TCA -- "I feel so bad for Jeff Gaspin and Angela Bromstad having to walk on that [TCA] stage on Sunday," says an NBC insider about his network's brass.
The man is watching what's going on in the next room at Stage 31 on the Paramount lot, where critics on a set visit are questioning the cast of NBC's Thursday night comedy "Community." The reporters, seated in a classroom set, are still on a blood-in-the-water Leno-gate high. Some may also feel personally chaffed, since the network's PR department was so over-the-top dishonest during Thursday's crisis even as the story was clearly leaking out ("What story about Leno? Oh, that story? Don't be a silly goose, there's nothing there..."*).
The critics want to know if the cast is worried that NBC will cancel the show due to its relatively modest ratings.
The critics want to know if the cast wouldn't prefer to be part of ABC's new Wednesday night comedy block instead.
And these are critics that like "Community."
"NBC gives comedies a chance to find their legs," defended Gillian Jacobs, who plays Britta. "They allowed '30 Rock' to find an audience, they allowed 'The Office' and 'Parks and Recreation' to find an audience--"
"--because they don't have anything else," interjected Chevy Chase, a man who quickly makes it clear he has plenty of f-you money and is the least concerned cast member about offending the network.
When somebody asks what the cast will do to "turn around" the show, Chase quips, "go to another network."
Joel McHale, just up from a nap and looking mellow, says, "I hear about the ratings and I'm like, 'It's not our problem, let's just go to work a great show.'"
The most grounded voice amid the slightly more-prickly-than-necessary proceedings come from cast member Yvette Nicole Brown. Hearing all the talk of ratings, says, "there's so many people in this economy who don't have jobs at all. I would feel like a lightening bolt would hit me if I ever [took this for granted]."
A jadni
Chevy Chase
