NBC Has Already Pulled One New Fall TV Show From The Schedule, But It’s Not All Bad News

Connecting... cast

The 2020-2021 television season is still young, but it looks like moves are already being made. After only a few weeks, NBC is officially pulling freshman comedy Connecting from its schedule. Beginning on Nov. 19, episodes of hit comedy Superstore will air in the short-lived show’s Thursday 8:30 p.m. ET timeslot. Connecting actually still has four episodes that have yet to air, and some fans may be eager to still finish out the show. Luckily for them, it looks like they’ll still have a chance to do so.

NBC is planning to release the final four episodes of Connecting on both Peacock and NBC.com, according to Deadline. What’s great about this move is that it allows anyone to watch the remainder of the show, regardless of whether you’re paying for the new streaming service or not.

Connecting was developed by Blindspot creator and executive producer Martin Gero and Brendan Gall. The show is a timely one that takes place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In the series, a group of friends attempt to maintain virtual contact with each other as they navigate the challenges of lockdown.

During the show’s short run, it had actually received mostly positive reviews from critics. As of this writing, it holds a fresh 67% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Connecting was just one of the many shows this fall that’s made it a priority to incorporate the ongoing global health crisis into its storytelling. Medical dramas like The Good Doctor and Grey’s Anatomy are unsurprisingly leading the charge when it comes to tackling COVID-19. The Good Doctor actually just aired its pandemic-centered season premiere, and some are already praising the show for its depiction of the pandemic. Interestingly enough, the show is planning to jump to a post-COVID world after the two-part season premiere. In addition to medical dramas, family shows like This is Us are also covering COVID.

Despite this, not all of this fall’s returning series will address COVID-19. One such show is CBS’ SEAL Team, which will proceed with its planned story arcs. Showrunner Spencer Hudnut explained that this decision stemmed from the fact that a pandemic storyline wouldn’t make sense to the show’s current direction. He also mentioned his desire for the show to serve as an escape for viewers hoping to take a breather from what’s going on in the world.

Connecting may not have lasted long, but it does leave a mark as one of the series that sought to tackle life in lockdown head on. Although Fans are sure to be disappointed that they won’t be getting any new seasons, at the very least, they can get a bit of closure from the four episodes that will be streaming online.

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Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.