Their pickups for next season assure Thursday’s ratings will have no immediate impact on their future, but several of NBC’s comedies were hit hard by the lack of a new “The Office.”
“Parks and Recreation,” which has relied on lead-in support from “The Office” since the beginning of its third season, dropped to a mere 1.8 adults 18-49 rating with 4.06 million viewers Thursday.
CBS’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament technically provided some competition, but its lack of dominance in the broadcast ratings department (it scored a 1.6 head-to-head), hints that even when data from all broadcast games is included, it will not be enough to show that “Parks” was not hit by the lack of an “Office” original. In repeat mode, “The Office” only mustered a 1.5 Thursday.
Down interest in “Parks” meant a decline for 10PM comedy “30 Rock,” which fell to a 1.7 with 4.24 million viewers. Both shows, along with “Community” (1.7 with 4.21 million viewers at 8PM), are renewed for the 2011-12 season.
“Perfect Couples” (1.2 with 2.89 million viewers) and “Outsourced” (1.4 with 3.64 million viewers) have yet to be renewed, but neither made a convincing case for survival Thursday (although, in an interesting result from a PR standpoint, NBC’s 10PM combination of “30 Rock” and “Outsourced” won its timeslot with adults 18-49).
