Ongoing Community Discussion Thread

[The Borgified Corpse]

Allison Brie, santa costume. Gillian Jacobs, skintight jumpsuit. No coincidence that I enjoyed the hell out of this episode - oh, and it was really funny, so that helps too - but I have to wonder what in the world this show has to do for better ratings at this point.

Sometimes I suspect NBC just has trouble marketing it because it's such an ensemble show with no real big stars to anchor it. Joel McHale is great but I don't think he registers quite as high on the fame scale as Steve Carell, Tina Fey, or Amy Poehler.

Also, even in this era of DVR, being on opposite The Big Bang Theory can't help, particularly because I suspect they both tap into the same type of nerd audience.

EDIT: Oh! Another ratings idea: Britta/Annie 'shipping!

 

[Skywalker]

EDIT: Oh! Another ratings idea: Britta/Annie 'shipping!

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGx_1TswEXk[/yt]

 

[Admiral_Young]

That's the trouble I have. NBC should be working to market "developing stars" oh what a shocking concept I know. This is the way that actors become stars in the first place. You have to promote and market them. Don't be ashamed the show is a cult hit...embrace tht factor and appeal to those fans then expand to create a higher profile. "The Big Bang Theory" didn't really have mega stars and look at it's popularity. Ed O'Neil and Julie Bowen are the only actors I knew from "Modern Family" and that show has made stars out of the rest of the cast. Look at Melissa McCarthy now...she was a supporting character on "Gilmore Girls" now she's an Emmy winner and writing her own scripts! Also saying "Community" has no big stars is missing the fact that it co-stars one of the biggest comedic actors of all time in Chevy Chase. This is how I first knew about the series in the first place and thought this would be how NBC would market it as Chevy Chase's new quirky comedy show.

Sorry end of passionate rant

 

[Guy Gardener]

I don't think that Chevey would like that.

First it's a lie.

Second it's using him (out of context.).

Third it's belittling the...

Who is the leader of the gang?

This show is so fricking ensemble that Joel doesn't dominate the scripts like the name brand actors do.

 

[Admiral_Young]

It was just one example of how they COULD market the show not how they should. Joel is the star in my mind. You'd think it would be easy enough to market him...maybe his hosting of the Soup on another network makes it difficult?

 

[Santeria]

Community is failing because it requires a brain to get most of the comedy.

That type of programming has no place on network television.

 

[bigdaddy]

I had a Community dream just now. It dealt with Jeff telling me to just come out to the group after I was hitting on a guy from work.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The male cast isn't sexy enough.

That's it.

 

[IndyJones]

The male cast isn't sexy enough.

That's it.

Joel and Donald look just fine, thanks.

 

[bigdaddy]

The male cast isn't sexy enough.

That's it.

Joel and Donald look just fine, thanks.

I agree, I'll take Donald any day.

 

[the G-man]

The male cast isn't sexy enough.

That's it.

Joel and Donald look just fine, thanks.

Being a straight male, maybe I'm missing something but McHale strikes me as, at best, the male version of a "butter face"

 

[Professor Zoom]

That's the trouble I have. NBC should be working to market "developing stars" oh what a shocking concept I know. This is the way that actors become stars in the first place. You have to promote and market them. Don't be ashamed the show is a cult hit...embrace tht factor and appeal to those fans then expand to create a higher profile. "The Big Bang Theory" didn't really have mega stars and look at it's popularity. Ed O'Neil and Julie Bowen are the only actors I knew from "Modern Family" and that show has made stars out of the rest of the cast. Look at Melissa McCarthy now...she was a supporting character on "Gilmore Girls" now she's an Emmy winner and writing her own scripts! Also saying "Community" has no big stars is missing the fact that it co-stars one of the biggest comedic actors of all time in Chevy Chase. This is how I first knew about the series in the first place and thought this would be how NBC would market it as Chevy Chase's new quirky comedy show.

Sorry end of passionate rant

Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory are also BROAD comedies. Appealing to a broad audience. It's not just the marketing that is a factor.

Community practically changes it's format every week. I love it, but how do you build on that? Big Bang week in and week out is the same (don't get me wrong, I love it.) And Modern Family always starts out wacky and then ends with a heart felt moment into the camera. (don't get me wrong, I love it)

You can't compare Community to the Big Bang Theory or Modern Family. Very different types of comedy. Compare them more to Arrested Development and Party Down.

It's not just about marketing, it's about content as well.

 

[doubleohfive]

^ Head of nail, you have been hit!

 

[Admiral_Young]

I was just ranting and replying to The Borgified Corpse's original post about not being able to market the shows stars. Not about the content of those other shows which I did not bring up in my post. Content of a show shouldn't have anything to do with how the network markets the leads or the cast of such shows. Ah I'm all over the place I just really don't want to see the series cancelled and am frustrated with how NBC has dealt with it.

 

[doubleohfive]

Sorry dude, gotta point this out:

1) You did mention both Modern Family and Big Bang Theory.

2) The content of the show will always influence and dictate the marketing of said show and its actors, whether it "should" or shouldn't. How else will you be able to market it/them?

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah I guess so. I mentioned "The Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" as examples of shows without a lot of stars though or little recognized stars at least. My response was directly to do with the stars of the shows. Zoom's reply to me was focused on show content and of course he's quite correct. My frustration wasn't about that at all. I don't disagree with what he stated either. I was merely ranting.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Yeah I guess so. I mentioned "The Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" as examples of shows without a lot of stars though or little recognized stars at least. My response was directly to do with the stars of the shows. Zoom's reply to me was focused on show content and of course he's quite correct. My frustration wasn't about that at all. I don't disagree with what he stated either. I was merely ranting.

I get that. Totally cool. But, let's be honest, NBC has kept a fairly low rated show on for the past 2 and a half years. On any other network, it would've been gone by now. NBC does recognize it has a cult hit, but, cult hits aren't what they need or want right now. The show is great, but it isn't for everyone, and they are in the business of maximizing the number of butts in the seats.

Content IS a part of the marketing. Good marketing won't suddenly make this quirky show into a major hit. It's not The Office. It's not The Big Bang Theory. And I don't think anyone who is a fan of Community would want that. The show has grown into something wonderful and inventive, something it wouldn't have been able to do that if it was getting 10 million people. NBC would never have let them rock the boat like that.

 

[Caliburn24]

For what it is worth TVbythenumbers has upgraded Community to "likely to be renewed".

I looked a little more closely at more recent results (since 10/31) in with an eye towards potentially adjusting predictions as we near the mid-season mark, and as NBC's scripted shows slide towards the cancellation bear, most are sliding faster than Community!

On the ratings catastrophe that is NBC prime time, Community ratings since 10/31 have moved up to 90% of NBC's scripted show average (in fact, plenty was the rest of NBC's show ratings sliding backwards, but same result). So while the push to get enough episodes for syndication gives the show a tailwind for another season, now its recent relative ratings do as well.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...numbersCancel/renewNbcShows+(NBC+RenewCancel)

 

[the G-man]

Does NBC produce the show? If not, they might not care about getting enough eps for syndication.

 

[nevermore]

^No, but Sony, which does produce the show, has been known to cut networks deals to get to syndication numbers...