Penn’ Hit Lows

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday March 22, 2013 @ 9:46am PDTTags: 1600 Penn, American Idol, Community, TV Ratings, Wife Swap

After Wednesday’s Beatles performance show on Fox’s American Idol (2.8/9), last night saw another finalist eliminated and the contestant list trimmed to eight. The live one-hour results show slipped 7% from the fast nationals of the season’s first results showlast week, and Idol was down 10% from the 3.1 it garnered in final numbers for its March 14 show. Idol had a small viewership bump last night, up 1% to 11.7 million versus 11.6 million last week. A new Glee (2.0/5) followed Idol, finishing even with its March 14 show but seeing a 9% viewership rise in fast nationals (from 5.4 million viewers to 5.9 million). Fox won the night in total viewers and tied with ABC in adults 18-49.

Related: NCAA Tournament Hits Thursday 22-Year Ratings High
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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Glee’ & ‘Community’ Up Big, ‘American Idol’ ‘& “Big Bang Theory’ Slip, ’1600 Penn’ & ‘Person Of Interest’ Tie Lows

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday March 8, 2013 @ 9:11am PSTTags: American Idol, Community, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, TV Ratings

Ending its three-night live round, American Idol (3.5/10) pared it down to the final 10 contestants of Season 12 on Thursday. Spilling two minutes over, the scheduled 90-minute live show had a lot of Ryan Seacrest shuttling back and forth to the holding room to bring the lucky ones back on stage. It also had a mixed bag of ratings results. While last night’s Idol dipped 5% from last week’s two-hour show, it went up 6% in total viewers from 12.2 million to 12.9 million. Expect adjustments upward in the final numbers. After Idol, there was more singing as a new Glee (2.5/7) went to the movies last night as the students of McKinley High pulled tunes from the big screen, including a show stopping Tom Cruise homage. With a bit of Idol overrun to help fuel it, the one-hour episode featured the series’ 500th song but it also starred a rocketing 47% rise over the last original on February 14, 2013. Read More »

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‘Community’ Teases All Puppet Episode, Fifth Season At PaleyFest 2013

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday March 5, 2013 @ 11:10pm PSTTags: Community, PaleyFest, PaleyFest 2013

Ray Richmond contributes to Deadline’s TV coverage.

Community PuppetsIt wasn’t until the end of tonight’s Community panel at PaleyFest 2013 that the one genuine piece of news emerged, as a clip of the cast as Muppet-like puppets was shown to those at the Saban Theatre. An all-puppet episode featuring extensive use of the performers in puppet form will air in April and include a cameo from Jason Alexander (though not as a puppet). As the panel closed, the cast mates brought out their puppet lookalikes to revel in the moment. The puppet gambit is in keeping with a quirky series that’s already used stop-motion animation and other creative devices to distinguish itself. Earlier, new show runners David Guarascio and Moses Port focused on this Thursday’s episode that finds the introduction of James Brolin in a recurring role as the long-estranged father of star Joel McHale’s character, Jeff Winger. The installment also features Fred Willard in a cameo, and he was also present during a table read that opened the panel.
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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘American Idol’ Slips To Win Sleepy Post-Sweep Thursday

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday March 1, 2013 @ 9:22am PSTTags: 1600 Penn, American Idol, Community, TV Ratings, Zero Hour
Nellie Andreeva

As much as they say sweeps don’t matter anymore, the broadcast networks still try to put their best foot forward in November, February and in May. And on the first night following the February sweep last night, most … Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Zero Hour’ Debuts With Record Low, ‘Community’ & ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Hit Series Low, ‘American Idol’ Down

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday February 15, 2013 @ 8:59am PSTTags: American Idol, Community, TV Ratings, Zero Hour

The premiere of Zero Hour (1.3/4) on Valentine’s Day saw the full-time return of Anthony Edwards to primetime more than a decade after he left ER. Unfortunately for ABC, on a night that traditionally sees lower viewership, the conspiracy drama marked the lowest-rated in-season debut for a scripted show ever on the network. Facing off against American Idol in the 8 PM time slot, Zero Hour was down 41% from the September 27 premiere of Last Resort, a show that is now cancelled, and 38% from the March 15 premiere of Missing. That still pales compared to the January 31 premiere of the now cancelled Do No Harm on NBC which got a 0.9/3) and was the lowest rated in-season premiere ever of any scripted show on the any of the Big Four networks.

Zero Hour wasn’t the only show having a rough night. In its second week of its fourth season and also head-to-head with Idol on Fox, NBC’s Community (1.1/4) fell 42% from its season debut last week to hit a series low. ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (2.7/7) didn’t have to face Idol, but it was down 13% from last week to also hit a series low. In its second show of the Girls Only Hollywood Week, Idol (3.6/11) itself was also down. The competition series slid 12% from last week’s Guys Only Hollywood Week Part 2 show. Following Idol, a new Glee (1.7/5) took a bigger hit, falling 23% its February 7 show.
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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Do No Harm’ Falls Again, ‘Community’ Returns Up, ‘American Idol’ Dips, ‘Scandal’ Hits High

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday February 8, 2013 @ 8:59am PSTTags: American Idol, Community, Do No Harm, Elementary, The Big Bang Theory, TV Ratings

After the worst in-season network debut rating ever last week, NBC’s Do No Harm (0.7/2) did itself more harm by falling 22% from that January 31 debut. To put it in further perspective, viewership of the certainly soon-to-be-cancelled new show fell from the 3.3 million who watched last week to 2.18 million. It wasn’t all bad news on NBC on Thursday, however. With the end of 30 Rock last Thursday, this week saw the long-delayed return of Community (1.8/6) for a fourth season at 8 PM. The comedy bested its previous season opener of September 22, 2011, when it wasn’t facing American Idol, by 6%, and beat its May 17, 2012 Season 3 finale by 38%.

Related: POST MORTEM: What Led To ‘Do No Harm’s’ Historic Ratings Flop Read More »

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PaleyFest 2013 Unveils Full Schedule; ‘Walking Dead’ Tapped For Opening Panel

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday January 9, 2013 @ 9:18am PSTTags: Community, Paley Center for Media, PaleyFest, The Walking Dead

AMC’s The Walking Dead will serve the opening-night panel March 1 at Paley Center for Media’s annual TV confab, which runs through March 15 at the Saban Theatre in LA. The full slate of panels announced today includes the already … Read More »

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NBC’s Bob Greenblatt “Absolutely Hopeful” About Fifth Season Of ‘Community’: TCA

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Sunday January 6, 2013 @ 11:47am PSTTags: Community, NBC
Nellie Andreeva

After a lot of behind-the-scenes turmoil that resulted in the departures of creator/executive producer Dan Harmon and co-star Chevy Chase since Community ended its third season, the quirky comedy is finally returning on the air … Read More »

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What’s In The Box? Holiday Greetings From NBC’s ‘Community’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday December 22, 2012 @ 1:33pm PSTTags: Community, NBC

Castmember Joel McHale introduces holiday cheer from NBC’s Community, which returns February 7th:

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Chevy Chase Leaving NBC’s ‘Community’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday November 21, 2012 @ 2:10pm PSTTags: Chevy Chase, Community
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Pierce Hawthorne is dropping out of Greendale Community College. After a tumultuous three-and-a-half-year relationship, Chevy Chase and the producers of NBC‘s cult comedy Community are parting ways by mutual agreement. Chase’s departure from the show is effective immediately. The bulk of Community‘s 13-episode fourth-season order have been filmed. Chase won’t appear in the one or two episodes that have not been shot yet. Read More »

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UPDATE: NBC Unveils Midseason Schedule — ‘Community’ Back On Thursday; ‘Smash’ To Tuesday; ’1600 Penn’, ‘Deception’ Slotted

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday October 30, 2012 @ 12:00pm PDTTags: 1600 Penn, Community, Deception, NBC, Smash
Nellie Andreeva

Community February 7 Premiere DateUPDATED: NBC just released the bulk of its midseason schedule, its first lineup shepherded by new head of scheduling Jeff Bader. It features The Biggest Loser moving to Mondays (8-10 PM) to serve as a bridge between the two cycles of The Voice. Its companion will be midseason drama Deception Smash February 5 Premiere Date(formerly Infamous), which will air at 10 PM.

NBC is gambling with a long hiatus for breakout hit Revolution, which will wrap its 10-episode fall run with a big cliffhanger in November before coming back with 12 originals on March 25, following the cycle premiere of The Voice as the two shows will once again be paired together.

With Revolution staying put, Smash, which aired behind The Voice last spring, is moving to Tuesdays, premiering February 5 from 9-11 PM before settling into its regular 10 PM slot the following week. It will be a test for the musical drama, which will have a more modest lead–comedies Go On and The New Normal — the voice The Voice last season. Smash will replace Parenthood, which will have completed its 15-episode season by then. Another new Tuesday addition in midseason is Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, which will return on January 8 with back-to-back episodes from 8-9 PM and will continue in that hour. It will bridge the two cycles of The Voice, which returns March 26.

Order is restored on Thursday as cult comedy Community returns to its 8 PM slot. The much-delayed fourth season of Community will premiere February 7. It is one of two midseason comedy additions to NBC’s Thursday lineup, along with newbie 1600 Penn, which is getting the post-Office 9:30 slot beginning January 10. The following week, Parks And Recreation, which currently airs at 9:30 PM, will move back to its old 8:30 PM berth.

Related: ‘Community’ Cast Explains Its Premiere Date: Video Read More »

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Chevy Chase Drops N-Word In Tirade On The Set Of ‘Community’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday October 20, 2012 @ 11:48am PDTTags: Chevy Chase, Community, NBC
Nellie Andreeva

There was a commotion on the set of NBC comedy Community yesterday. I hear hot-tempered co-star Chevy Chase had another outburst, this time featuring the N-word. It appears that the tirade was not addressed at black cast … Read More »

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‘Community’ Cast Explains Its Premiere Date: Video

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday October 19, 2012 @ 1:22pm PDTTags: Community, NBC

NBC put Community and fellow comedy Whitney on hold this month after originally scheduling their season premieres for October 19. Whitney already has been tapped to return November 14 as a replacement for Animal Practice, so maybe it’s only a matter of time before Community’s own … Read More »

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