NBC has always tried to dominate the Thursday night lineup and their success in doing so made it become the marquis night for television, especially for comedy. It dates way back to The Cosby Show and Cheers and, over the 90s, evolved into the historic “Must See TV” that gave us mega-hits Seinfeld and Friends. But when Friends departed in 2004, many people pointed to that moment as the end of NBC’s reign, and to some extent, that was true. In fact, current ratings would suggest it’s still true. However, I contend that the current Thursday night lineup is as good as it has ever been. Maybe the best it’s ever been.

I’m not insane – think about it: has NBC ever put out a Thursday comedy lineup where all four shows where really good? Back in the Friends/Seinfeld days, they were fortunate to have Frasier as a quality addition for a little while (until it was moved to Tuesdays), but then there was also Will & Grace. Newsflash: even though that show was really popular, it sucked. I get it – gay people are different and therefore, apparently hilarious. Awesome. Let’s drag that premise out for, like, seven years. Mad About You? No thanks. Never was a big Paul Reiser fan and the show just didn’t seem very fresh or original to me. I’m not saying it’s as bad as Two and a Half Men or anything (nothing’s that bad, except for Two and a Half Men) but it just didn’t do it for me. The point is, many good shows have come and gone through the coveted 2-hour window, but NBC has never been able to throw strikes all four times. Until now. Let’s take a look at each one.

Community

I’ll keep this brief, because I just recently wrote about Community here, but I’ll just say the show continues to get stronger, utilizing each character as a cog in a well-oiled machine. There’s never too much screen time given to one person so the storylines don’t get stale and the A+ lines are spread around so that everyone is valuable to the scene. The recent episode where they go around the table eye-balling each other thinking about whether or not they would hook up with that person was just genius. All seven actors nailed it and turned a mundane scene on a script page into a brilliant piece of comedy.

Parks & Rec

The always insightful Whitney Matheson over at Pop Candy theorizes that this show has surpassed The Office and 30 Rock and is the star of the entire lineup. While I can’t crown it the best just yet, I will say it has been the standout the past two weeks (with Community a close second). The turn-around from last season has been dramatic to say the least. This is another large ensemble cast but Amy Poehler is allowed to drive the show. She is fantastic in possessing enough of Michael Scott’s cluelessness for some awkward gags, but having the distinct difference of being very responsible and committed to her job. It makes for a nice paradox. The supporting cast has really started to come into their own, with Chris Pratt, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza all doing outstanding jobs as Andy, Ron, Tom and April, respectively. Andy’s one-liners, April’s dead-pan looks, Tom’s ridiculousness (his LCD belt was awesome and how could anyone not like DJ Roomba? DJ Roomba!) and Ron Swanson’s strong and silent, manly hilarity all blend nicely and convey a sense or realism for their Americana, every-town setting. They use subtle looks and glances to convey moments of genuine emotion (the way The Office used to) and have just done a better job with their storylines this year. I think the writers have really found the comedic voice for each character, fostering their development, which allows the audience to get more invested. The show is knocking it out of the park and upcoming guest stars like Andy Samberg should only keep that train rolling.

The Office

The Office became the gold standard of television comedy once the show found its own footing and brand of humor in the second season. Everyone was enamored with Jim and Pam, baffled by Michael Scott and left in stitches by Dwight Schrute. Left in stitches? Do people say that anymore? Did anyone ever say that? Not sure where that came from. Most likely the 1920s. Anyway, over the past couple of seasons the show kind of tapered off a bit – although still was much better than 95% of the shows on TV – losing some of its bite. All shows have weak episodes, it’s inevitable, but something was happening with the characters. They were changing, and not for the better. That’s why this season (especially the last 3-4 episodes) have been so key. The buyout of the company by Sabre has allowed the show to return to its normal state via a plausible storyline. Having Jim as co-manager neutered his ability to be office prankster (the source of some of his best comedic bits), but now he’s back on the sales team. This is so important. The basic setup for any comedy team is the funny man and the straight man and Jim and Pam have served as that show’s straight man for a number of years. They are the audience’s voice of reason in a workplace full of bizarre personalities and general incompetence. Never has this been more evident than when Jim and Pam were on their honeymoon and every storyline was insane. Kevin cancelled their credit card, Michael, Dwight and Andy thought a customer was in the mob and Oscar and Co. collapsed under the weight of having to try and maintain order. That episode was a mess because good comedy needs a straight man. The Office needs Jim and Pam. The buyout has got them back on track recently and the show is showing some of its old form. The Office in the role of the old, recognizable name, regaining its stride amidst some shows on the rise is exactly what NBC needs right now. Sidenote – how hilarious was David Wallace as the unemployed former executive? Too funny. I hope they keep going back to that well for jokes, he was great.

30 Rock

Honestly, I’m probably not the best person to comment on this particular show since I just started watching it this season. The format of the show is why I never became such a devoted follower. There’s really not much structure to the plot. Storylines are pretty thin and serve to move the characters from one scene to another so they can get off one-liners and crazy jokes. This year I’ve learned to just accept it for the jokes, because usually they’re hilarious. So what if it doesn’t fit in to any really advanced plot point – “Meat Cat” is hilarious. What it lacks in form it more than makes up for in social commentary, pop-culture references, clever quips and flat-out silliness. It really covers all levels and styles of comedy, and I can certainly appreciate that. I think Liz Lemon is a great blend of intelligence and awkwardness and nothing is funnier than her with a moustache, spilling milk all over herself because she has no grace or feminine charm. Fey does a great job going and back and forth between those two character elements. Baldwin is a comedic genius, I don’t need to tout him here, and Tracy Morgan has become a legitimate comedy name thanks to this show. It’s a star-maker and I’m glad I learned to appreciate what it has to offer.

There you have it: four shows, four great comedy elements – all in succession. I think it’s the most complete Thursday night lineup NBC has ever had.

(sidenote: I also like how all of these shows do episodes centered around the holiday seasons: Halloween, Valentine’s, etc. All the great sitcoms used to do it, but not all shows do that anymore except for Christmas episodes. I like holiday eps – just saying.)

-John

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 5:25 am and is filed under Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.