Midseason comedy might not go forward

Back in May, NBC picked up only one new half-hour comedy for the 2007-08 season. Now that number is in danger of dwindling to zero.

That one show was "The IT Crowd," an adaptation of a British sitcom about underappreciated tech-support workers at a large company. Former NBC boss Kevin Reilly ordered six episodes of the show, but his replacement, Ben Silverman, hasn't been too enamored of the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As things stand, the series has only a couple of scripts to work with, and it hasn't gone into production. The series also parted ways with actress Jessica St. Clair, who played the lead female role in the pilot, but hasn't recast her part.

"The IT Crowd" stars Joel McHale (E!'s "The Soup") and Richard Ayoade, who also appeared in the British show, as the put-upon IT workers and Rocky Carroll ("The Agency") as their boss. "Just Shoot Me" veterans Joe Port, Moses Port and David Guarascio, along with Joe Wiseman ("Son of the Beach") are among the executive producers.

Despite the possible blue screen of death for "The IT Crowd," NBC may have a couple of comedy options for midseason, the HR says. The network is moving ahead with an adaptation of the Australian comedy "Kath and Kim" and has kept the pilot "Zip," about a single father/con artist -- both of which are produced by Silverman's former company, Reveille.