'Community' & 'Whitney' premieres delayed by NBC
Friday sitcom bloc won't debut as planned on October 19
Don't high-five Annie's Boobs just yet, Alison Brie! NBC has delayed the "Community" premiere.
Good news, "Community" fans: your show may not have to air on Fridays, after all.
Bad news, "Community" fans: your show won't be returning 11 days from now.
NBC has decided to hold the October 19 premieres of both "Community" and "Whitney." I'm told the goal is to give both of them more proper support, but it's unclear if that means keeping them on Fridays but delaying them long enough to do a better marketing campaign, or if one or both of the shows will be sent in to replace a sitcom that's struggling earlier in the week (like, for instance, "Up All Night").
NBC has had successes with its Monday and Tuesday lineups, thanks to "The Voice" and the shows that immediately follow it, but the Wednesday and Thursday lineups have been a mess. "Community" or "Whitney" could be sent there, or NBC may just not have the resources to launch a fourth sitcom bloc right now, and the two will be paired together later in the season.
Sing it with me: Troy and Abed on hiaaaaaaatus!
UPDATE: NBC has now issued a statement:
“Given the success we’ve had for the past four weeks – including winning the first week of the season in A18-49 – we’ve decided to continue to concentrate our promotional strength on our new NBC shows that are scheduled Monday through Wednesday and have therefore decided to hold COMMUNITY and WHITNEY from their previously announced premieres of October 19th. Without having to launch these comedies on Friday at this time, we can keep our promotion focused on earlier in the week -- plus we will have both comedies in our back pocket if we need to make any schedule changes on those nights. When we have a better idea of viewing patterns in the next few weeks, we will announce new season premieres of WHITNEY and COMMUNITY. “
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupRazorback
October 8, 2012 at 8:45PM EST Reply to CommentI was going to crap on every episode without Dan Harmon anyway, so... this only delays my 13 straight F rated episodes in a row.
ChillOutBro Relax.
October 8, 2012 at 8:48PM ESTJoe Seriously, the cast is all still there (minus Starburns) along with Megan Ganz & some of the other writers so to declare all is lost with Harmon gone is simply a defeatist attitude.
October 8, 2012 at 8:54PM ESTvelocityknown Not to mention, Harmon wasn't fired because of his creative direction. I don't think NBC expects Community to find a new audience based on some new mainstream appeal. Harmon was fired for being impossible to work with, something he himself has admitted to.
October 8, 2012 at 9:05PM ESTDid NBC handle the firing in the best way? No. Was NBC justified in firing him? Based on what both sides have said, probably.
Jason Crapping on every episode from here on out doesn't do anything but hurt the people who are still trying their best to make the show the best it could possibly be. All of the actors and actresses, all of the old writers; you're not doing anything but hurting the people who are still in love with their show, and the fans trying to support them.
October 8, 2012 at 9:06PM ESTRazorback COMMUNITY without Dan Harmon is like the bed my ex and I bought together for when we would be married. All the intentions of something beautiful but with all the ugly of what actually happened making an otherwise comfortable situation unworthy of praise.
October 8, 2012 at 9:35PM ESTBOOYAH! I WIN THIS EXCHANGE! Where is my Emmy?
Prettok Worse than that. NBC sees Community as a back-up threesome...with Whitney!!
October 9, 2012 at 12:13AM ESTThat Werewolf Guy Wow, really? The Harmon-less episodes can only get better, considering how awful and in love with itself season 3 was! (They might be not as good as the best eoisodes of season 2, though.)
October 9, 2012 at 2:17AM ESTJM "The Harmon-less episodes can only get better, considering how awful and in love with itself season 3 was!"
October 10, 2012 at 2:48AM ESTNice try, but I doubt you'll find many who are with you on this. At all.
That Werewolf Guy @JM: I don't know, man. It's maybe not the opinion of the majority but I learned over the last few months that season 3 has a lot less fans than you might think.
October 10, 2012 at 3:30AM ESTdavid
October 8, 2012 at 8:49PM EST Reply to CommentI can't decide if this is #coolcoolcool or #thedarkesttimeline TOO MANY COMMUNITY REFERENCES TO MAKE
adama1843 Three seasons and a hiatus.
October 8, 2012 at 11:13PM ESTTHE Diego Ortiz Three seasons and two hiatus.
October 9, 2012 at 12:45PM EST(remember NBC gave us that delay in the middle of season 3)
DefRef We need Like buttons here for comments like Adama's.
October 9, 2012 at 12:48PM ESTMark
October 8, 2012 at 8:50PM EST Reply to CommentNo Dan Harmon + Friday timeslot + a delay = I dont have a good feeling about this.
jenfullmoon Reply to comment...
October 8, 2012 at 9:20PM ESTjenfullmoon I give up. Community will burn off episodes at 3 a.m. on weekends in the summer and there's nothing we can do about it except wake up at 3 a.m. in the summer if we have a Nielsen box.
October 8, 2012 at 9:20PM ESTMatt
October 8, 2012 at 8:51PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, have you seen the first episode of community yet. I saw Andy Bobrow post on twitter that the screeners were sent out
S
October 8, 2012 at 9:06PM EST Reply to CommentThis stinks. I never cared what day Community aired as long as it was still on TV. Community fans are going to watch it regardless whether live or DVR or Hulu. Delaying it just makes me uneasy
knifoon
October 8, 2012 at 9:07PM EST Reply to CommentI think NBC is just trying to rile up Community fans so it can get free press instead of actually paying for marketing.
Di I think you're right, Knifoon. And it will probably work too b/c it's so easy to rile us all up. Darn you NBC.
October 8, 2012 at 9:35PM ESTpamelajaye I've heard some say that Community (and Whitney - which just don't go together) will go in the timeslots of the first 2 sitcoms to be pitched. (Sadly, I hear one of them is Up All Night)
October 8, 2012 at 10:26PM ESTMind you, this is all supposition.
Cousin Larry Appleton Community makes sense taking over for Up All Night. The ratings stink for all of them, so throwing Community back in does no harm.
October 8, 2012 at 11:08PM ESTI guess I could sorta see Whitney pairing up to Guys With Kids, if NBC wanted to axe Animal Practice. Yikes, that's a really awful - potential - hour of comedy.
No matter what, NBC is basically screwed on those two nights.
Brendan Noel
October 8, 2012 at 9:09PM EST Reply to CommentOh, TV. Sometimes you really suck.
Miriam
October 8, 2012 at 9:17PM EST Reply to Commentwhy are they being so mean to this show it was nothing but good ever since the beginning, first the benching in season 3 then the friday time slot now this???
this show was listed as one of 10 most underrated TV shows so why is it getting such bad stuff from NBC???
Lady Because its doomed anyway. The only hope it has now is to bring in a some money in syndication. Its never going to make it past 13 episodes in season 4 anyway, we should be glad we're getting that much!
October 8, 2012 at 9:25PM ESTMiriam my point is why should it be doomed if its proven to be such a good show, it feels like NBC is doing this because maybe it hasnt gotten the ratings or views its been hoping for?
October 8, 2012 at 9:30PM ESTS TV stations care about ratings. Critical success doesn't pay the bills.
October 8, 2012 at 9:47PM ESTTL @Miriam
October 8, 2012 at 10:21PM ESTThere's no maybe about it. Community's dismal ratings have earned this kind of treatment, and there isn't an NBC vendetta at play.
Coolcoolcool Ratings have always been mediocre, and "cult following" fandom doesn't make the peacock money, but it will earn them angst for cancellation. 4 seasons (one for each year) seems like a mandatory minimum: Sad but adequate.
October 9, 2012 at 12:23PM ESTMiriam
October 8, 2012 at 9:18PM EST Reply to Commentwhy are they being so mean to this show it was nothing but good ever since the beginning, first the benching in season 3 then the friday time slot now this???
this show was listed as one of 10 most underrated TV shows so why is it getting such bad stuff from NBC???
Joyeful
October 8, 2012 at 9:37PM EST Reply to Comment"We will have those comedies in our back pocket"?!?! That's so bad!! NBC is treating Community like it's back-up girlfriend, smart enough to keep close by but not pretty enough to be seen with.
rae could not have said it better myself
October 8, 2012 at 9:50PM ESTTL Because that's exactly what it is at this point. It's better to be a back up than be cut altogether. Remember, NBC didn't have to renew Community for 13 more episodes.
October 8, 2012 at 10:23PM ESTjohn
October 8, 2012 at 10:07PM EST Reply to CommentUmmmm, I think everyone's missing the more depressing news...Whitney's still on! Wtf, that show was heaps of awful ontop of mounds of terrible. Please don't link the 2 together, it'll kill Community to be associated w/ that
RC Unlikely, since Whitney is the higher rated show. There's a reason they scheduled Community after Whitney instead of vice versa. That's what you should be depressed about.
October 9, 2012 at 7:37AM ESTCousin Larry Appleton
October 8, 2012 at 10:16PM EST Reply to Comment"Without having to launch these comedies on Friday at this time, we can keep our promotion focused on earlier in the week"
Huh? You're putting Whitney and Community on Friday to die out after one season. Why would you need to waste promotional time on shows you don't really have any intention of sticking with?
Not only that, but - in the case of Community anyways - the only people who are going to be watching are all savvy enough to know when it's premiering. NBC needs to "waste" zero dollars or ad space to promote this show.
Stacy
October 8, 2012 at 10:18PM EST Reply to CommentWell that sucks. I'm prepared for this to be the finale season and I can deal with that. But at least air the freaking episodes.
Beck
October 8, 2012 at 10:46PM EST Reply to CommentNOOOOOOOOO! I was doing so good waiting...
Dana
October 8, 2012 at 11:34PM EST Reply to CommentFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Jeremy I AGREE
October 9, 2012 at 10:41AM ESTmikerwilson
October 9, 2012 at 12:35AM EST Reply to CommentI would really love it if they put Community on after Go On and tried the New Normal in place of Up All Night on Thursdays. Community and Go On are so compatible it's ridiculous. I would very happily watch that comedy block.
scoopie77 Yes! Yes!
October 9, 2012 at 10:47AM ESTRachel
October 9, 2012 at 12:52AM EST Reply to CommentNBC is like a guy who can't get laid in like FOREVER but somehow hooks up with a smart quirky girl when she's drunk and depressed. Then he tries to string her along via text because he wants to keep the option of future hookups open, but thinks being seen with a girl with glasses is gonna mess with his game.
Kianna Awesome. Too bad there's no decent guy for Quirky!Girl to hook up with. Imagine this show airing on a network that actually gave a fuck about it.
October 9, 2012 at 1:49AM ESTMahmoud Fayed That's a pretty bad analogy. You do realize that quirky nerdy chicks with glasses are mainstream now, right?
October 9, 2012 at 9:08PM ESTI see what you're getting at with the whole 'stringing her along' part, but you could've just made it as simple as that than trying to personalize it.
Ln
October 9, 2012 at 6:21AM EST Reply to CommentAs Annie would say; "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
belinda
October 9, 2012 at 6:39AM EST Reply to CommentWhat the flying fudgesicle...
Meh
October 9, 2012 at 10:21AM EST Reply to CommentYou know, this is the kind of stuff that makes me not want to tune into NBC and give them ratings. TV networks are the most antiquated things in entertainment right now, and their absolute insistence on never changing is frustrating at its best and downright infuriating at its worst.
Fuck you, NBC.
scoopie77
October 9, 2012 at 10:46AM EST Reply to CommentI can't believe I'm going to ask this, but what does this mean from Grimm? Does NBC not care about it since they're only focusing on the first three nights of the week? Or are they going to just leave it be with Dateline?
DaliaMay
October 9, 2012 at 4:27PM EST Reply to Comment"I had this funny idea" said NBC executive. "How about we make Community cast, staff and fans think it's coming back another season after putting it on hiatus, firing it's creator, shortening the season and moving it to the least watched night of television? Then, for shits and giggles, change our mind at the last minute! Wouldn't that be a hoot!"
Rob
October 10, 2012 at 4:30PM EST Reply to CommentThank shit for Parks and Rec.
TroyAndAbed
October 19, 2012 at 2:22PM EST Reply to CommentI don't get it. Whitney sucks. Who watches that show? Plus Up All Night, I couldn't get past the first 15 minutes. They aren't funny!