NBC Thursday Nights

Since it is Thursday (or as I think of it, the Cooper Manning of days to the Eli and Peyton that are Friday and Saturday, respectively), I will give a quick rundown of my thoughts on NBC's comedy lineup for the year thus far. Bear in mind, I literally shut down my life from 7 PM to 8:30PM to watch these shows (7-9PM last year due to Parks and Recreation). I've been known to call it my "bubble bath". It is by far the greatest hour and a half of comedy in existence on TV.

The Office:

With the impending departure of Michael Scott and the hinted return of Holly Flax, the season of The Office has not been without its subtext thus far. While there hasn't been much of an arc so far, one is clearly in the works. The million-dollar question of course is: Who will replace Michael? Will it be an outside hire? A promotion? Some think that, by centering a few episodes on Andy Bernard, the show is testing how well he could "Helm" the ship that is Dunder-Mifflin. I think he is an unlikely choice though. And Dwight? No way. We have seen what happens when Dwight takes over the office for merely a day a la "The Job" season finale and the outlook is grim. Personally, I'm puzzled yet optimistic.

A few thoughts on the episodes so far..

-Last week's scenes of Andy, Darryl and Kevin's band were gems. Kevin is underutilized but wisely. Also, he may be a fat idiot but I think he has a better sense of what "cool" is than most people in the office. "Cool" in the way that the Rat Pack and Blues Brothers are cool.

-Are they playing the Ryan Hipster D-bag card too blatantly? Yeah, sure. But even as a caricature, I appreciate each joke at him.

-Most drastic change from Season 1 to now: Pam (Unless you count Kelly because if you go back and watch those first few episodes, she is weirdly conservative).

-If properly executed, Michael and Holly's rekindling could make me embarrassed for even caring about the Pam and Jim saga.

-Also, I used to hate Gabe. Now I appreciate his character's irritating persona for just how irritating it is. (Memory: Kevin imitating Gabe last season). Sort of in the same way that I actually like watching Pete Campbell on Mad Men.

30 Rock:

Yeah, some people say that 30 Rock has declined. Some people also say that The Office has declined. But you know, after you've climbed Mt. Everest, climbing K2 is still considered a feat. (Did that translate?) What I'm saying is, if it has gone down, it has gone from an A to an A-. Nothing to thumb your nose at.

Really, 30 Rock is a lot different than The Office in the sense that it tells so many more different kinds of jokes that vary in absurdity. Whereas Erin on The Office throwing away disposable cameras before developing them was borderline out of range for the show's comedic realities, that would be tame for Tracy Jordan. Either way, I love both equally but in different ways. My only thing about 30 Rock: How believable is the whole "Liz Lemon is fat, gross and disgusting"-gag? Considering Tina Fey has established herself as something of a sex symbol in comedy and Liz mirrors Fey, are we really to believe she is so repulsive? Apparently not enough for Matt Damon to be turned off.

My thoughts on the live show?: As a spectacle to pull off twice in one night as well as a commentary on the history of television and its appreciation, sure, it worked. As an episode of 30 Rock? I found it abrasive and hard to sink into. By the time I got used to it somewhat, it was over. Best part about it was Jon Hamm.

Community:

I love Community. For a show that shot out of the gate and found its footing almost immediately, it truly is a wonder. Some people that say they don't like this show clearly haven't been watching it. It has the familial tone of The Office with the pop culture relevancy of 30 Rock. Also, I would seriously watch an episode of this show without any jokes I think. Same with The Office. That's how well developed the characters are.

Outsourced:

A skidmark on an otherwise perfectly clean pair of Fruit of the Loom's.

Parks and Recreation (returning mid-season):

You know, I just crammed all of Season 2 on Netflix in a matter of about three days, and this show is terrific. Just terrific. I hate to admit it, but when I would watch the shows on Thursdays last year, I would sometimes shower during Parks and Rec because I didn't think I was missing much. Too be fair it had a wobbly first season but I am really looking forward to its return. How this got pushed out to make room for Outsourced is beyond me. But then again, NBC hasn't made the smartest programming decisions in the past year or two.

NBC tonight at 7 PM central time. I don't think there's a 30 Rock though because of some Shrek Halloween bullshit.