30 Rock (esteemed winner of the 30 Rock vs. Studio 60 deathmatch)

[grand theft sparrow]

I love 30 Rock so much, I wanna take it behind the middle school and try to get it pregnant.

[modage]

I love 30 Rock so much, I wanna take it behind the middle school and try to get it pregnant.

"30 Rock" has joined "The Office" and "My Name Is Earl" as the third NBC Thursday-night sitcom to get an early pickup for next year.



this is my favorite comedy on tv right now.  i can't believe it got a Season 2 before/instead of the much ballyhooed Studio 60.  at least this way they can cancel it midseason next year after the new show buzz wears off.  P have you seen this yet?   

[grand theft sparrow]

YES! 

Earl hasn't become the brilliant show I hoped it would be but it's funny enough to wish it well.  Office and 30 Rock have become the brilliant shows I never expected them to be.  If only Scrubs can squeeze through for one more season despite the fact that the current season hasn't been quite on par with the pretty consistent previous 5.

[Pubrick]

P have you seen this yet?   

nope, hasn't been shown. i don't know if/when it will. lookin forward to it.

earl and the office US are shown, the former suffers from Entourage-happy-endingitis, and the latter has the best cast on tv.

[pete]

I like the happy endings in entourage though--I mean otherwise it might try to keep it real and become one of those pretentious and self-righteous indictments of the industry or something.  it's fun dude fantasy the american way--you don't work hard, party with your friends, and kick the asses of all the other phonies and self-absorbed LA people.
there is a good interview with mandy kaling in the onion av club this week.  and P you can see all the episodes of 30 rock on its nbc site.  these days I don't have a tv set and that's how I've been watching that show.

[©brad]

tina fey was on the today show this morning being beautiful and just all around awesome, as usual. they talked about a great line she made at the WGA ceremony this year: "i hear aaron sorkin is wearing the same dress as I tonight, but his is longer and not as funny."

[Pubrick]

and P you can see all the episodes of 30 rock on its nbc site.

not from my location.

[MacGuffin]

Baldwin: I want off '30 Rock'   
By Donna Freydkin, USA TODAY

You'll still know Jack.

Donaghy, that is, the mercurial boss played by Alec Baldwin on NBC's 30 Rock.

While taping an appearance on ABC's The View Wednesday, the actor — who was caught berating his daughter Ireland, 11, in a voice mail message last week — asked NBC to release him from his contract so he can focus his time on "parental alienation," according to a transcript released to the Associated Press.

"If I never acted again, I couldn't care less," Baldwin said in his taped appearance, scheduled to air Friday.

But NBC released a statement saying the star was staying put: "Alec Baldwin remains an important part of 30 Rock. We look forward to having him continue his role in the show."

As for that nasty phone message leaked to TMZ.com, Baldwin, 49, tried to explain his actions:

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being frustrated or angry about something," he said. "It's the way you do it, and as people often do in this world, I took it out on the wrong person because I'm unable, under the current dynamic, to address the other person."

What he said "was wrong," he conceded. Now, he says, he wants to concentrate on the problems faced by divorced parents and their children; he has a book coming out on the topic.

It has been a tumultuous time for Baldwin, who parted ways with his agents at CAA this week.

In the phone message, Baldwin calls his daughter from his marriage to Kim Basinger "a rude, thoughtless little pig." Shortly after the message surfaced, Baldwin posted an apology on his official website. Basinger, who has been involved in a nasty custody dispute with Baldwin since their divorce in 2002, has denied leaking the message.

Baldwin has been ordered to stay away from Ireland until a court hearing May 4.

30 Rock, a critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged part of NBC's key Thursday night comedy lineup, has been renewed for a second season. And much of its success is the result of Baldwin's performance as Tina Fey's devious boss.

On the show's Queens set, Baldwin is a formidable presence, and he shakes things up while shooting scenes, improvising dialogue and swapping out props.

"There's no question that he is if not the character with the most lines, certainly the central character around which all the others orbit," says Jonathan Wilcox, who teaches a course on celebrity and society at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. "He's the comic foil, and he has created this strong comedic identity."

Baldwin's Golden Globe this year for 30 Rock signals he would be a serious candidate for Emmy consideration, Wilcox says. "Clearly, one leads to the other."

[modage]

i clicked on this thread happily thinking it was the announcement of Studio 60's cancellation only to be hit with this news!  i hope NBC holds him TIGHT.

[©brad]

this is ri-goddamn-diculous.

first off, i hate the today show. they had an unnecessarily long segment this morning on this "story" which isn't even newsworthy. in true today show-fashion, they brought in a whole panel of child and divorce psychologists who all gave their "analysis" on what is nothing more than a frustrated dad leaving an angry message on his daughter's voicemail. who hasn't ever gotten yelled at by their parents before? the message wasn't even that bad. and clearly his anger is more towards his insane ex-wife and the daughter is just caught in the middle.

and the only reason i watch the today show is b/c my roommate insists on blasting it on our living room tv (which is mine) every damn morning when we're getting ready.

[Kal]

Studio 60 is back on Thursday May 24th at 10pm. I like the show, so what? Chandler rocks.

[JG]

you watch too much television. 

[Kal]

NBC cans 'Studio 60,' 'Jordan'

NEW YORK (AP) -- With "Heroes" its only new hit of the season, struggling NBC announced a fall schedule Monday that includes a spinoff and three other dramas also trading on supernatural themes.

The network took a risk by keeping its Thursday night comedy lineup intact. NBC has drawn strong critical praise but few viewers for shows like "30 Rock" and "The Office," leaving the network faltering on a night it once dominated.

NBC, the first of the broadcast networks to unveil a new schedule to advertisers this week, canceled "Crossing Jordan" and the high-profile failure "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Another critical favorite that hasn't found a big audience, "Friday Night Lights," was renewed.

"Law & Order" will be back for its 18th season and "Medium" will return, but not until January, when they take over a Sunday time slot filled by football in the fall.

Fourth-place NBC showed signs of life last fall with critically acclaimed shows. The bottom dropped out this spring when the network had its least-watched week in at least 20 years -- then went even lower the following week.

"We've got the class and next season we're ready to add some mass, with new shows that build on the creative accomplishments of last season and are as broad as they are good," NBC entertainment president Kevin Reilly said.

To stretch the normal 22-episode season of "Heroes," which faltered after its long hiatus this year, NBC will add "Heroes: Origins." The spinoff will introduce a new character each week, and viewers will select which one stays for the following season. The two series will have 30 new episodes combined.

Since it found an audience this season with superpowered stars, NBC will remake "Bionic Woman" with Michelle Ryan in the title role.

New series "Journeyman" is about a San Francisco newspaper reporter who travels through time to alter people's lives, and "Chuck" is a thriller about a computer geek who becomes a government agent after spy secrets are embedded in his brain.

Brooke Shields headlines an hour-long series about three high-powered women friends, a script from "Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell.

NBC's other new series, "Life," is a drama about a detective given a second chance after spending years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Illustrating the difficulties in introducing new comedies, NBC said it will have only one new sitcom next season -- and it didn't even earn a spot on the fall schedule. "The IT Crowd" is about a group of people who work in technical services at a large corporation.

The successful game "Deal or No Deal," often NBC's most popular program, will air on Monday and Wednesday nights.

[Kal]

I saw the last few episodes of Studio 60, including the Season (Series) Finale just now. I always liked this and I think it got a lot better over the past episodes. Too bad it got cancelled cause I really think it could get even better for next year.

[MacGuffin]

Seinfeld to Guest Star on 30 Rock
Source: NBC

Jerry Seinfeld returns to NBC in a rare guest-star turn when he appears as himself in the second-season premiere of NBC's critically acclaimed comedy "30 Rock" on October 4 (Thursday, 8:30-9 p.m. ET), it was announced today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

"Thursday night is a powerful comedy line up for NBC. To have Jerry join '30 Rock' for its second season launch is impressive, to have him return even for one night in his old Thursday night turf -- is just classic," said Silverman.

"I was thrilled to be asked to guest star on NBC's hit comedy '30 Rock'. I think it's going to be so refreshing for me to be playing myself in a show that has nothing to do with neurotic, dysfunctional New York characters," said Jerry Seinfeld.

"We're very excited to have Jerry on '30 Rock'. Finally, my parents have an excuse to watch the show," added Tina Fey, star/creator/executive producer of "30 Rock."

Although Golden Globe winner Seinfeld will play himself in the episode, viewers can tune-in to see how he shakes things up with the abrasive network executive Jack Donaghy (Baldwin). He joins an impressive array of actors and personalities who have appeared on "30 Rock," including Paul Reubens, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, John McEnroe, Maury Povich, Ghostface Killah, Elaine Stritch, Sean Hayes, Nathan Lane, Molly Shannon, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell, Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis.

Seinfeld's return to his NBC roots will include not only his guest role on "30 Rock," but he will also create and star in 20 unique live-action comedy "minisodes" (as previously announced), inspired by his experiences creating the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature film Bee Movie, in theaters November 2. NBC Universal will also have the exclusive U.S. broadcast and cable network rights to the film, which features Seinfeld as the voice of Barry B. Benson, a disillusioned bee. Produced by Seinfeld and DreamWorks, the 20 comedy shorts will give viewers a glimpse at Seinfeld's behind-the-scenes antics during production of the movie. The minisodes will run on NBC's primetime schedule this fall, as well as on NBC.com, on designated days before and after the release of the film.

"30 Rock" is told through the comedic voice of Fey (as Liz Lemon) and features Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy) as a top network executive and Tracy Morgan (Tracy Jordan) as the unpredictable star of Lemon's hit variety show, "TGS with Tracy Jordan." Lemon had her hands full this past season, juggling corporate interference from Donaghy and off-the-handle star antics from Jordan, all while attempting to salvage her own personal life.

Also rounding out the cast in the half-hour comedy are: Jane Krakowski (Jenna Maroney) as the deposed star of "TGS," struggling to reclaim her top billing on the show; Scott Adsit (Pete Hornberger) as the variety show's producer whose marriage is seemingly always on the mend; Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the Page) as the over-eager and effortlessly endearing NBC page; Judah Friedlander (Frank) as the sardonic slacker on the writing staff, and Katrina Bowden (Cerie), as the show's clueless but beautiful receptionist.