The Question, Thursday 2/7/13: How Big is the Community of Viewers?

It's often said that the best way to improve your renewal odds on NBC is to stay off the air, just sit in the clubhouse and watch the carnage pile up on other fronts. It's certainly worked for Community this season; a fall of "peacocking comedy" produced only one show with any real separation (Parks and Recreation) and a total morass of confusing low-ratedness. But now Community can't just point and laugh at the others anymore. It's back into the fray starting tonight. Creator Dan Harmon is out, but the brutal timeslot remains. How big is the Community of viewers? That's The Question for Monday, February 4, 2013.

Community Last Season	Previous 8:00 Occupant 30 Rock
1.7/1.54/1.3 (premiere/average finale)	1.4/1.37/1.9 (premiere/average/finale)  1.8/1.54/1.4 (last season)

The funny thing about this comparison is that Community and 30 Rock were virtually the same show ratings-wise in 2011-12. So 30 Rock's 1.4 premiere in the fall should be a good starting point for this prediction. The fanbase is so engaged on Community that new showrunners may actually bring some additional interest, but tougher competition (American Idol) and a weaker NBC than when 30 Rock premiered in October likely cancel that out, and maybe more than cancel it out.

Over/Under: 1.35.

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