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The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

NBC picks up new Tina Fey show

Tina Fey and Robert Carlock gained the attention of “30 Rock” fans with the announcement of their new project, set to air on the NBC network for the fall of 2014. The pair have been writing comedy together since 1999, when Fey moved from Chicago to join the ranks of Saturday Night Live. Gawker, an entertainment blog considered to be the source for Manhattan’s media news and gossip, tipped off the premise of the show Oct. 31.

The show is set to star Ellie Kemper, who gained fame for playing Erin Hannon on NBC’s “The Office.” According to the article, the original premise was based loosely upon the tragic abduction and kidnapping of three women from the Cleveland area perpetrated by the late Ariel Castro.

This controversial subject caused great disruption in the media and would understandably be difficult to market to a mainstream network television audience. Despite the provocative grounds, any script written by this Emmy winning team would be hard to pass on.

In a more recent article published by USA Today Nov. 2, NBC Entertainment’s president Jennifer Salke stated that, “Original voices like Tina and Robert don’t come along very often and we wanted them back on the air as soon as possible. And to have them working with Ellie Kemper – who we watched grow up on ‘The Office’ from supporting player to leading actress – puts the whole package together.”

The press has also changed the description of the show to feature a woman (Kemper) who leaves a doomsday cult and starts a new life in New York City. It is unclear if the original premise is incorporated. Perhaps if the woman is kidnapped and forced to join the doomsday cult that the two plot synopses could be intertwined. The comedy element in these plotlines also seems to be a strain, especially on network television. These abstracts sound better fit for cable networks such as Showtime or HBO, which are known for edgier shows such as “Weeds,” “United States of Tara” and “Girls.” Despite these potential flaws, NBC showed its confidence in the show by ordering a 13-episode commission when the industry norm is to simply order six episodes.

Perhaps NBC felt pressure from other networks who were also considering snatching up the show if the executives decided to pass. It seems to be most likely that Fey will stay on the network after she signed a four-year contract with Universal TV in 2012, which is the conglomerate that owns NBC. The same year, NBC passed on “The Mindy Project,” causing the Fox network to pick it up. Its first season arrived with favorable reviews and great popularity and the second season aired in September 2013. This theory is plausible according to an article written by the Hollywood Reporter Aug. 16. Fox has also ordered a show from the writing duo which will take place at a women’s college that has just opened its doors to men, yet another new potential plot that cites the same writers and timeline. 

The media’s coverage of Fey and Carlock’s future project gets increasingly complicated as a fourth plot scenario was proposed by Deadline Aug. 14. According to their report, NBC also bought a comedy project from Fey and Carlock that follows a young woman who reconnects with her father and finds a new home on Fire Island outside of New York. While this could still be incorporated with the abduction/doomsday cult/woman moves to New York story proposed by the preceding articles, there are definite inconsistencies that show us that the scripts are still in development, but it is certain that NBC has approved of the project.

This is definitely a logical development considering the magnitude of loyal fans that NBC has from programs represented by the talent producing the project. Ellie Kemper as the wide-eyed, innocent actress sounds perfect for the role. She will provide the comic relief for the dark and scary world that she has entered, allowing us to feel more comfortable about what we are actually watching. This is still a network show and we can’t stray too far from the norm. Tina Fey will only be featured as writer and will make no appearances on the show. David Miner is reported to be the third executive producer for the show and has worked previously with Fey and Carlock as a producer for “30 Rock.”

Fey was quoted in 2009 on the Oprah Winfrey show saying, “I want to keep creating comedy that is at the top of our intelligence or higher. It’s easy to fall into the trap of just cranking out things that are good enough to sell.” It is clear that she has stayed true to her word and continues to shake things up in the television industry.

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