Appreciating Corporate, Comedy Central's noble failure

Entertainment Weekly

The Comedy Central workplace comedy ended its run Wednesday after a shortened final season. Corporate didn't really generate much buzz or viewership, but it "has always been good and was frequently awesome," says Darren Franich. He adds: "It’s notable that the TV mainstream has spent the last couple years fleeing into the warm embrace of the American remake of The Office, a great five-season show that lasted nine years and imagined that all your annoying coworkers could choreograph a dance number at your wedding. This final season arrived amidst surging pandemic numbers; I’ve seen some people describe the new episodes as oddly nostalgic experiences for maskless open workplaces, which proves people really can get nostalgic about the most terrible things. Even so, Corporate’s bleak sensibility vanquished any chance of a big audience. People enjoy darkness, but mostly when that darkness is something triumphed over, not the air we’re all choking on. Worth pointing out, maybe, that Corporate emerged at the tail end of a brilliant era for Comedy Central. Key & Peele, Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Nathan For You, Review: These and many other boundary-pushing goofs already look eons removed from the network’s new cool plan to make more ‘90s cartoons while extending The Daily Show’s runtime. Corporate’s a hard sell in any climate, to be fair. It wasn’t just white guys feeling depressed about high-paying jobs, but it wasn’t not that. Did some executives get the joke a little too well?" ALSO: Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman break down Corporate's final season.