Instant Karma: NBC Gives 'Earl' a Full Season
Tuesday, October 4th
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)
With "My Name Is Earl," NBC has hit on a rare commodity on network TV: a single-camera, laugh track-free comedy that's drawing strong ratings. So the network wants to keep it around for a while.
"Earl" earned a full-season pickup Tuesday (Oct. 4), hours before its third episode was set to air. The ratings for the first two shows, along with wide critical acclaim, were enough for NBC to give the series a full 22 episodes.
"We are extremely encouraged by the response to 'Earl' from the audience and critics alike," NBC Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly says. "[Creator] Greg Garcia and the producers are doing a great job creatively, and Jason Lee's Earl is a truly original TV comedy character that we hope will be around for years to come."
Through its first two airings in the highly competitive 9 p.m. Tuesday spot, "My Name Is Earl" has averaged 13.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched new comedy of the young season. Just as important to NBC, the show has posted a solid 5.8 rating among the network's target demographic adults 18-49 -- the best for any comedy, new or returning, thus far this fall.
Lee ("Almost Famous") stars as Earl Hickey, a lifelong lowlife who wins $100,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket and is promptly hit by a car. After having a late-night epiphany courtesy of Carson Daly, he sets out to right the wrongs he's done in his life.
The show also stars Ethan Suplee ("Cold Mountain"), Nadine Velazquez, Jaime Pressly ("Not Another Teen Movie") and Eddie Steeples. Garcia ("Yes, Dear") executive produces with Marc Buckland ("Ed," "Medical Investigation").
:notworthy