'Community' Return Set, New Shows Coming To NBC
Plus, network is making some changes to its schedule
"Community" is coming back. And fans have to wait just a few more weeks to see the plights of Joel McHale's Jeff Winger, Danny Pudi's Abed Nadir and Yvette Nicole Brown's Shirley Bennett.
NBC announced "Community" will return March 15, kicking off a night that will include "30 Rock," "The Office," "Up All Night," and later, "Parks & Recreation."
"Community" has been off the schedule since Dec. 8 where it was averaging a 2.4 rating/4 share, according to Fast National overnight ratings from The Nielsen Co. It was replaced by a special airing of "Who's Still Standing" in late December, and in January and February, by "30 Rock," which has averaged a 2.6/4 there after six episodes.
That will push "30 Rock" back a half hour to 8:30, in a slot currently occupied by "Parks & Recreation." That show, averaging a 2.4/4, will take a break until April 19 when "Up All Night" completes its first-season run. And then, it will move to 9:30.
Three other shows are joining the schedule beginning next month, including Betty White's "Off Their Rockers," whose January preview episode remains NBC's second-highest rated outing this season behind only 'The Voice." That show, a sort of senior citizen version of MTV's "Punk'd," will premiere April 4 at 8 p.m., a slot currently held by "Whitney" and "Are You There, Chelsea?" That doesn't mean those two shows are going off the air. In fact, they will both be done with their seasons by the end of March.
"Whitney," a sitcom starring Whitney Cummings, has averaged a 3.1/5 in that timeslot, lower than the 3.4/6 "Up All Night" did there earlier in the season. "Chelsea," starring Laura Prepon, has averaged a 2.8/4, ahead of what "Free Agents" did there earlier this season. "Off Their Rockers" premiered with a 7.4/11, and through the end of January, was television's No. 11 program.
"Bent," a new romantic comedy starring Amanda Peet and Joey King, will premiere March 21, and will air back-to-back half-hour episodes over the next two weeks after that. It takes over the timeslot currently held by "Harry's Law," which is moving to Sundays beginning next week as a lead-in to "Celebrity Apprentice." It will have some tough shoes to fill because "Harry's Law" is one of NBC's top-rated dramas, averaging a 5.0/8 there this year.
Finally, "Best Friends Forever" -- starring Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham -- debuts April 4, and will take up the timeslot right after "Off Their Rockers."
Get a look at some of NBC's new shows by visiting Inside Blip's media section right here.
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