Bling Bling Bling

So I've been watching my Office DVDs while I've been studying for my finals, and I don't know why but I was thinking about something my mom and I discussed a while ago, and that's how NBC successful shows have a certain something to them.

NBC's biggest successes come in a certain package, ensemble casts of mostly unknowns with a few familiar faces.

St. Elsewhere's made most of its cast stars, sure people knew William Daniels (But that was about it.)

Cosby, they knew Cosby. But Lisa Bonet, Phylcia Ryshaad, Malcom Jamall Warner, all unknowns, made into stars.

Cheers. All unknowns. Entirely.

Seinfeld. No one knew those guys, Jerry Seinfeld was a mildly successful comedian, Jason Alexander was a failing character actor. Now look at them.

Friends. Courtney Cox was in a Bruce Springsteen video and David Schwimmer had done some theater. I mean just look at that cast now, especially Jennifer Aniston who's biggest credit was Leprechaun.

The West Wing. Martin Sheen was a big movie star, and John Spencer was somewhat known. But the entire staff was really only known for playing small roles in movies.

Scrubs. Um, wait isn't that the black kid from Clueless? Granted NBC then destroyed the show by moving it to a different time slot every year, but still.

The Office. The Office is like the best show on television right now (Besides GG) and it was all these people you'd never heard of, unless you watched The Daily Show, then you knew Steve Carrell. Now they're all doing things, they're recognizable

Heroes. The Heroes cast were all "Oh That Guy!" type actors. Except Milo...*sigh*...OK, I'm back, but think about it. Ali Larter, "Isn't that the girl who wore the whipped cream bikini in Varsity Blues?" Or "Hey, that's the little girl from Remember The Titans?" or "Wasn't he in Top Gun?" Now, they're, well, not so much famous, as "Oh that's Matt Parkman!"

So there you have it. That's why shows like, mm, My Own Worst Enemy don't work for them...you watch NBC to see the future, not to be sad because all Christian Slater can get work doing is some pathetic Fight Club rip off show.

And of course there are exceptions...like 30 Rock. Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski and Alec Baldwin are hardly unknowns. They're actually pretty famous and have been for a while. There are always exceptions.