I’m really mad at television right now. It was announced last week that NBC’s show “BFF” is being taken off the air after only four episodes. Top to bottom BFF is leaps and bounds better than most shows currently on TV, and I couldn’t be more disappointed or confused by this decision.
Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge that ratings for the show weren’t the highest, but I feel like ratings don’t hold much weight anymore as we all have internet, On Demand, and DVR’s. Furthermore, I feel like the only reason industry people care so much about ratings is because they’re an indication of how many people are seeing the commercials that earn them a large chunk of profit money. I might be wrong about this, but why else would you cancel a perfectly good show?
Now back to business. BFF is well written, well acted, and well produced. It is the product of a group of people that are at the top of their game after years of paying their dues and honing their craft on stage and screen. It ventures beyond what we’ve come to expect from a sitcom without going too far. And it’s funny. Really really REALLY funny. I can’t even imagine the joke per page count as they’re delivered at a machine gun pace. And just like bullets, they all hit with equal strength.
My favorite part of BFF is similar to what I like about another amazing (underappreciated) NBC show “Up All Night.” Instead of the conflict and story coming from people working against one another, it is a result of everyone being on the same team. They still fight and lie and have moments where they’re not the best versions of themselves, but at the end of the day it’s all coming from a good, true place. Lennon and Jessica want to protect their best friend and Reagan and Chris want to do good for their daughter. The shows have heart, and that’s not the easiest to achieve on a network comedy.
NBC has big shoes to fill in their new Wednesday night opening and as a loyal fan of Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, my viewership will follow them wherever they may go. That said, based on the quality of BFF, I’m sure it’s only upwards from here.
