OK NBC!There's a movie star in your show. We get it.

NBC has been banging the drum loudly to anyone who'd hear it that movie star STEVE CARELL stars in THE OFFICE (Tuesdays 9:30 after the baffling My name is Earl).

In the ads for the 40 Year old Virgin they'd plug his TV show. After the movie became #1, NBC went nuts reminding people that he's on their network too. We get it.


But I still ain't watching that boring show. I like dry, slow humor. I don't need to be knocked in the head to laugh, but I find this show boring. Plus I can't watch it for moral reasons. I refuse to watch any scripted show that has characters doing confessionals like it's MTV Real World. It's lazy writing. Reality shows need it in case they don't have the footage and no time to doctor it.


I can barely stand narration. I hate confessionals in reality shows because most of the time they tell you what you just saw. What are you confessing? I saw it!

I digress. The Office is still not funny. And yes Steve Carell was great in the 40YOV. But that still doesn't mean I want to watch that boring show. PLUS! America agrees with me. The ratings aren't that great. the lead in "My name is Earl" is pulling some numbers but people aren't sticking around for free Steve.

Basically American is saying, "I'll get in my car and pay $10 to see Steve Carell in some movie with a weak premise and enjoy it, but watching 'The Office,' which comes on right after a show I watch anyway, is just too much to ask.

Despite low ratings, NBC picked up the show for the rest of the year.

I can't help but assume that Carell and his agents are dying for the show to end so he can take more films.

Maybe NBC doesn't want to be accused of pulling a Tom Hanks. Networks have cancelled shows just before an actor from that show broke out into a movie star.

Examples:

Tom Hanks was in "Bosom Buddies" which was cancelled just before "Splash!" and "Bachelor Party." They made up for it by pushing the reruns.



Same with the Wayans Bros. That show was cancelled just before mega hit "Scary Movie." The WB network was forced to plug the reruns too.

"The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" ran it's course and most likely was ready to end, just before we entered the Willenium.

NBC went out of their way to avoid that situation when the co star of "Mad About You" and almost movie star Helen Hunt was up for an Oscar. The day of the big awards, the network and her people were mad about money for the next season. She got $1 million an episode and since Paul Reiser's contract had them at equal rates, he too got $1 million. $2 Million to start for a show that was losing steam. The ratings that year were terrible.

So crow all you want NBC, I ain't buying.