I know there is a lot of interest on how NBC will fill up its schedule. From The Hollywood Reporter:
Debra Messing is back at NBC.
The network is in negotiations to pick up a single-camera comedy toplined by the former “Will & Grace” star and written by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott.
The project sparked a bidding war between NBC and ABC after interest from several networks. At NBC, it is getting a script commitment plus an episodic guarantee for Messing.
This doesn’t bode well for Earl, does it? NBC now has something to replace it, should they decide to give up on it and not renew it for next year. Somewhere, Jason Lee just died a little inside. Lol.
S.O.S
No, please no, not more Debra Messing. The Starter Wife was enough.
Jesse I think you’re right, I think Earl is done. It has been performing under par for some time now, combined that it is fox owned and is shortly to pass the 100 episode mark, meaning more money to fox, this could be the final nail in its coffin.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 Until the posts about Chuck and how it’s another nail in its coffin come pouring in.
I think Chuck fans are waiting for the ratings to come out for tonight’s episode before declaring anything.
Agreed that this is not good news for Earl, at least on NBC.
i belive Earl will move to FOX for 1 final season
Is this a half-hour comedy? If so, My Name is Earl is gone. Thursday is going to be Parks&Rec, 30 Rock, and The Office. The only have a half hour left.
Oh well, can’t say I’m going to miss it. I love the show, but it’s just finished. There doesn’t seem to be much left they can do with the story.
I think Earl’s only saving grace will be the fact that another season adds money for syndication, so FOX may sell it to NBC so cheap that they can pass it up. Fox may even let it run one more season on FOX just to squeeze one more season out of it.
If Fox were to pick up Earl if NBC dropped it, it would be the second season in a row that NBC threw away a sitcom that another net came and picked up (albeit not really because of fly me to the moon ratings). Doesn’t sound like what you would expect from a 4th place network, does it?
NBC was always going to pick up at least one new comedy, so I don’t see how this changes Earl’s chances. NBC could always hold Earl back for midseason if they really wanted. But I think the writing was already on the wall for Earl a few weeks back.
I tend to agree with Julia that the writing has been on the wall for Earl for a few weeks now or more specifically when the story that Fox would pick it up should NBC drop it surfaced. At that point I think it became clear that NBC weren’t keen on another season of Earl and that it was going to be a long shot for return.
My guess is that NBC will have a couple of new comedies up their sleevs for next year and that this Messing vehicle will obviously be one of them.
Julia. Alex, I agree with both of you completely.
Comedies are the one area that NBC isn’t in last place (I think that award goes to ABC). Earl cannot afford to get Chuck-style numbers when there are only 4 spots available.
Since Fox could save it, I doubt NBC will be able to get the steal-of-a-deal it would take to bring it back.
I’m just guessing NBC will debut one comedy at 8 in the Fall, and then, midseason, replace either the new show or Parks (whichever is weaker), or if both 8 and 8:30 are doing well, they could run 30 Rock almost non-stop and attempt to launch the midseasoner after Office.
Julia says:
April 21st, 2009 at 5:27 am
NBC was always going to pick up at least one new comedy, so I don’t see how this changes Earl’s chances. NBC could always hold Earl back for midseason if they really wanted. But I think the writing was already on the wall for Earl a few weeks back.
Good point. I think part of the decision on Earl will rest with how much syndicating to TBS garnered for them. This may be a case where syndication dollars may not be worth the effort to pay for it for another year. They might work a deal out with Fox, or like you said, bring it back mid-season, like CBS does with Rules of Engagement.
The Office and 30 Rock really aren’t strong enough at this point to carry that two-hour block on Thursdays with new shows dragging them down, but NBC might think a Debra Messing comedy is a better gamble.
Cruel_Heartless says:
April 21st, 2009 at 12:49 am
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 Until the posts about Chuck and how it’s another nail in its coffin come pouring in.
I know it’s hard for you to believe, but there are more than a few Chuck fans who realize what happens on Thursday nights has no bearing whatsoever on Chuck. Chuck isn’t moving to Thursdays, and NBC doesn’t have a strong enough lineup to have another night of comedy.
Parks and Rec is on the downturn. It might be cancelled instead of Earl, we’ll see.
johnthemon, I don’t think you can call a one week drop from the premiere “on the downturn.” Its lead-in was greatly reduced from its premiere week, but it managed to build on that. If it drops again, then you might be able to say it’s on the downturn, but at this point there’s not much evidence to support that.
Damn another single-comedy, they just haven’t learned their damn lesson yet. If this would’ve been a multi-cam then it would’ve out-rated The Office. It looks like Debra Messing will be striking out for a second-time in a row after this disaster and The Starter Wife before this.
Please tell me the name of this wont be – MESSING AROUND or something like that.
NBC is a real MESS these days, so I guess they have little to lose by trying to find shows people actually want to watch.
I dont see a long life for Parks and WRECKreation. How much milage can you get out of a stereoytypical clueless liberal do-gooder who doesnt care what people in the community want but knows whats good for them and stereotypical paranoid male conservative who keeps a shotgun and Claymore anti-personnel mine on his desk? Its already stale after only 2 episodes. Zucker is really “Zucking Up” NBC these days. The Office has lost steam but its still 10 times better than PAR.
This DEFINITELY means Kath and Kim isn’t coming back.
Michael, was there any doubt?
“Damn another single-comedy, they just haven’t learned their damn lesson yet. If this would’ve been a multi-cam then it would’ve out-rated The Office.”
What are you basing that theory on?
NBC hasn’t been able to launch a multi-cam hit since Friends and Frasier ended, which is why they’ve focused on their more successful single camera comedies. In fact CBS is the only network that’s been able to launch and sustain multi-cam shows in recent times. More over there’s only one comedy on television that routinely pulls bigger numbers than The Office – Two and a Half Men and even then The Office’s 18-34 are vastly superior.
I don’t get why people think multi-camera comedies are instantly more successful than single cameras. Your personal preference might be for multi-camera but there’s absolutely nothing to suggest that multi-camera shows are more successful right now.
NBC figures single cameras are cheaper – one camera, one cameraman. LOL!
Julia, Robert claimed K & K might be renewed last week. I was skeptical.
I guess the unfathomable concept that NBC could expand to 6 half-hour comedies has crossed no minds here. CBS had 4 last season. This year, they have 6. ABC went from 1 to 6 in 6 months.
Debra Messing is a wonderful comedic actress. I’m happy about this show! My name is Earl and Kath and Kim need to go… I think P&R will be around next season.
NBC is obsessed with these single-cams that, beside Office, are a failure for the network. And even the Office is only saved by the demos cause the viewing numbers are far from spectacular. NBC, wake up!
This is good news for the network. “Will and Grace” was a hit for the network and I think it would fit in well. What I think NBC should consider is having an hour of comedies Tuesdays. Thursday night comedy will stay the same and keeping “Earl”. “Kath and Kim” and this new show would be at 8 on Tuesdays. Then an hour-long “Biggest Loser”. “Biggest Loser” is doing well and comedies that same night would be good. It would also keep NBC from doing all these 1 season dramas that fail badly like “Kings” and “Crusoe”.
i think Earl will be picked up by FOX for 1 final season
It’d be great if they could drag a Friend back and then put the Debra Messing comedy and the Friend comedy back-to-back.
Yes because NBC has had nothing but success with shows starring former Friends stars…
And Robert you understand that the demos are what matter, right?