Well-written, not well-rated

CBS’s cookie-cutter sitcoms have catapulted the network to the top of the ratings list week after week. Shows like “How I Met Your Mother,” “2 Broke Girls” and even the revamped “Two and a Half Men” consistently garner the most viewers.

However, these dominating shows don’t offer the best writing on the basic cable networks.

NBC’s major comedies offer the most original writing, but their ratings don’t reflect that.

Football and pre-kickoff coverage are the only NBC shows that crack the top 25 viewership list, according to TVbytheNumbers.

And that’s it for NBC. CBS dominates the list, while FOX and ABC have a few heavy hitters in the ratings game.

But NBC? Not a single actual television show makes it onto the list.

However, NBC boasts the highest concentration of well-written, original shows of these networks.

With cult and critic favorites such as “Community,” “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation,” the first instinct may be to think NBC is doing just fine in the ratings.
 
However, their cult and critic status is exactly what’s killing these distinctly NBC comedies.

The comedies can exude almost an exclusionist attitude, which, while delightful to TV nerds everywhere, can distance other potential audiences.

This only means that audiences are missing out on some of the most well-written comedies offered on basic cable networks today.

Full of witty and sharp writing, all four of these shows break the stereotypical 30-minute comedy mold by avoiding the typical sitcom formula.

That originality and freshness should draw in audiences, but apparently smart writing doesn’t translate to ratings grabbers.

NBC’s recent pilot season alludes to the network’s frustration and confusion at determining what exactly the public wants. “Whitney” was picked up for a second season on a network that boasts an ironic, meta-style comedy.

Clearly, with that and “Up All Night” NBC is testing out a new style of comedy in hopes of boosting viewership.

The network’s big pilots that received the most pre-season hype have already been canceled, including the “Mad Men” rip-off “The Playboy Club” and both crime thrillers “Prime Suspect” and “Free Agents.”

If NBC wants to maintain any numbers, it cannot cancel or rework its four major comedies.

While, admittedly, the numbers on these comedies is small, they are some of the most reliable and dependent audiences watching television.

Are diehard “Office” fans going to turn their backs after eight seasons just because James Spader and Ed Helms are trying to fill the gaping hole left by Steve Carell?

No, so NBC should capitalize on these devoted audiences and work toward creating some original dramas to accompany the comedies.