NBC Asks Viewers for Better Sitcom Ideas
by James Hibberd
Apr 8, 2014


Got an idea for a sitcom? NBC wants to hear from you.

The broadcast network announced “an unprecedented effort to discover fresh comedic voices” on Tuesday by launching a national campaign offering aspiring comedy writers from around the country the chance 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.





The initiative, dubbed “NBC Comedy Playground,” pledges 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.

NBC has enlisted a roster of well-known producers and actors to help them choose the winning concepts. The panel includes Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Mindy Kaling, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Amy Poehler, and several 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.





Here’s how it works:

Comedy writers will submit their idea via an NBC site set up for the contest at http://www.nbccomedyplayground.com/#/home.

The network will choose up to 10 finalists and 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).





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 http://www.nbccomedyplayground.com/#/home”





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.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/04/08/nbc-sitcom-contest/

The only network that can really pull this off is a dysfunctional and desperate broadcast network with a CRAP comedy division. NBC will try anything they can nowadays.

Sounds like something I'd be interested in participating in.

NBC has enlisted a roster of well-known producers and actors to help them choose the winning concepts. The panel includes Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Mindy Kaling, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Amy Poehler, and several 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.



I seriously doubt that this group represents an A-list of comedy talent. Sean Hayes alone is at best a C- and his awful series last fall partly explains why NBC is in such a mess now. So I'm not surprised they're looking for new talent.

NBC has enlisted a roster of well-known producers and actors to help them choose the winning concepts. The panel includes Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Mindy Kaling, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Amy Poehler, and several 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.



I seriously doubt that this group represents an A-list of comedy talent. Sean Hayes alone is at best a C- and his awful series last fall partly explains why NBC is in such a mess now. So I'm not surprised they're looking for new talent.
Agreed. The people they are asking to help with this are not well know and are stars of low-rated sitcoms. Mindy Kaling has like 2 million viewers for her show, Parks and Recreation is no big hit (Aziz and Amy), and Sean Hayes was a one trick pony (Will and Grace). I don't see this working out well for them.

I'd like to launch "The Adam and Steve Show" to be on NBC.

It'd be a show as if Kelsey Grammer was followed with a camera for 22 years...I'd like to show LGBT awareness, even have a bigoted homophobe as a character who won't admit about his childhood past and his likeness of Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr.

Aside from Jason Bateman,I have not even heard of any of those people mentioned in the article.I mean who are those "A list talents"? NBC just like CBS and ABC are shadows of their former selves and are just spinning their wheels with that idea.

When I first read the story, I thought, are they that hard up to find a show. No one currently making the big bucks can find a program.
On the hand if I had a vague idea how to start, I would submit an video/written idea and go for the experience.

Mike Schur puts out a decent product. The Office, Parks and Recreation (which is a great show, even though it is now declining) and now Brooklyn Nine Nine.

I really wanted to see "The Farm", with Rainn Wilson. They could have sort of copied the old Brit show "Fawlty Towers", with Angela as the wife. It could have been hilarious. Oh well.

The thing is now, there are so many networks and so many shows out there that the pie is smaller and smaller. There is more out there than the four networks. Also, one can basically watch their show as their convenience now.

This is a great idea. Lets' hope that viewers will give stars better sitcoms ideas than this seasons bombs. Remember The Michael J. Fox Show and Sean Saves the World?

This is a great idea. Lets' hope that viewers will give stars better sitcoms ideas than this seasons bombs. Remember The Michael J. Fox Show and Sean Saves the World?


I have heard a rumour that Bill Cosby would be making a comeback on a new sitcom, so maybe that could be one of the ideas that NBC will have in store for us. At the very least, they can use him to be the head of that panel that was mentioned at the top of this page. You couldn't ask for better qualifications!

I have heard a rumour that Bill Cosby would be making a comeback on a new sitcom, so maybe that could be one of the ideas that NBC will have in store for us. At the very least, they can use him to be the head of that panel that was mentioned at the top of this page. You couldn't ask for better qualifications!
No offense to "The Coz", he's great and all but he's like what, 100 years old? I mean what can he bring to the table that hasn't already been done.

They need to drop the single camera comedies and bring back the multi-camera comedies with a live audience.

No offense to "The Coz", he's great and all but he's like what, 100 years old? I mean what can he bring to the table that hasn't already been done.
He's in his 70s. He is going to be a grandfather in this new show.

Sitcoms now are just so, so bad. And the fact is, most in the industry admit they are bad. It is such a shame, too.

According to Deadline, NBCUniversal has been hit with a trademark suit regarding the name "Comedy Playground" by some entity who trains people in the art of the funny under the name "Comedy Playground".

http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/nbcuniversal-nbc-comedy-playground-trademark-lawsuit/

I wish eu would of tried the Dwight Schrute spinoff "The Farm". I would have made it work, I would have made it somewhat similar in style to Fawlty Towers, and gotten back Angela as the wife. Most of the humor comes from marital friction, dealing with guests, maintaining the farm and hotel, dealing with goofy townspeople, farm equipment, and the like. I think under the right writers it would have worked. And I would have shamelessly ripped off Fawlty Towers, especially the Kipper and the Corpse.

Another idea for a sitcom is to have a show set several hundred years in the future. Basically a family sitcom but from say the 24th Century and seeing what life was like then, and misconceptions of life from the 20th and 21st century. I think this would be entertaining.

Now that is a great idea. It would be like That 70s Show but in the future.

NBC will try anything they can nowadays.
The best thing they could do is BRING BACK 80S and earlier programming!!

SHOW NOTHING NEWER THAN 1989

Well...now I have a change of plan...I'll be having a show that I'd like to launch on NBC called "Everything Happens in Bertstown". It's about a down-and-out guy who lives with his parents, has a dead-end job, and gets advice from his half-brother. It has the main character have a narration then it goes to this song...

Y22tIJ6toPY

The show is like a live-action Charlie Brown Show.