Must (NOT) See TV

For years and years now Lisa and I have watched Thursday night TV on NBC. It's been a standing date pretty much since the beginning of our relationship, back when we were watching Mad About You at 8:00, Wings at 8:30, Seinfeld at 9:00, and Frasier at 9:30 (though we would often go to bed after Seinfeld and miss whatever was on at 9:30). There have been some great shows on Thursday night TV (Will and Grace, Friends, Mad About You), some okay but forgettable ones (Suddenly Susan, Just Shoot Me) and some really bad ones (Caroline in the City, The Single Guy, Inside Schwartz), but we always soldiered through.

But this year is different. I REALLY don't like Parks and Recreation at 8:30 (Suggested tagline: It's just like The Office, only it's not funny!), and though I found Community mildly amusing I haven't really gotten invested in any of the characters yet. The Office is still great, but it's JUST great--it doesn't feel fantastic anymore. It's funny, but I can feel it really straining to do something new, and it's not. It's just the same old same old. Michael Scott is going to be an idiot. Andy Bernard is going to kiss butt. Dwight is going to be crazy, and Jim is going to be the voice of reason. It's just getting old.

I think our Thursday night tradition is dying. And thanks to a weak lineup and the new Jay Leno Show, I think NBC might be dying, too...