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Thought Dead, NBC comedy is once again 'must see'

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
January 31, 2007

Over the last few years, a notion has been put forth that the sitcom is dying. It seemed to start when reality television got big and people began predicting that scripted shows on a whole were fading. However, with the recent revitalization of dramas (i.e. Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and, most recently, Heroes), the sitcom has been solely singled out as a dying breed.

Incidentally, as sitcoms have fallen in stature, so has NBC. Although it was once the king of network television, NBC has taken a downturn over the last couple of years. There are several reasons for this, but one pressing one would seem to be their lack of quality comedy. Although the network has had big hits with ER and the Law and Order series, it always rested its laurels on what came to be known as “Must See TV” Thursdays – a two-hour block that contained some of the best comedy on television (i.e. The Cosby Show, Cheers Seinfeld, Friends and Frasier).

However, after several slow years for NBC and comedy on television (except for standouts like Arrested Development and Everybody Loves Raymond), NBC has finally brought television back to the fore by reintroducing a full comedy lineup to Thursday nights. However, there is one big difference between the new “Must See TV” and the old one – this one’s even more “Must See.”

Now, I’m not trying to say that any of the shows currently airing on NBC Thursdays could stand toe-to-toe with the brilliance of Seinfeld. However, somehow NBC has finally, for what seems to be the first time, programmed an entire night of comedy that’s actually worth watching.

When I was a young lad, I always watched NBC Thursdays, but there were usually gaping holes in quality. For example, while Friends and Seinfeld (and later Frasier) were solid, the network had a hard time filling the 8:30 and 9:30 timeslots with something of value. Even when they did program a legitimate show like Just Shoot Me, it was still not that good.

As a result, I feel the new Thursdays are much stronger. The night starts off with My Name is Earl, which began as a gimmick, but has become one of the wackiest and most heartfelt shows on television. It follows the exploits of Earl Hickey as he attempts to better his karma by righting all the wrongs he’s done in his life, and features a great cast led by Jason Lee and Jamie Pressly.

Following Earl in the 8:30 spot is the best show of the night, The Office. I could never enough good things about this show, which features some of the best writing and character development I’ve ever seen on a sitcom. It is the best comedy since Seinfeld, and has the best will-the-or-won’t-they relationship on TV (that being the one between Jim and Pam). Each episode works on two levels—to showcase smart/silly comedy, but also to advance the intriguing lives of the people at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

Scrubs, the senior stalwart, fills the 9 p.m. slot. Although Scrubs is in it’s sixth year, it has flown under the radar as a fan/critic favorite for years. The show has gotten cartoonier in recent years, but it is noteworthy for the way it blends extreme comedy with deft dramatic moments. Also, much like My Name is Earl (as well as most successful comedy shows), it has a stupendous cast. However, the biggest bright spots have always been John C. McGinley’s ranting Dr. Cox and the man-love friendship of J.D. (Zach Braff) and Turk (Donald Faison).

Lastly, 30 Rock fills the 9:30 spot. Although it’s the weakest show of the bunch, it’s getting better and has talented people involved. On top of that, it’s got recent Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin, who has always showed a knack for comedy.

Overall, NBC Thursdays and the sitcom have been revitalized in part. I know Thursdays are a busy night around campus, but try to check these shows out if you haven’t already because they are a riot. If you can’t catch them when they air, go to www.NBC.com, where each one of the shows goes up a day after they air. It’s totally worth your time, as these shows are truly “Must See.”

viscof1@lasalle.edu

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