30 Rock’s return looking good
-
- March
- 20
Don’t blame ratings-chasing network execs for the dearth of good television these days. Blame whoever’s tuning in to Deal or No Deal, Grease: You’re the One That I Want (Sorry, honey.) and Two and a Half Men.
If 30 Rock were drawing the kind of viewership that has enabled According to Jim’s multi-year run, Tina Fey’s brainchild would be a shoe-in for a sophomore pickup. But its 2.7 average hardly has them popping corks at the real 30 Rock.
So yesterday’s vote of confidence for the show, conveyed to Fey by NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly and reported on Broadcasting & Cable, was a welcome surprise.
“I literally just got off the phone with [Reilly], and he still tells me he will do everything in his power and feels strongly about it,” Fey tells B&C. “We really are lucky to be one of the handful of shows he feels personally responsible forâ€â€us and Friday Night Lights.”
Seems Reilly came aboard promising a return to quality at NBC. Unfortunately, in a world where the worst shows garner the most viewer support – I’m looking at you, Seacrest (Sorry again, honey.) – a return to quality means forsaking gaudy Nielsens.
A shift from 9:30 p.m. to 9 won’t take Fey & Co. out of the Grey’s Anatomy/CSI crosshairs, but it will make for a more natural pairing with the equally brilliant The Office. It’s all about retaining viewership, which 30 Rock proved it could do following Scrubs.
The show breaks its five-week hiatus and assumes its new time slot on April 5 with Fireworks, bringing GOB Bluth himself, Will Arnett, along as a ringer. Al Roker and Chris Parnell also guest star.
Arnett plays a sneaky West Coast exec out for Jack’s (Alec Baldwin) job. Jack, naturally, turns to Kenneth the page (Jack McBrayer) for help. Meanwhile, Tracy (Tracy Morgan) is served with paternity papers, and Pete (Scott Adsit) and Liz (Fey) adjust to life as roommates and co-workers. (Seriously, what is that about?)
That’s a long way off, admittedly. But in the meantime, here’s a link to a clip from Fey’s recent stint on Howard Stern’s show. I’d post it here, but the language is a little iffy. That said, Fey scores extra points for saying what we’re all thinking – and then some – about Paris Hilton.
In other Fey-ish good news, Tina stars with SNL pal Amy Poehler in the upcoming Baby Mama. Fey stars as a single exec at a Whole Foods-type store who wants both a baby and her career. So she hires Poehler to be her surrogate. Filming starts around NYC April 30. Check this out for a great glimpse into Poehler’s psyche these days.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, March 20th, 2007 at 4:38 pm by Brian Howard.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print
| 
Email
This makes me quite happy. I was watching this documentary on the Second City improvers on PBS the other night and I just fell more in love with Fey, Adsit, and Dratch. It better get a second season. Kevin Reilly is the man!!
Why aren’t more people watching this show? They don’t know what they’re missing!
Nice.
The roommate situation sounds really silly. But it’s going to be funnier than whatever drama they have planned for the Office.
GOB is going to be on 30 Rock? I LOVE Will Arnett. The whole AD bunch really. Good news.