NBC has caught some flak in the last couple years for some kooky programming decisions. (Hello, Jay Leno Show! Goodbye, Jay Leno Show!) But last night saw the debut of an intriguing new strategy: a three-hour, six-sitcom Thursday comedy block. And what comedies! The critically-beloved 30 Rock and The Office have becoming defining sitcoms for the network. Intriguingly, neither show has ever really been a ratings bonanza, which must be an inspiring fact for Community and Parks and Recreation, two cult gems that have probably only dodged cancellation because the network doesn’t really have anything else. Freshman shows Outsourced and Perfect Couples might look a bit shrimpy by comparison, but remember: None of the Thursday sitcoms started out perfect. And even if the three-hour comedy block fails like so many other Jack Donaghy-esque NBC schemes, this experiment does offer an interesting opportunity to compare and contrast the network’s sitcom lineup. So tell us, viewers: What’s your favorite NBC sitcom on Thursday night? Tell us in the poll after the jump, and if you feel like it, give us your complete 1 to 6 rating in the comments!
Jan 21
2011
01:00 AM ET
'30 Rock'? 'Community'? 'Parks and Recreation'? What's your favorite NBC Thursday night comedy?
- Comments 116
- Add comment
Latest News
- 'DWTS': Kellie and Derek win season 16
- Kellie Pickler: 'I want to hug this room'
- CBS takes 2012-13 ratings crown from Fox
- 'Voice' dedicates song to tornado victims
- Bono, Olivia Wilde join 'toilet strike'
- Justin Bieber booed: Will he listen?
- Bon Jovi to Bieber: Don't be late!
- 'Criminal Minds' season finale peek
Parks and Rec!!! I’m so glad it’s back. But so far, so good on Perfect Couples! I’ll definitely keep watching. I still think Outsourced is terrible, but I find it very (literally) colorful when my bf watches it…
Perfect Couples was a train wreck.
I agree. Parks and rec and the office all the way!
PC was truly awful. I gave it a second chance since pilots can be rough in general, but this one was just as bad!
Agree, Perfect Couples is ATROCIOUS! I wish NBC would switch the PC timeslot with 30 Rock. Then I could go to bed at 10 and know I didn’t miss anything.
I agree. I watched like the first 15 minutes… LAME!
Going totally with my heart on this one (and based on the order I would watch them on my tivo the next morning):
1. Community
2. Parks and Recreation
3. The Office
4. 30 Rock
(but actually I would tie all of those for a pretty close first place.)
lagging really really really far behind would be the other shows.
Community is consistently terrible with an occasional funny episode. 30 rock, office, and parks and rec are in a completely different league than that amateur shoe.
Nope
Exactly right. stick to the soup McHale and Abed is creepy not even one bit endearing.
community amateur? hmmm. hard to see your point when you spell show “shoe”.
I always say to each his own but if you think Community is an amateur show then you either need your funny bone or your brain checked
He’s obviously streets behind.
Methinks you should take a look at the Community Favorite Quotes post on this site to see how well loved this show really is…
Streets behind! I spit some coffee out of my mouth just now.
Thalia is streets ahead!!!!
I agree! The Office is tops, and I don’t understand the appeal of Community. I love Joel on The Soup, so I’ve tried a few times to watch it but I just don’t see the humor.
Community is excellent. Best of the Thursday shows.
I sincerely believe that if you don’t love Community, you just don’t get it. Many of the jokes are under the radar quips that require pop culture subtext (“My dad gave me this sweater”, or “Hear this on every level: you’re keeping us from being ‘Friends’”) and the show has stayed away (mostly) from traditional sitcom coupling. Their themed episodes (the chicken finger/mafia episode, Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas, Modern Warfare, both Halloween episodes, even the Bottle episode, Conspiracy Theories etc etc etc) show how strong the creative team behind the show is. Each character is more than a one trick pony/stereotype, and each character shows depth and (maybe more importantly) personal growth in the short season and a half it’s been on the air. Compare this to a show like 2 and ½ Men, where the only growth exhibited by any character over the its series run is represented in the aging of the child. That show may have the eyeballs, but I wouldn’t trade 1 new episode of Community for the entire syndicated run of Men or other sitcoms like it.
Don’t ever Chang(e), Community!
I didn’t think there could be a show as offensive, unfunny, unoriginal, forced, terribly acted and godawful as “Outsourced”. Then I saw “Perfect Couples”. Well done, NBC.
I don’t think you’ve actually seen either show.
No, I think he has. As someone who has seen both I completely agree. I checked out a couple episodes of both and honestly don’t know why I regret more. Push comes to shove I would have to say Perfect Couples.
As an Indian I honestly don’t find Outsourced offensive at all. I can also speak for all the other Indians I have asked about this show.
To us it is totally hilarious how the nail all the idiosyncrasies perfectly.
I also find it funny how it is the non-indians who have protested the most about this show being offensive.
You people need to watch a British show called Good Gracious Me which was much worse with its jokes on Indian culture and every Indian I know loved it!
Well, as a white person, I am offended by “Perfect Couples”.
@ Casey, Lol.
i have to totally agree with you on this one. outsource is hilarious. I love seeing the Indian culture on American television. And i love the bollywood music that plays instead of some cheesy sitar music in the background. They should definitely keep the show on air.
1. Community
2. Parks and Recreation
3. 30 Rock
4. The Office
5. Perfect Couples
6. Outsourced
Seconded.
I may actually enjoy Parks & Rec more, but it doesn’t have McHale.
What you said, but switch 2 and 3 around, and then switch 5 and 6 around.
It’s so close between Community, 30 Rock and Parks & Rec that I actually sat here for half a minute dithering.
At any rate, NBC’s choice to have a three hour block of sitcoms is a good one. Now, next year, can we not have to wait until bloody January for more Parks and Recreation?
(also, as much as people might hate Perfect Couples and Outsourced, would you say they’re worse than 100 Questions?)
Omg, 100 questions, I forgot about that show! So horrible!!!
1. parks and rec
2. 30 rock
3. Community
Pretty much THIS. Although Parks and 30 Rock are really close.
Same here.
Community has quickly become one of my favorite shows in general and I think it is definitely the strongest of the current line-up. My heart used to belong to the Office, but it hasn’t been as great lately.
In the order I watch them on DVR:
1. Parks and Rec (so glad it’s back!)
2. The Office or 30 Rock (depending on my mood)
3. Community
(No comment on Perfect Couples or Outsourced – haven’t seen them)
1. The Office
2. Community
3. Parks and Recreation
4. Perfect Couples
5. 30 Rock
6. Outsourced
1. Community (the satirical episodic pop culture references beat out smash cuts any day)
2. 30 Rock (Tina Fey’s self-deprecating humor is the backbone of this show)
3. Parks and Rec (The absurdity of the characters are at Office-esque status with a little more hilarity)
4. The Office (The seasoned veteran who is only eclipsed because of the freshness of the previous three)
5. Outsourced/Perfect Couples (First year and midseason replacement that need their time to grow)
I adore “30 Rock”. Don’t watch “Parks” or “Community” but maybe I should start.
Yes, check out Community. I rented Season 1 & grew to love the show. The pop culture references are hilarious.
Jane, I highly recommend Community. It started a little slow, but they quickly found their rhythm once they realized the show was an ensemble rather than a Joel McHale-centric show.
If you have netflix you can stream all the seasons of Parks which I plan to do this weekend, since people seem to love it I figure it’s worth a shot.
thanks girls! I will probably torrent both of them, LOL (i live overseas)
Would have unanimously said community last year but this year has not been the same…Still good but they have tried too many over the top episodes this year…looking forward to parks and rec!
The over the topness is what I love about Community. It’s still believable to me that these people live in this world where they eat government test diets that turn them into zombies or get trapped on a space shuttle that gets driven around town. I think I love Parks and Rec more but it could be because it was gone for so long. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Dan if that’s really true, then you should enjoy the second half of community. Dan Harmon openly said admitted he did too many of those types of episodes already in the season and said not to expect anymore for the rest of the season. I like those episodes, so its a disappointment for me
Tie between Parks, 30 Rock and Community. Lost interest in The Office and never gained interest in the other shows mentioned.
Sooo hard to decide.
1) Community
2) Parks
3) The Office
4) Perfect Couples
5) 30 Rock
6) Outsourced
So close between 1 & 2. I watch all of these besides Outsourced. Not a fan. Really impressed with Perfect Couples. Laugh out loud!
PARKS AND REC!!!!!!!! Wake up America! Sometime last year it became the BEST sitcom on TV.
It was the day it premiered and Leslie married the penguins. Haha! It was seriously awesome from day one of season 2.
30 Rock. Parks & Rec at a very close second.
30 Rock!! Tina Fey deserves another award for writing that extremely humorous “Reaganing” episode. Jack, “I’ll swing by MSNBC to talk to Rachel Maddow, only one of us can have this hair cut!!” Bam! 30 Rock! Hilarious!