Happy to derive its laughs from aspiring actors devouring the genitalia of dead animals on Fear Factor and from hopeless nerds trying to lay third-place beauty pageant contestants on Average Joe, NBC's fall schedule will go light on the sitcoms. The only new comedies will be the animated, Siegfried and Roy-inspired (and, disappointingly, mauling-free) Father of the Pride, and Friends spinoff Joey. NBC head Jeff Zucker is banking on Joey to deliver big ratings numbers in the Friends timeslot; if it falters, expect Matt LeBlanc to ingest a yak labia just before each commercial break.

Who are the latest victims of Hollywood's insensitivity? Rural Americans. First Fox exported our celebutante trash to defile a small Arkansas town (not to mention this summer's slut-a-riffic road trip sequel). Now CBS wants to inflict a real-life version of The Beverly Hillbillies on the world and UPN wants to document Amish teens going buck-wild in the big city.

From a source on the set of the cancelled Sharon Osbourne Show, which is finally finishing production:

Aint' It Cool News hears from "talent agents" that NBC won't pick up the pilot of American version of the BBC hit The Office (which stars The Daily Show's Steve Carrell, left) for a series. The networks present their Fall schedules to advertisers next week (barring writers' strike Armageddon, which will seriously confuse things), and NBC seems to prefer sticking with safe, cheap fare where struggling actors consume the colorectal tracts of farm animals (Fear Factor) or pretend that they can love the physically unattractive (Average Joe). NBC may consider The Office for midseason or a minor-league demotion to Bravo.

We obtained a copy of ABC's Jessica Simpson sitcom pilot (the tentatively and eponymously titled Jessica) and with the help of some toothpicks propped under the eyelids, managed to sit through its 22 minute run.

WENN reports that NBC may have failed once again trying to translate a British show for consumption in the states. Test audiences aren't loving the de-crumpeted pilot of The Office. Said a source, "...it was painfully clear that nobody was liking it. The lady next to me said that she found it depressing."

We know that you've ignored all of the PSAs and have TiVo'd every instance of Seinfeld in protest, but today marks the start of TV Turnoff Week.

Matt LeBlanc's spin-off, Joey is likely going to occupy the coveted 8 p.m. Thursday timeslot in which Friends has dominated the ratings.