Fine, YOU Do Better!

LOL welp:

Got an idea for a sitcom? NBC wants to hear from you.

The broadcast network announced "an unprecedented effort to discover fresh comedic voices" on Tuesday by launching a national campaign offering aspiring comedy writers from around the country the chance to pitch their sitcom ideas.

"We are taking a bold, alternative approach in what we hope will uncover original comedy minds who are looking for a way to get into the television business," said NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke.

The initiative, dubbed "NBC Comedy Playground," pledges to reach beyond the traditional talent labs of film schools and comedy clubs by giving everyday people the opportunity to submit ideas directly to the network.

And then filtering those people's ideas through the same old gatekeepers that continually greenlight garbage.

Here's how it works: Comedy writers will submit their idea via an NBC site set up for the contest. The network will choose up to 10 finalists. NBC will fund each finalist to produce a pilot presentation based on their pitch. The producer-actor advisory board [comprised of a roster of well-known producers and actors including Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Mindy Kaling, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Amy Poehler, and several others], in consultation with NBC, will pick two winners from the 10. The winners, who will be paid, will have their show broadcast on NBC (a pilot plus up to four additional episodes, at the network's discretion).

At a press conference, Salke told reporters, "There are hilarious people making videos and programming on the Internet all day and night and it's time to bring those people into network television." She added the network is "not looking for little funny video clips" but rather potential series concepts. The executive also described the process as one that could potentially be less encumbered by the usual network development process. "The goal of this is for them to have as unfettered of a process as possible."

And also it will give NBC SO MANY NEW IDEAS THAT THEY CAN TOTALLY STEAL! Ha ha just kidding. NBC would obviously never do such a thing. Although, please note via the Official Content Rules:

IDEA MISAPPROPRIATION WAIVER: By entering the Contest and submitting a Submission, Contestants agree to and acknowledge the following: You understand that although you may believe your Submission to be unique and novel, there may be preexisting ideas, concepts, or proposals that are similar to your Submission. You recognize that other persons, including NBC's own employees, may have submitted to NBC or others, or made public, or may in the future originate and submit or make public, similar or identical ideas, concepts, or proposals that NBC may have the right to use, and you understand that you will not be entitled to any compensation because of NBC's use of such similar or identical ideas, concepts, or proposals in any manner. You understand and agree that NBC's use of material containing features or elements similar or identical to those contained in your Submission will not obligate NBC to negotiate with you or entitle you to any compensation if NBC determines that it has an independent legal right to use that other material for any reason (for example, because the features or elements are not new or novel, were not originated by you, or were or may hereafter be independently created and submitted by other persons, including NBC employees).

Naturally, NBC would argue that they are only trying to protect themselves, in the case of someone pitching them a sitcom about a crotchety middle-aged white dude with a gorgeous wife who is always right but somehow always wrong, and then suing when NBC greenlights Everybody Loves the King of Home Improvement According to Mike O'Malley.

But I know exactly two people who have been paid as television writers, and both of them have pitched pretty specific ideas to networks only to be turned down and then see their ideas barely repackaged as new series, and one of them won a whole lot of money as a result of that obvious theft. So.

Anyway. I will probably (definitely) not be submitting any of my (terrific) ideas to NBC, but I wish them luck with their contest and hope with all sincerity that they pick really neat and unique stuff and don't rip anyone off!