Many of the sketches were built less on "smart" and "revolutionary" comedy that was abundant in the early days and followed a much more "straightforward" approach.

But he said, "I think more than anything we have to develop some new smart comedies."

This smart black comedy explores how seemingly inconsequential decisions can have life-altering consequences.

The film is a smart, spare, quick-witted comedy that treats sexual orientation as just one more complication in the course of modern true love.

Putting it simply, he called it "smart comedy."

The executive noted that NBC has always been known for smart, sophisticated, urban comedies, and said it was sorely in need of new ones right now.

"It's a smart romantic comedy in the vein of 'Metropolitan' or 'Barcelona,' " he said.

Julianne stars in this month's smart comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Performers like Lenny Bruce mixed politics with smart comedy, making the right seem square and humorless in contrast.