NBC 2008-09: Thursday’s pretty much the same; Friday’s a fount of hope and change

… and Barack Obama’s nowhere in sight.

(New series indicated with an *; new timeslots with a ^)

Thursday

Fall 2008
8-8:30 p.m. “My Name Is Earl”
8:30-9 p.m. “30 Rock”
9-9:30 p.m. “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. “The Office”/“SNL Thursday Night Live” *
10-11 p.m. “ER”

The “SNL” things will run in October before the Presidential election, because NBC got all excited about that Entertainment Weekly story that called “SNL” the most politically influential, agenda-pushing media entity on the whole planet or some such. So I saw Tina Fey’s little bit on Hillary that was kind of funny and then watched an episode and – guess what? – it’s still the same old unwatchable stew it has generally been for about two decades now. But, you know, still not a bad idea, because I imagine they can tweak at least one amusing idea out of 21 minutes of airtime.

A lot of people, I realize, didn’t like the hourlong “Office” episodes, but they mainly just seemed to me to be two episodes shown back to back with the vaguest of narrative threads connecting them. Barring any strikes or other natural disasters, “The Office” will produce 28 episodes next season, not to mention …

Winter 2009
8-8:30 p.m. “My Name Is Earl”
8:30-9 p.m. “30 Rock”
9-9:30 p.m. “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. “The Office” spinoff (currently untitled)
10-11 p.m. “ER”/“The Celebrity Apprentice”

As we noted yesterday, precious little is known about this “Office” spinoff, probably because they’ve just recently started thinking about putting it together. NBC promises to scrap the whole thing if it doesn’t work or hurts the original show too much. (It’s scheduled to premiere after the Super Bowl.)

The show has already kind of used the most likely scenario that would spawn a spinoff – layoffs and a restructuring of the company (good for keeping Jim and Pam separated for a season) – well, we’ll see. A Variety poll suggests that of a handful of cast members, people want to see Dwight spun off in his own show, but then who would Jim have to perform his practical jokes on?

“Office” fans are notoriously picky – they were ready to hate the show outright for blaspheming against Ricky Gervais’s original – until it turned out to be really good. But its viewers have a pretty good nose for sniffing out bullsh!t, so no doubt executive producer Greg Daniels will be experiencing night sweats for the next few months.

And, as we’ve noted in the post below, might do well to have an “Earl”/“Kath & Kim”/“Office”/“30 Rock” Thursday-night lineup.

Summer 2009
8-8:30 p.m. “The Office” (repeats)
8:30-9 p.m. “Office” spinoff (repeats)
9-10 p.m. “Last Comic Standing”
10-11 p.m. “The Listener” *

“The Listener” is a Canadian co-production that could be titled “If Matt Parkman Were the Only Hero.” It’s about a paramedic named Toby who can read minds and, as only NBC can put it, “balances high-stakes drama with irreverent humor and sends Toby on an intellectual and emotional adventure.”

Friday

Fall 2008
8-9 p.m. “Crusoe” *
9-10 p.m. “Deal or No Deal” ^
10-11 p.m. “Life” ^

Winter 2009
8-9 p.m. “Deal or No Deal” ^
9-10 p.m. “Friday Night Lights”
10-11 p.m. “Life”

Summer 2009
8-9 p.m. “Chopping Block” *
9-11 p.m. “Dateline NBC” ^

Here’s where NBC got really creative in terms of programming on a budget. Given that ratings on Fridays have been awfully anemic in recent years, the networks seem to be drifting closer to the same “Test Pattern Theatre” they throw up on Saturdays, so NBC’s efforts here deserve some sort of applause, even if you have a life and spend Fridays out with friends and/or loved ones.

“Crusoe,” an updating of that book by Willem Dafoe or someone, is a British co-production. “Friday Night Lights,” perennially low-rated but boasting one of those avid fan bases, will be a co-production with DirecTV, who will actually air it first, in the fall. “Chopping Block” is a reality competition in which contestants vie to see who can get away with the most grisly axe murders pretty much like “Hell’s Kitchen.” OK – so NBC’s not so creative on that one.

NBC bills “Crusoe” as “equal parts ‘MacGyver,’ ‘Castaway’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’” but apparently no parts of the Daniel Defoe – that’s the guy! – book.

Saturdays will, as we’ve noted, just be the usual assortment of repeats.

Next: Insightful analysis of what this all means (if we can think of any)