NBC’s lineup in prime time is good. Their shows are watchable, enjoyable and have that touch of quirky that audiences are looking for but something keeps the NBC show schedule from dominating the ratings game. Not even Jay Leno and the perennial Tonight Show could dominate after the news spot. NBC hopes moving the extremely quirky Conan O’Brien to the Tonight Show time slot will help the Peacock TV Network beat the once quirky but now cranky David Letterman. They may be right.

Courtesy of NBC

The Super Bowl pushed their ratings to the top but this secular holiday only comes, like Christmas, once a year and unfortunately NBC doesn’t get to be Santa Claus every year since the Super Bowl is shared with two other networks. All in all, their lineup for each evening is good but it is “watchable good” or “DVR good”? If there was a network with the most shows on a DVR then NBC might win.

NBC brought back Knight Rider with celebrity stars so hot they melt the pixels on the HDTV. Deanna Russo makes us glad that HD has arrived but her piercing eyes can’t beat the all-time favorite, American Idol. The DVR needs to work overtime to get both shows on it.

NBC’s biggest winner is The Office and rightfully so. It is well-done and a sign that a great sitcom can make it against the toughest of odds. 30 Rock fits into the same mold of an excellent sitcom. Both have critical acclaim and both have and will endure. In order for NBC’s line-up to lead the ratings it needs to see what America wants to watch. Heroes started strong and has influenced movies, books and even comics. Plot twists and the lack of character underpinning makes it difficult to follow. It too is a top DVR choice simply because it goes head to head with the best drama on TV in Fox’s 24 and it takes several viewings to understand the latest twists.

What does NBC need to do to grab the ratings? It certainly isn’t producing better shows (so My Own Worst Enemy could have used some tweaks). It does quirky better than most with My Name Is Earl and Kath and Kim but is quirky enough to win the ratings race? Both shows are like watching Jerry Springer sneaking through a trailer park with his candid camera.

One of the NBC Schedule’s highest rated shows is The Biggest Loser. Why is it so popular? It is simple, we are an obese nation obsessed with food that wants to desperately lose weight while we eat pizza and watch people on TV struggle to lose weight. It is a vicarious weight loss that allows us to be a part of it while feeling none of the pain from it. The Biggest Loser is reality at its secondhand best. And isn’t that way TV is all about?

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