KPonTV on NBC’s Thursday Night Comedy Block

still must-see?

Some old favorites, some rising in the rankings, some dropping, and some brand spanking new – it’s the NBC Thursday night lineup.

NBC Drama/Reality 10pm spots are gone and it’s all comedy. Starting at 8pm tonight we will be treated to 30-minute comedy in the following order: Community, Perfect Couples, The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and Outsourced.

Let’s take a deeper look, shall we?

photo: nbc

8PM – Community
This comedy seems to get better every single week. Even the episodes that are ‘filler’ episodes have moments of pure comic genius. The cast is remarkable and the writing is just superb. As we found out by talking with Yvette Nicole Brown and Malcolm Jamal Warner today, Warner is joining as a guest star as Shirley’s (Brown) ex-husband. Needless to say he’s a bit of a jerk – but can anyone who grew up with the Cosbys think Malcolm is a jerk? I think it could make for some funny – and knowing Community – I’m sure of it.

This show should/will be around for a long, long time.

photo: nbc

8:30PM – Perfect Couples
Could you give a new comedy a better nest than slotting it in with NBC’s heavyweight comedies? Unfortunately, the show doesn’t have a ton of buzz around it and many are writing it off as just another show trying to capture the wonder that Friends had. Any show about young people will have that fight, don’t you think?

The show has no real star power and until we see a few episodes, I’m not sure what kind of legs it will have. But I know our writer Jeff L will happy to see Oliva Munn on his screen every Thursday night.

photo: nbc

9PM – The Office
Oh how we loved you The Office. You were our high school girlfriend – the one we thought we’d never get over, the one that made us think we found THE one in our lives, the one we stayed at local colleges for. You’re still good, you’re still our BFF and we still like you – I just don’t know if we like-like you as much any more.

HOWEVER, I think all of that could be changing. You see, it’s been a few years and we just ran into our old girlfriend in the grocery store and she’s looking good. The last few episodes before the break showed signs of the original seasons’ wit and charm. We’re going to be saying goodbye to Michael Scott before the end of the season and watching the replacement process between February and May adds a lot of hope for this relationship. Also, did you hear we’re going to see David Brent in Scranton?

I’m going to miss Steve Carell on the show, but I think freeing up the A-storylines for more of the other Office-ites could be a good thing for the show. May your journey from here be a good one Steve.

photo: nbc

9:30 – Parks and Recreation
FINALLY… The PARK has come BACK to N-B-C!! Rob Lowe didn’t know they were off the air, but we surely did. This show has shed its “Office-Clone” shadow and broken out to be a highlight of television viewing. The characters are solid, the storylines are funny and Andy is just plain funny.

I’m really happy to have this show back, and congrats to Amy Poehler on her new child. I look forward to the continued laughs through the 9:30 hour.

photo: nbc

10PM – 30 Rock
30 Rock to me is the comfortable chair you take for granted until a leg breaks and then you just chuck it to the curb. I like watching this show, I always catch it on DVR before the weekend is out, but I don’t race to watch it. As with most sitcoms, I find it a bit of a ‘repeater’ – like I’m watching the same thing most of the time. If it were to be canceled, I’m not too sure how much I would miss it.

I know I’m not in the majority here – but the show is tiring sometimes. The writer’s room never really changes, the exploits of Tracy aren’t really all that funny any more and Jenna is a character I never liked from the beginning. Kenneth is good, but he can’t carry the show and that leaves us with Jack and Liz. Let’s not pretend this is Jim and Pam – there’s a VERY small amount of will they/won’t they in there, but it’s more of a hidden mutual respect thing – which we see very often on TV.

I’m curious what a sitcom at 10pm can do and I guess 30 Rock is as good a guinea pig as anyone.

photo: nbc

10:30PM – Outsourced
The show started off slow – just a lot of fish-out-of-water and borderline racist jokes. Then it seemed to find some footing. They got beyond the shtick, for the most part, and concentrated on some character development – always a good direction to go, don’t you think?

I do like the chemistry between Todd and Asha a lot. That could lead to some great moments. I think Manmeet is a golden find of a comedy sidekick and I think we could do without Diedrich Bader on the show. Sure his character gives Todd another American to talk with, but he’s an uber-cartoon on a show filled with cartoon-ish characters to start with.

I don’t know if many viewers will stick around at 10:30 to catch a sitcom, but I guess we’ll find out.

Are you guys happy with the new NBC format on Thursdays or do we all still miss The Cosby Show, Cheers, Friends and Seinfeld?