Comedy vs. Comma-dy

Jane Espenson's blog entry for February 3rd was a very short one entitled "It's (Going To Be) On!"...

Good news! Andy Barker P.I. has a premiere date! It is: Thursday, March 15 at 9:30 (8:30 central) on NBC. You know this as the 30 Rock time slot of course, but don't worry, they'll be back. We're just borrowing the slot for five weeks of Andy Richter-flavored comedy.

This is, of course, the show I've most recently been working on, and I love it. You're going to love it, too. It's got Andy, who is charming and hilarious, and Tony Hale (Buster from Arrested Development), and a mind-blowing guest appearance by Amy Sedaris in one of the eps. This is a classy operation, gentle readers, a really funny show, and I hope you check it out!

Then this morning I pick up my Philadelphia Inquirer and begin browsing through the Dave On Demand TV column (by David Hiltbrand) where I find this...

A weak bench. According to an announcement by NBC, The Black Donnellys will take over Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip's Monday-night slot beginning next month. This I have no problem with. I've been watching Studio 60 more out of habit than affinity. (Although I did think the recent plotline with Timothy Busfield freaking out over the escaped pit viper was amusing in a "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" kind of way.)

But I like The Donnellys, about a raucous, racketeering Irish clan in New York. It reminds me of the annual reunions held by my mother's side of the family.

Unfortunately, the network also decreed that Andy Barker, P.I. will be replacing 30 Rock on Thursdays. That's bad news any way you slice it. 30 Rock has been consistently hilarious, while Andy Richter's replacement sitcom is nearly laugh-free. That's like trading in a Lexus for a Kia.

Hmmm... I notice that there is a difference in the way Ms. Espenson and Mr. Hiltbrand title her new show—she doesn't use a comma, he does. Is that the difference between funny and not? What's in that comma anyway?

I should probably mention that I don't watch 30 Rock—never even sampled it—so I can't comment as to whether it's disappearance, however temporarily, is good or bad. I do find a consequence of the show annoying, though, in that now it seems like NBC news, sports, and media-type people in general suddenly are required to say "30 Rock" when referring simply to 30 Rockefeller Center. As if saying the phrase whenever possible will spur people to watch the show (and maybe it does, I don't know). It tends to have the opposite effect on me, but then as usual I'm probably out of step with the bulk of the American populace.

And since Mr. Hiltbrand brought up The Black Donnellys I just want to mention that back on Jan. 25th Nat previewed The Black Donnellys over on Nat's TV or Not TV if you care to check it out.