NBC Is Still Kinda Stupid

Since Comcast took over NBC and ousted Jeff Zucker, the network has started taking small steps toward respectability — renewing their critically acclaimed comedies, greenlighting promising scripted series, and generally avoiding colossal missteps like putting Jay Leno on at 10 p.m. But the Peacock isn’t all the way out of the idiot hole yet, as evidenced by two recent programming decisions.

First, the Season 5 DVD of “Friday Night Lights” is available today. Granted, “FNL’s” final season already aired on Channel 101 as part of DirecTV’s deal with NBC to keep the show running, but it seems odd that people without DirecTV can simply purchase the DVD and watch the show at their leisure, rather than on NBC with commercials. As Alan Sepinwall noted on Twitter, NBC considers what may be the best show on television “an afterthought.”

In addition to that, NBC cut its last ties to Zucker by buying a “Project Runway” knock-off from Ben Silverman called “Fashion Star.” In case you don’t follow office politics, Silverman was NBC’s former top executive whose hiring Zucker called the biggest mistake he ever made (I assume this was before Zucker created the Leno-Conan debacle). And although Silverman is responsible for “The Office” and “The Biggest Loser,” he also gave the thumbs-up to remakes of “Knight Rider” and “Bionic Woman.” Soooo… maybe not the best guy to do business with. “Hey, we fired the guy who fired this guy! That means we should work with him, right?”