Make an Argument
The strange, unprecedented, unusual thing that NBC’s Thursday lineup shares
By Eric Hughes
December 29, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
There are, of course, way too many frickin’ channels these days. One can never be too sure.
Besides that single-camera aspect, the programs – at least those I’m familiar with – share a pretty significant quirk that, I think, has largely gone unnoticed by the public. Community’s got it, and may not even know it. The Office has been doing battle with it for a good two seasons now. 30 Rock, I think, doesn’t have the heart to ditch its peculiarity. And Parks and Recreation… well… Parks and Rec may have actually broken the curse. Huzzah!
I’m referring to, of course, the rare thing that every popular NBC comedy shares: They’ve all got one pesky, ill-conceived character who you’d rather wish wasn’t mousin’ around with your other favorites on Thursday nights.
I’ll begin with Community, since that show kicks the night off, too. For the underprivileged, the show is an oftentimes brilliant comedy about an eclectic group of people moving through community college together. As much as viewers may want to compartmentalize it as a parody of institutionalized life or, hey, romantic comedy, its second season certainly begs to differ. We hardly ever see the chitlins in class anymore. Instead, we get Goodfellas spoof one week, stop-motion episode the next. It’s wonderful.
Anyway, its freshman season depended a ton on a Spanish class taught by Senor Chang. It’s there that the main characters came to meet, embark on study group together and so on. In May, though, we came to find out that Senor Chang (Ken Jeong) didn’t have any actual teaching qualifications to speak of, and would need to, come fall, re-matriculate into Greendale Community College as a student. It was a creative way to wrap up Chang’s arc as the show’s zany Spanish professor while introducing a new storyline for him to chew on as Senor Chang, the student.
This season, though, Senor Chang really couldn’t be more out of place. He’s the friend nobody likes (Karen, to you Dane Cook fiends). Or, he’s a symbol for what the U.S. must be – to the world at large – at a climate control summit. Why is Ken Jeong still on Community?
At the time it premiered, he was really the only name, save for Chevy Chase. Joel McHale wasn’t a big deal, Alison Brie was (if you could recognize her!) that chick from Mad Men and Donald Glover wasn’t Donald Glover. I get why he was hired for that reason.
Yet his character serves no true purpose anymore, and maybe it’s taken the Community writers a half a season to recognize that. He’s working real hard to become a part of the study group, and it’s not working out for him. I do find it funny that the writers are toying with the idea of him fathering Shirley’s possible bun in the oven, but I don’t know whether a) that’ll sustain and b) it justifies his on-screen presence every few episodes.
Skipping over Parks and Rec for now, I’ll next expound on Ryan Howard’s uselessness on The Office. I mean really, what’s his deal? Yeah, the real-life dude who plays him, B.J. Novak, is an Office writer and co-executive producer, so his presence is probably rationalized as something fun for him to do. For kicks, man!
I don’t think, for instance, that he or anybody else could have envisioned Ryan’s left-field arc from temp wunderkind to Dunder Mifflin president or whatever. That whole thing, actually, was pretty nifty, and I don’t blame the writers for giving the new dynamic a shot. I mean, temp bossed around by Michael Scott to corporate bigwig supervising Michael Scott? That’s good.
But then they came down from their high, and Ryan has been relegated to the background since. But not in the way that works for characters like Meredith or Stanley or Creed. He’s just on the show, and I can’t help but think every time I see him: What the hell is he doing there? I mean, he’s got less ambition that ever, he doesn’t flirt with Kelly anymore… what’s he want from us?
The evening’s biggest problem child, though, is Kenneth the Page on 30 Rock. And as much as I’d like to say he’s been a nuisance since day one, this isn’t so. He simply developed into one. If memory serves me right, Kenneth wasn’t that bad early on. He was, I think, pretty likable and charming. You know, the necessary, squeaky clean straight man amongst a crowded field of oddballs.
Jack McBrayer must make a mean chai latte or have some sensational dirt on Tina Fey to warrant his continued presence on 30 Rock. Jack may be the most amusing man in the world, yet his funny is repelled by Kenneth’s constant stream of cringe-worthy exchanges.
It’s like I’m excited for anybody who tells me they’ll buy into the hype and start watching the show critics are in bed with. Then I include a practical disclaimer script: “Oh, but hey, beware of that Kenneth fellow.” You know, better wipe my hands clean now before they get too far into it and question why I’d support a show that keeps the page on payroll.
As I said, Parks and Rec may have ditched its dead wood, and man, hooray for that. For most of the series’ run, Mark Brendanawicz has been about as useful as an ankle wart. He had some play as Leslie’s dislikable love interest in season one, then got with Ann in season two and his character fell apart. It wasn’t before long, I think, that the writers realized they’d created one of the most boring couples on television.
In the second season finale, Mark accepted a job elsewhere and will, for some time at least, not be a regular presence on the program. Mike Schur covered that it was always in the cards for his character to come and go from the show, yet I think that’s industry speak for: “We realized Paul Schneider wasn’t a necessary fixture on the show and we decided to mutually part ways.”
If that’s the case, then bravo to the writers for recognizing the problem and implementing a formidable solution. Community, The Office and 30 Rock would be better for it, too.