12 Steps to Making the Next Season of ‘The Office’ More Watchable

05.08.12 Written by Dustin Rowles

1. Reset Dunder Mifflin Under the Old Management — The one great thing about last week’s episode is that this appears to be the end-game: The old CEO of Dunder Mifflin, David Wallace, is set to buy out the company, using Andy’s poached client as leverage. This will effectively give David Wallace his old job back, and dispose of the misguided Robert California experiment.

2. Get Rid of Nellie — The amount of damage that Nellie has done to “The Office” this season is immeasurable. It’s not enough that she’s simply written out of the show; she needs to suffer a horrible, hilarious work-place related harm, the lawsuit of which will bankrupt Robert California, making it even easier for David Wallace to take over Dunder Mifflin again.

3. Write Out Andy and Erin — They’ve had a few moments, but their character arcs have been exhausted to the point of tedium. There was never enough lead-character appeal in either of them to make them the romantic centerpiece of the show, so there was little suspense in their will they/won’t they relationship. A happy send off is fine, just as long as they’re sent off for good.

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Chevy Chase Is Still a Relentless Insufferable D*ck

05.08.12 Written by Dustin Rowles

We don’t know yet whether “Community” will be renewed next season, but as Josh warned in the last hour, if it is, it’s likely to get a shortened season. What’s also uncertain is the status of Chevy Chase’s character, Pierce Hawthorne. He gave an interview to Vulture yesterday to discuss the fate of his character and the show, although I have no idea why he’d give an interview where he insists on being a jackass and providing zero insight. Here’s some of the highlights:

Will Pierce take his “suspension” or will he give going back to school another shot?

I have no idea. I don’t even know if we’ll be picked up.

How do you think the fans of Community would react if Pierce suddenly graduated and completely left?

I don’t want to talk about that. Why would I? We don’t know if the show has been picked up. Even if it had been picked up, I haven’t made a deal. I have to go through all that stuff before I can give you my opinion on the character. It’s not easy to answer that, because I haven’t made my deal yet.

How would you change things on the show?

I’d make it funnier.

How would you make it funnier?

With my brand of humor. I’m not crazy about that character and I’m getting tired of playing him.

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‘Community,’ ’30 Rock,’ and ‘Parks and Rec’ Might Receive Shortened Season Orders

05.08.12 Written by Josh

Although NBC won’t hold its Upfront, where the network will announce its 2012-2013 TV schedule, until next Monday, they’ve already made news by picking up more than a half-dozen series so far: Ryan Murphy’s “The New Normal,” Eric Kripke’s “Revolution”…actually, I’ll get to all that later. Here’s what you care about: the fate of NBC’s existing Thursday night sitcoms. According to Deadline:

It looks like NBC’s “30 Rock” will be back for a likely-abbreviated seventh and final season. I hear the Emmy-winning comedy has closed deals with its key high-level writers to return for what is expected to be a final season of 13-14 episodes.

It’s tough imagining NBC without “30 Rock,” but a 14-episode final season isn’t a terrible thing; the series usually has a few dud episodes every year, and fewer episodes means stronger overall scripts. As for the rest:

As for NBC’s other bubble comedies, newbie “Whitney” does not appear likely to return. Fellow freshman “Up All Night” has been looking a little better, but its executive producer Jon Pollack just moved to NBC’s newly picked up comedy series “Go On” as a co-executive producer…As for veterans “Community” and “Parks & Recreation,” the former’s chances are considered 50-50, “Parks & Rec”‘s higher that that.

No matter what happens with “Community,” and we should know very soon, the news of its renewal or lack there of will likely cause the Internet to break. Have your “STREETS AHEAD” or “YOU ARE WORSE THAN BRITTA, NBC” comments ready. Here are the new shows that NBC has already picked up, with series synopses.

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Can You Handle 3 Episodes of ‘Community’ in One Night?

04.30.12 Written by Dustin Rowles

In a strange scheduling announcement over the weekend, NBC has made the decision to air three episodes of “Community” on the last Thursday of the May sweeps period, May 17th. Other than the fact that it will wreak havoc on recappers and GIF curators the next morning, the decision sounds like it bodes well for the future of the show. NBC had originally planned to air a two-part season finale on May 24th — after May sweeps — but made the decision to move “Awake’s” season finale into the week after sweeps ends, instead. That should suggest that NBC has more confidence that “Community” will generate more ratings in the sweeps period, which one assumes bodes well for its renewal prospects.

Then again, word of the show’s cancellation or renewal will come by May 14th, so if it is canceled, that could mean even higher ratings for the series finale, which might be why they’re moving it into the sweeps period, to capitalize on the series send-off. The last two episode titles certainly suggest that Dan Harmon considers cancellation a possibility: “Introduction to Finality” and “Digital Estate Planning.”

Who the hell knows? In either case, it will mean one episode of “Community” in its regular time slot, 8 EST, plus the hour-long season/series finale at 9 EST (“30 Rock’s” season/series finale will be sandwiched in between, at 8:30). For the record, half-hour season/series finales of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” will air on May 10th. Meanwhile, that NBC moved the series finale of “Awake” after the sweeps period almost assures that it will be canceled.

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What’s On Tonight: ‘Cougar Town’ and a Bunch of Singing and Dancing

04.24.12 Written by Danger Guerrero

Photo Credit: ABC

Cougar Town/Dancing With the Stars (ABC) – ATTENTION MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO PROBABLY DON’T READ THIS BLOG: Watch “Cougar Town” before “Dancing With the Stars” tonight. It is about people who sit around drinking wine and gossiping. You love that! (This entry brought to you by Stereotypes.)

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) – Fallon gets bumped up to the listings proper because he has the President on his show tonight. Don’t like it, other late night shows? Maybe you shouldn’t have thought about that when you were busy not booking the President. Hurts, doesn’t it?

Glee/New Girl (FOX) – Tonight is “Glee’s” Whitney Houston episode. Good to see we’re still exploiting and profiting off her death a full two and a half months later. A+ work, Hollywood.

The L.A. Complex (CW) – Series premiere. From TV Guide: “Hollywood dreamers seek stardom in this dramatic series set at a Los Angeles apartment-style motel.” So … it’s basically “Melrose Place,” yes? OK, cool.

The Biggest Loser/The Voice/Fashion Star (NBC) – You know, NBC turned into VH1 so gradually I didn’t even notice.

Dance Moms: Miami (Lifetime) – Two things: 1) How did “Dance Moms” get a spinoff? 2) I sincerely hope one of the judges (there are judges, right?) is David Caruso in character as Horatio Caine.

LATE NIGHT GUESTS: Amy Poehler and Wendy Williams on Letterman; John Cusack on Kimmel; Nobody reads these so let’s just say there’s a talking octopus named Ralph on Ferguson; Jack Black on Leno; and Metta World Peace is on Conan, fresh off elbowing James Harden right in the dome.

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