Nobody at NBC is talking, but according to industry insiders, the answer is pretty simple: Greenblatt simply wasn’t enamored with any of them. That’s not a shocker, since even the Peacock brass who put the series in development (including ex–NBC Entertainment president Angela Bromstad) weren’t convinced they had found surefire hits in the programs, as evidenced by the fact that the shows were never given premiere dates. But even if the trio were better regarded, it would be hard for NBC to find a way to properly launch them this season: NBC’s current schedule makes it hard to air new comedies on any night but Thursday. Trying to build a comedy block on another night this late in the season would be suicidal, particularly with Glee and American Idol occupying key time slots on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
With the transfer of ownership of NBC from GE to Comcast, there are some new folks in charge with different ideas about what they want on the air. That puts some previously announced shows that have yet to premiere in an awkward position, including Friends with Benefits and The Paul Reiser Show. They may never make it to air, and if they do they’ll show up with little fanfare in undesirable timeslots, as if to not waste any money on shows that have no chance of surviving.This surely sucks for the people involved with shows they thought had been picked up, but hey, if the shows aren’t good, this is probably for the best.
