NBC Needs Your Sitcom Ideas, Because They've Got Nothin'

NBC is now over a decade removed from the glorious heights of Must See Thursdays. Outside of The Office, no single comedy has been a real hit for the network. Parks and Recreation and Community do okay, I suppose. At least, relative to other comedies in the lineup, which make a 1.6 rating look like a 5.9. Oh, and I guess 30 Rock wasn't exactly a bomb either.

So why bring this all up? Well, NBC kinda needs your help.

NBC has announced “an unprecedented effort to discover fresh comedic voices” by launching a national campaign that offers aspiring comedy writers from around the country the opportunity to pitch their sitcom ideas.

“We are taking a bold, alternative approach in what we hope will uncover original comedy minds who are looking for a way to get into the television business,” said NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke.

Dubbed “NBC Comedy Playground,” the project aims to "reach beyond the traditional talent labs of film schools and comedy clubs by giving everyday people the opportunity to submit ideas directly to the network."

A considerable array of well-known producers and actors will be part of the judging process, as the panel includes Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Mindy Kaling, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Amy Poehler, and many others.

“We love that an incredible A-list roster of producers, writers, and performers have jumped in to help us find that untapped talent,” Salke said.

Credit: NBC

Here are the details on how this thing is going to work, via Entertainment Weekly:

Here’s how it works: Comedy writers will submit their idea via an NBC site set up for the contest (below). The network will choose up to 10 finalists. NBC will fund each finalist to produce a pilot presentation based on their pitch. The producer-actor advisory board, in consultation with NBC, will pick two winners from the 10. The winners, who will be paid, will have their show broadcast on NBC (a pilot plus up to four additional episodes, at the network’s discretion).

The crowd-sourcing concept is yet another way that the television development process is becoming increasingly democratized. Amazon previously broke the pilot season mold by putting all their pilots online for viewer voting. Though NBC’s new midseason comedy effort About a Boy is doing solid in the ratings after The Voice on Tuesday nights, the broadcaster’s Thursday comedy block has struggled in recent years in general and this season in particular, with new shows like Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show failing to break out.

More entry details: “Beginning May 1, aspiring comedy writers are asked to submit their ideas to be considered for both digital and network comedy shows. Entrants may submit up to two video samples (5-10 minutes each) of their pre-existing work, along with up to two video pitches (2-5 minutes per pitch), each describing a unique, original show idea, to www.nbccomedyplayground.com.”

I think this is kind of an ingenious idea, doubly so if it actually produces something great.

It seems as though every season sees the introduction of a new comedy on NBC that will invariably die by season's end, as was the case this year with Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show. So why not just ask viewers for their pitches? I don't imagine the winning concept could possibly do any worse than some of the comedies they've already tried. Plus, this can be my chance to get that internet workplace comedy off the ground!

Team Rickey, coming (eventually and/or never) to NBC.