NBC Still Can't Figure Out Comedy, Asks America for Help
Apr-10-2014

NBC announced a new content development scheme Tuesday night: the NBC Comedy Playground.
Essentially a crowd-sourcing of sitcom pitches, the network's latest effort to air shows people actually want to watch is its "broad comedy" commitment taken to its logical - and extreme - conclusion.

While "Comedy Playground" sounds like it could be a low-budget spinoff of Hollywood Game Night, where NBC wrangles whatever "stars" it can convince to hang out on a jungle gym for primetime TV, it's actually a "grassroots initiative" to think up new ideas for comedy series. In other words, NBC is asking the American public to come up with its programming.

Here's how it'll work: From May 1 to June 30, entrants who are "broadly-skilled creative, comedic talent" can apply and submit pitches to the Comedy Playground. You must submit a 5-10 minute video of something funny you've already created, and then a 5 minute video describing your pitch for NBC. Pitches must be for a live-action, 30-minute situation comedy (sorry, Family Guy ripoffs). Submissions are then judged by NBC reviewers ("employees from various departments"), and if you submission is scored high enough, it moves on to the semifinals, which is judged by NBC executives. The finalists then score funding to produce 20-minute "pilot presentations," and the ultimate winners are selected by a panel of NBC's top talent (Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, and Michael Schur, among others). Two winners will get their shows ordered to series and aired on NBC. A third winner, chosen by popular vote, will get a digital series on NBC.com. Check out this nifty infographic on the whole process:

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Posted by Ken at 1:43 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print