“Community” star Joel McHale kicked off NBC’s session at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour on Monday with a stand-up routine that took aim primarily at the many joke-worthy offerings his own network has put on its schedule of late as well as the annual promotional event itself.
Following a confusing introductory clip that featured snippets of NBC's signature successes, including strains from the theme songs for "Seinfeld" and "Friends," McHale quipped about the tepid response, "Wow, thank you. That’s exactly what that video was supposed to do. Bring us all together."
"Where’s the theme for Outsourced?" he asked. "I didn’t hear that."
About TCA, he said, "It’s just like Comic-Con — but with more nerds. It’s like summer camp for shut-ins."
Other hilarious jokes, which came so fast that reporters on hand barely had time to laugh:
"My favorite part of TCA is gambling on the 'Which network is going to try to do something with Chrisitian Slater' pool."
Describing the upcoming "The Playboy Club," he said, "Basically, it's 'Mad Men' with boobs … You also get to see a young Hugh Hefner when he only had 13 different strains of herpes. Oh, sure, making fun of Hef — that's low. His skin is now made of beef jerky — did you know that?"
"NBC has a new strategy: We’re going to wait for all the old people watching CBS and ABC to die," he said.
“It turns out that young people don’t watch TV when it first airs,” said McHale. “Now NBC knows how to capitalize on the young demo. NBC’s slogan is changing from 'more colorful' to 'just one more step and you’ll be at the bottom of stairs grandma.'”
Describing his own show, which he described as "the Chevy Chase babysitting service," he said he was proud that "Community" had tied "The Jersey Shore" in Emmy nominations (with zero).
He thinks the name of the super low-brow "America's Got Talent" should just get it over with and change its name to "America’s Done Got Talent."
"The megahit 'The Voice' is coming back," said McHale. "They're making the prize next season very enticing. Not only are they offering a recording contract, but Cee-Lo will take off his sunglasses and show you his lazy eye."
And with that, he introduced NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt.
