Let's Play a Game

Today, the game is called "What the Hell is NBC Doing?". Last night, NBC announced full season orders of The Event, Outsourced, and Law and Order: LA (Lo-lo-lo-la-LOLA). The first two make some sort of sense. Outsourced is currently holding NBC's best ratings for a new show, albeit only because it's airing after The Office. The Event is a little more puzzling. For a show that started in the mid 3's for its demo and has now dropped to a 2.2 and one that must be as expensive to produce as it is, you think they'd at least wait a little longer. But this is NBC, rationale went out the window a few years ago. LOLA is the must confusing. It's only aired two episodes, but it dropped almost a full point. Again, you would think they'd want to wait and see.

But then, today, NBC announced that they were picking up 9 episodes of Chase and 11 (!) episodes of Chuck. Despite how nonsensical it may seem, Chuck actually makes a little bit of sense. Chase, however, does not. Chase is below cancellation levels. I assumed it would be the next show to go. But, clearly, NBC thinks otherwise. Along with this announcement, NBC also ordered four more scripts of Undercovers. That show should be dead. While four more scripts does not guarantee four more episodes, it's scary to think that NBC is considering it. So the fact that NBC has picked up everything for spring except Undercovers (maybe) and Outlaw, plus the rather large amount of shows NBC has on its plate for midseason, means that NBC really, REALLY thinks its midseason shows are steaming piles of crap that have no chance.

Now, the Chuck episode order actually somewhat makes sense. Chuck is currently one of NBC's only stable shows, albeit stable at low numbers (then again, they're right around the current average for NBC). But a plausible theory behind this renewal (emphasis on 'theory') is that WB really wants Chuck to go into syndication and is thus lowering the licensing fee or NBC is looking to buy Chuck and put it into syndication. With this now 24 episode fourth season, Chuck will have 78 episodes. The 'magic number' for syndication is 100. So, if NBC renews Chuck for a normal 22 episode fifth season, they will have reached syndication. Again, this is just a theory. For all we know, NBC is just really desperate (actually, we already know that). But it is something interesting for Chuck fans to think about.