NBC Moves Community Finale into May Sweeps

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Well this is Changsteresting…. NBC has moved Community‘s Season 3 finale up a week, to May 17, thus landing it within the May sweeps ratings period.

In doing so, NBC “added” a half hour to the acclaimed comedy’s season-ending night, by tacking the double-episode finale onto the episode that was to precede it.

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In other words, the night will look like this:

8:00 Community — “The First Chang Dynasty”
8:30 30 Rock season finale
9:00 Community — “Introduction to Finality”
9:30 Community — “Digital Estate Planning” (season finale)

The Futon Critic first reported on NBC’s move.

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The “loser” in this shuffle is, in a way, Awake, which was to have a double-episode finale on May 17, starting at 9 pm. Instead, the underperforming freshman drama will now air the second hour on May 24 aka the night after sweeps ends.

Mind you, NBC will have announced all of its renewals (and thus cancellations) for next TV season by Monday, May 14.


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