Post Mortem – NBC Comedies

NBC had a number of comedies that were given a brief chance to grab an audience on Wednesday nights, and none of them did.  First out of the gate we have Are You There, Chelsea?, the Laura Prepon vehicle based on the life/writings of Chelsea Handler, who also starred as the sister to the character based on her.  The show, based solely on the incorrect premise that girls who drink a lot and are promiscuous are inherently funny, was not very good and Ms. Handler proved to be a less than capable actress.

 

Bent was, by far, the best of the three shows and, unfortunately, the one given the least chance to succeed.  The six episodes were burned off in three weeks, airing in one hour blocks with little promotion.  The show starred Amanda Peet and David Walton as warring opposites who couldn’t help but be attracted to each other.  Sadly, this show was actually pretty good despite being given no chance of success.  Peet and Walton had actual chemistry, and the supporting cast was aces.  This is one I will actually miss.

 

Best Friends Forever replaced Bent on the schedule and lasted about as long, though not by design.  The show revolved around a scorned woman who, after learning that her husband has been cheating on her,  moves in with her best friend and her fiancee.  There was no new ground being broken here, and very little was done to breathe new life into the tired material.

Upfronts Day 0

NBC jumped the gun and released their schedule for the upcoming fall season a day early.  Chuck returns for a 13 episode final season, moving to Friday nights.  30 Rock gets bumped to mid-season due to Tina Fey’s pregnancy.  Harry’s Law gets a surprise renewal and moves to Wednesdays. 

New dramas in the fall include Prime Suspect, starring Maria Bello as a homicide detective fighting her way through the boys club.  The Playboy Club tries to follow in the footsteps of Mad Men and goes back to the 60s at the legendary Chicago club.  Grimm tries to follow in the footsteps (notice a pattern here?) of Supernatural, following a group of hunters going after the creatures from the Grimm fairy tales.  Awake (finally a somewhat new premise) is a drama about a man who wakes up from an accident to find out he is living in two parallel worlds, one where his wife died in the accident and one where his son died.

On the comedy front, Whitney is a starring vehicle for roast sensation Whitney Cummings.  Up All Night is “a modern take on parenthood.”  Free Agents is based on a cult UK comedy and returns Anthony Head, TVs Giles, to America’s shores.  Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is inspired by the book from late night host Chelsea Handler and stars Laura Prepon.  Best Friends Forever looks at best friends who promise to support each other.  Bent is about a couple who are attracted to each other despite not having much in common.

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