Looks like there is some fierce decision-making going on at NBC this week, so let's just dive right in, shall we?
Firstly, after a rather tumultuous year which saw the beloved "Community" go on hiatus, get renewed for a shortened fourth season, and receive an undesirable Friday slot only to get the October start date yanked, finally a bit of good news for fans. NBC has announced that the show will return on February 7th, back in its familiar 8 PM slot on Thursdays. It will be replacing "30 Rock," currently in that slot, which will have aired its series finale by then (single tear). To celebrate, here's a video of the show's stars Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs dancing around in lingerie, because…
Meanwhile, studio execs finally realized that a Rainn Wilson-starring Dwight Schrute spinoff show from "The Office" was a horrible idea, and have axed plans for "The Farm." But in case you were curious, the back-door pilot episode will still air as part of the the final season of "The Office" sometime before the show wraps up next spring.
So with "30 Rock" and "The Office" saying goodbye, NBC is looking for something to take over, and their hopes lie with "Up All Night," the pretty good show starring Christina Applegate, Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett that no one is watching. Currently adapting the same single camera aesthetic as "The Office" and "Parks & Recreation," the network has decided to switch to the live studio audience/canned laughter plus multi-camera approach of every other sitcom out there. The argument is that all the leads play even better in front of a live crowd, though we'd say making it stagier will cut down on spontaneity. We'll see the results this spring following a brief hiatus after the 11th episode, so the studio can be retooled for the new format, and your Uncle Mel can sit in the crowd and watch it filming. [Deadline/THR/EW]
