NBC faced the ire of a legion of devoted fans last fall when it unceremoniously yanked Community from its midseason lineup. Now, making amends, the struggling network is restoring the cult-favorite comedy to its old 8 p.m. Thursdays time slot, starting March 15. To make room, the network is shifting 30 Rock, its current 8 p.m. show, back to 8:30, and putting Parks and Recreation on hiatus until April. Though fans are celebrating Community's "long-awaited" return, some worry that the quirky show is being set up for failure in a timeslot that proved so problematic all last fall. Are such worries justified?
Community stands a real shot: Surprisingly, 30 Rock has been yielding even lower ratings than Community did in NBC's 8 p.m. slot, says Alan Sepinwall at HitFix. Indeed, 30 Rock's dismal ratings "have demonstrated that while Community isn't necessarily a mass appeal show, that's also not a time slot where NBC can expect much of anything this season." Upshot: If Community can cut its costs, renewal for next season is a real possibility.
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