Andy Barker PI

Well, so much for all my theories about NBC giving "Andy Barker, PI" time to grow. After the show got low ratings again last week, NBC has decided to air the final two episodes of its season on Saturday night, aka the Death Valley of television.

The one glimmer of good news: the once online-only episode featuring Amy Sedaris now gets to air on TV. That's my favorite of the bunch, so at least "Andy Barker" will go out on a high note.

NBC hasn't said anything about the show's ultimate fate, but this can't be a good sign. Sure, there were plenty of doomsday stories written about "The Office" in its first season, too. But NBC is already saving "30 Rock," a slightly better-rated and more-beloved Thursday comedy, so I think this might spell the end for "Andy." Catch it while you can, either Saturday at 8 p.m. or online at the NBC site.

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Not only do we finally get a new episode of "The Office" tonight, but it's also extra-long — as are new episodes of "30 Rock," "Scrubs" and "Andy Barker, PI." NBC seems to do this sort of thing once a year or so, and while it's kind of annoying to realize that all your favorite shows are starting at unusual times, I like having an extra few minutes tacked on to some of my favorite shows.

Of course, if you're only planning to tune in for a couple of the episodes, note that they're airing at the following approximate times: "The Office" at 8, "30 Rock" (guest-starring Will Arnett!) at 8:40, "Scrubs" at 9:20, and "Andy Barker, PI" at 9:50. That's all capped off by a repeat of "My Name is Earl" at about 10:25.

I emphasize the times because, as we've been told for the past few weeks, we are absolutely not supposed to miss the first couple of minutes of "The Office." You can find the recap of the Jim-Pam-Roy-Karen "love square" here. Or if you just want to see the Roy vs. Jim bit, read more

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, we delve deeper into "Dancing With the Stars" and that whole "American Idol" crying girl thing, and we revisit some of the week's best scenes from "Top Design" and "Andy Barker, PI." To watch this week's episode, read more

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, you'll find some newcomers — including "Andy Barker, PI" and "Raines" — plus old favorites like "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and other targets of ridicule.

To watch this week's episode, read more

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, you'll find some newcomers — including "Andy Barker, PI" and "Raines" — plus old favorites like "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and other targets of ridicule.

To watch this week's episode, read more

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• Which new movie would you most like to see? Vote in my poll!
• You can watch Lindsay Lohan in the new trailer for Georgia Rule, but you won't be seeing her in The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.
• Most of the new TV shows, like October Road, Raines, and The Riches, leave much to be desired. Andy Barker P.I., however, is awesome.
• Celebrate Spring Break and South by Southwest with my Youthful Abandon Playlist.
• Can you name this movie?
• Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to make a baby and a movie together, while Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie will just do the movie part. Probably.

Andy Barker is, well, a pretty boring guy. He's an accountant prone to wearing putty-colored suits, and the closest he gets to cursing is muttering "oh, cheese and crackers!" But then he moves into the office of a former private investigator and inherits some of the man's clients, thrusting himself into a life of murder, mystery, and mayhem.

That's the premise of "Andy Barker, P.I.," Andy Richter's cop-drama spoof, which premieres Thursday as part of NBC's new comedy lineup. After checking out a couple of episodes, I have both good news and bad news about the show. The bad: The premiere episode isn't wonderful. The good: Other episodes are much better, giving me hope that "Andy Barker" could become a great comedy if NBC gives it time to grow.

The show is simultaneously silly and sincere, and much of the credit for that tone goes to Richter, whose bumbling Andy approaches investigative work with the childlike enthusiasm of a guy who watches "Law & Order" reruns in bed at night. But the show's supporting characters really make the show work, so read more

Watching the first few episodes of "Andy Barker, P.I." the other day, I was struck by its similarities to one of this year's other new comedies: the now-departed "Knights of Prosperity."

I was a big fan of "Knights" before its cancellation, and "Andy Barker" shares its screwball tone, layered with lots of pop-culture references and jokes that arise when normal folks are thrust into glamorous, intriguing circumstances. Interestingly, both shows also came from late-night writers: David Letterman's Worldwide Pants crew handled "Knights," while Conan O'Brien co-created "Andy Barker."

At first, those similarities made me fear that "Andy Barker" would end up following the low-audience, quick-cancellation path of "Knights." But upon further reflection, I think "Andy Barker" has a much better chance at survival. To find out why, read more

Get your calendars ready, because NBC has just announced some slightly confusing changes to its Thursday comedy schedule. Here are the headlines:

• "30 Rock" will be back on April 5 and will air at 9 p.m. instead of 9:30 for the rest of the season.
• "Scrubs" will take over the 9:30 p.m. time slot on April 19, after "Andy Barker, P.I." finishes its five-episode run.
• There will be a special three-hour comedy night on April 5 with new episodes of "The Office," "30 Rock," "Scrubs," and "Andy Barker, P.I." plus a repeat of "My Name is Earl" — in that order.
• The "30 Rock" finale will be April 26 at 9 p.m.
• There will be back-to-back episodes of "Scrubs" on May 3.

Whew. Got all that?

I'm glad "30 Rock" will be back sooner than scheduled, but I'm not sure if it means anything that the show won't be airing during May sweeps. Remember, NBC just announced it would do the same with "Friday Night Lights," a similarly acclaimed but low-rated show. Maybe NBC has some kind of grand plan up its sleeve to drum up fans in the off-season? Here's hoping.

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