I’m pretty interested to see Jennifer Aniston’s guest stint on 30 Rock this season, and I don’t know why.

I liked Friends a lot, even though it seems pretty trendy to criticize it these days. And I used to think she was going to be a pretty successful movie actress, though besides Office Space and The Good Girl, I can’t think of she’s been in that I really liked. And I surely don’t care about any of her tabloid headlines of the last several years.

Still, she was always pretty funny as Rachel Green, and it is nice to see her return to her NBC roots, even if only for a guest stint on the funniest show on television.

According to reports, she’ll play a “Fatal Attraction”-like stalker of Jack Donaghy, so really, how could that not be funny? Here she talks really briefly about what it was like working with Tina Fey & Co. Read more of this entry »

I would vote for Tina Fey for president in a heartbeat.

I don’t even care if her politics are more like Alec Baldwin’s—OK, maybe not that wacky—than mine. A Fey administration would be the funniest, snarkiest, most surreal since Rutherford B. Hayes ran amok on Pennsylvania Ave. (A real kook, that Rutherford.)

Still, I don’t think it was necessary for John McCain to put Fey’s doppleganger on the ticket to try and lure votes.

OK, not exactly spitting images. Tim Goodman found better comparisons, but hey, this is his day job. The similarity between Fey and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is striking. (Gore looks a lot like Baldwin in that pic, come to think of it.) Try Googling the phrase Fey and Palin and see what comes up. Apparently a lot of other people think so too.

A lot of them are pointing out that it’s too bad Fey doesn’t have her SNL gig where she could portray Palin weekly. I say, bring Palin on 30 Rock. It would help balance the silliness that was former veep Al Gore’s cameo, and it’s not like the show’s trademark isn’t surprising guest stars (i.e. Pee Wee Herman, Seinfeld, etc.).

Speaking of guest stars. Will Arnett is going to be back, which I pretty much figured but was thrilled to see anyway. Jennifer Aniston will be swinging by, too, making her return to the network that made her famous.

Now if only the season premiere wasn’t almost as far away as Election Day.

(Photos: AP, NBC)

In keeping with the episode title format of NBC’s “Chuck,” call this scenario “Chuck vs. the Other Networks.”

Zachary Levi, who deftly plays the dramedy’s charmingly nerdy title character, will be hosting NBC’s prime-time preview special across the network’s broadcast and online platforms from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28. And in this blogger’s humble opinion, there couldn’t be a better choice.

With the proliferation of the Internet, cable networks and other entertainment sources in recent years, it’s no secret that networks these days have a short leash for new series that struggle to find large audiences. (See ABC’s “Emily’s Reasons Why Not”… because no one else did! Hiyo!) Back when “Seinfeld” struggled to find an audience for The Peacock, networks could exhibit more patience in the hope that word of mouth would not only keep a show afloat but, in time, deliver a ratings champion. But it’s no longer the ‘90s, and networks that fail to land quick hits often pull the plug, leaving audiences disappointed by premature cancellation and more wary than ever to dedicate the time to newer series.

Which brings us back to Levi, “Chuck,” the preview special and NBC’s classy gamble. In having Levi host the show, it’s essentially dedicating a half-hour of subliminal advertising to “Chuck,” which was on the bubble as far as second-season pickups were concerned. For its fall preview special a few years ago, NBC showed similar faith in handing over hosting duties to the stars of another show on the ropes: “The Office,” which since has become a critical darling and modest success in the Nielsens. Here’s hoping “Chuck” receives the same boost.

Of course, “The NBC Primetime Preview” will do more than offer “an exclusive backstage look” at new series like “My Own Worst Enemy” (starring Christian Slater), “Kath & Kim” (Molly Shannon and Selma Blair) and “Crusoe” (Philip Winchester and Sam Neill). It’ll also show off some teasers for returning series (“The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Heroes,” “Life,” et al.).

The special’s being offered to all of NBC’s broadcast and Internet affiliates and will even be shown on “selected United Airlines flights.” Chuck’s flown a helicopter, after all, so I suppose that works.

NBC’s premiere week officially kicks off Sept. 22.

(Photo courtesy of NBC.com.)

I don’t blog about 30 Rock much in the offseason. I’m not sure why. It’s easily my favorite show, 1B to The Office’s 1A.

But I’d rather recap episodes than post every blurb that crops up on the interwebs. That said, I found some prime Alec Baldwin morsels to share. I’ve got to do something, right? The show isn’t due back for another THREE MONTHS!!!.

Anyway, Baldwin is a wacky guy. I think even his closest friends and biggest fans (including me) would say that’s a fair statement. Let’s face it, you can’t portray Jack Donaghy and be an ordinary guy in your spare time.

But the approach of the big 5-0 might be taking its toll. After all, his recent musings about a career change have to be giving his agent pause, at least.

He told the L.A. Times he’d rather being singing on Broadway than doing another ditzy sit-com. (Can you imagine the flack a guy without his liberal cred would get if they seemed to call the Tina Fey creation ditzy?) He had to back-track off that comment, though, since 30 Rock is anything but ditzy.

“The fact that we have a smart show with nothing that caustic or harsh is a miracle. To talk about what I want to do to Condoleezza Rice sexually without saying something really, really anatomical — that takes a lot of doing.”

Well, if the Great White Way doesn’t come calling, Baldwin is prepared to feed his news jones and he has just the outlet in mind. It seems from a recent speech, he fancies himself 60 Minutes material. Broadcasting & Cable reports that he said as much to the 6,000 attendees at a recent luncheon where he spoke.

He did his best Andy Rooney, ranting about the difficulties of putting on socks and then proceeded to interview an audience member Mike Wallace-style, asking her if she was a member of the mile-high club.

Do you realize that 30 Rock is still in danger of becoming the next Arrested Development?

It feels like the Funniest Show on Televisionâ„¢ has already had a good long run with lots of gas still in the tank. But really it’s only been two seasons, one of them strike-shortened. And no one is watching!

Well, not no one, but not nearly enough people are tuning in to give diehard fans like myself any confidence that Ben Silverman and the gang at NBC won’t pull the rug out from under Tina Fey and Co. no matter how many awards they pull in or how much praise the suits heap on them. Season 1 averaged an anemic 5.8 million viewers; in Season 2 that jumped to the still-too-low-for-prime-time 6.4 million.

Ratings drive programming, and sit-coms are still an endangered species. Funny just isn’t enough. Ask Will Arnett, the funniest guy on the former title holder of Funniest Show on Televisionâ„¢. (Yeah, that title isn’t really trademarked, but that does make it look more official, no?)

Critics raved about Arrested Development. Its cult following loved it, and so did Emmy (six wins, 15 noms in its three-year run). SAG, TCA and the Golden Globes showed plenty of love too. That didn’t stop trigger-happy Fox from yanking it.

Read more of this entry »

What a week for an Office blogger to be too busy to blog! My head nearly exploded as news of Emmy noms/snubs and spin-offs bombarded my in-box.

Here’s the recap for any Dunderheads who’ve been under a rock the last couple of days. I’m just going to throw my two cents in as I go along.

NEWS: SNL‘er and Tina Fey’s best bud Amy Poehler, aka Mrs. Will Arnett, is the new Michael Scott. She’ll be heading up the spin-off that is set to launch following next year’s Super Bowl. It won’t be a true spin-off but more like a “from the makers of” kind of deal. They’re even poaching writers from The Daily Show. (Sources: THR | AP | Nikki Finke | Ausiello | Some blogger)

REACTION: Best. News. Ever. Seriously, she’s one of the funniest people on television. She’s married to and best friends with two people who share that claim. She’ll be leading a rebranding of my favorite show ever. She joins Human Giant’s Aziz Ansari as the only cast members announced so far, but that’s 2 for 2 in my book.

The idea that Baby Mama made Poehler a bankable star is a little laughable, but whatever it took to convince the suits that she rocks is cool with me.

I love that they’re taking the formula that worked with The Office of building the show around a big but not gigantic name with a hard-core comedy resume (a la Steve Carell). And I love that it’s a woman because women are funny too. I know that’s not a newsflash, but women don’t seem to get all the show-biz breaks men do, which means less funny in the world for me to enjoy.  Yes, it’s all about me.

Read more of this entry »

This is going to be a quickie because it’s three days overdue (hey, the day job calls!), but this week’s episode of Weeds was the best so far this season.

Not only did it contrast with last week’s sleeper, which was only exciting for about the last 30 seconds, but it stood on its own as an awesome half hour of television.

Nancy Botwin is going into retail. Who saw that coming? I mean besides anyone who saw the previews last week. There’s been a lot of discomfort about this season and the abandonment of Agrestic and the surburban dealer-mom premise the show was built around. Well Ren Mar is the new Agrestic, and the maternity store/drug money front is certainly a new take on a familiar theme. Read more of this entry »

Emmy nominations were announced this morning, and the good news: Comedies like “30 Rock” and “The Office” are in the mix for best series, as well they should.

The bad: I swear the only reason “The Wire” isn’t among the best drama nominees is because lazy Emmy voters—i.e. most of them—never saw the show. Despite a phenomenal fifth and final season, it’s only up for one writing award. Its only other nomination, also for writing, was back in 2005.

Geez. Where’s the acting love for Lance Riddick (Daniels), Clarke Johnson (Gus), Michael K. Williams (Omar) or Sonja Sohn (Kima)? The only rationale for no acting nominations I can think of is that so many talented “Wire” actors have split the vote over the last five seasons.

“John Adams” led the Emmy nomination pack with 23, and “Mad Men” (17) and “Damages” (16) were the first basic-cable series to be up for top drama.

I’m sure you’ll hear more Emmy commentary from many of us in the weeks to come before the Sept. 21 broadcast, but here’s the crucial info you need to know.

Drama: “Boston Legal,” “Damages,” “Dexter,” “House,” “Lost” and “Mad Men.”

Comedy: “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Two and a Half Men.”

Best actor—drama: Gabriel Byrne (“In Treatment”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”), Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”), Hugh Laurie (“House”) and James Spader (“Boston Legal”).

Best actress—drama: Glenn Close (“Damages”), Sally Field (“Brothers and Sisters”), Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Holly Hunter (“Saving Grace”) and Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”).

Best actor—comedy: Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”), Steve Carell (“The Office”), Lee Pace (“Pushing Daisies”), Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”) and Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”).

Best actress—comedy: Christina Applegate (“Samantha Who?”), America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) and Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”).

And here’s the complete list of 2008 Emmy nominees.

UPDATE: More good news/bad news, this time in the category of best supporting actress in a comedy series. A long-overdue and well-deserved nod has been given to “Saturday Night Live’s” Amy Poehler, but how in the world is Jenna Fischer snubbed for her work on “The Office”? Instead, the category includes Jean Smart for “Samantha Who?” and Holland Taylor on “Two and a Half Men.” As Poehler herself on Weekend Update would say, “Really?!”

(Photo courtesy of Fox.)

I came across this brief but interesting interview with Jenna Fischer over at a blog called Shared Darkness in which she talks about her disdain for writing and directing.

If you’ve ever seen the film Lollilove – and I recommend it to Office diehards, at least – that was her one and only foray into those specialties. It’s a funny and weird little movie with her now estranged husband James Gunn. And apparently it jumpstarted her creatively but cured her of all but the acting bug.

Here’s what she had to say this week…

“I just learned from doing that film that I’m an actor,” she says. “I approach work very emotionally — like, what’s the emotion, what’s the relationship here? And that’s a part of being a director, but the director is also supposed to think about how things look, how to place things and visually paint a picture. And my brain just did not want to do it, it couldn’t paint the picture. Also, I didn’t want to think about it, because then when I had to go in and act, it made me very self-conscious. So I like having the tunnel-vision of just focusing on character and relationship and emotion. Directing hurt my brain; it’s just not big enough for it.”

“I’ll never do that again as well,” she said of writing. “It was horribly painful as well, I didn’t like it. What was great about doing the movie was how much I appreciate anybody who can conjure up something from nothing, anybody who can write or direct and tell a story visually, and any crew member, too. Directing a movie, you gain such an appreciation for what every person on the set is doing, and how things don’t happen in a vacuum, and that the actor isn’t the most important thing to the movie. They just aren’t. Sometimes you get treated like you are, but that’s just a way to baby you so that you stay calm and sedate. But you aren’t actually very important. And that’s a really good thing to know in Hollywood, to keep some perspective.”

Emmys look to be Office, Rock heavy

It’s a safe bet The Office and 30 Rock are going to do well at the 2008 Emmy Awards on Sept. 21. The nominations will be announced July 17, and the two shows are well represented among the semi-finalists.

Read more of this entry »

I came across this blurb in my e-mail in-box, courtesey of a Google news alert, and decided it was good food for thought.

It’s a blog entry from the Web site of the Conservative magazine National Review. A reader posits that The Office’s Pam Beesly and 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon are both excellent role models for girls.

“Though they’ve made reference to her having premarital sex,” she writes, Pam escaped a dead-end relationship to be with a man who encourages her to pursue her dreams. Liz, meanwhile, “represents all that is cool to young women right now. She’s successful, professional, funny, and cute.” And while Liz is insecure she is also gracefully awkward, an imperfect role model.

My take is that Pam probably is a pretty good role model, at least since she began to take back  her life back at the end of Season 3. Liz Lemon? Well, she’s pretty, successful and funny, but she also dates losers (Dennis) and cousins (The Hair) and lets the good ones get away (Floyd) while she wallows in her Sabor de Soledad and lets Jack steer her personal and professional lives.

I don’t for a second think she’s a bad role model, but I think even Tina Fey would tell you Liz isn’t there to be emulated. She’s there to be funny and maybe easy to relate to.

The blogger at NR had a different take, at least on Pam… Read more of this entry »

For the first time ever, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is announcing the 10 finalists for the Best Comedy and Best Drama categories.

My personal choices for the top 5 in each are in bold. The top 10s are:

Top 10 Comedy Series Finalists

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords (I’d love to see this win)
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock (I expect to win, as it did last year)
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Top 10 Drama Series Finalists

Boston Legal
Damages (Probably will win)
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire (If this doesn’t win, there is no justice.)

That Kristin, she rocks with the TV scoop sometimes. Or even if she’s scoopless, it’s not for lack of access, as the video below reveals.

I know what you’re thinking, Kristin did all the work and all I did was embed the video here? Well, that’s not entirely true. I also prescreened it and can tell you with confidence that there is Tina Fey cuteness, a rare appearance by Katrina Bowden who plays Cerie on 30 Rock and some screen time for Weeds’s Justin Kirk, who plays Andy.

What’s more, I can tell you that if you skip to the 1:58 mark and stop watching at the 4:18 mark, you won’t have to sit through any boring Life or Brothers and Sisters stuff. (OK, now that I’ve alienated fans of those two perfectly fine shows, I should clarify that I’ve never even given either a try.)

Here’s what’s I glean from that… Read more of this entry »

It’s summer time and the TV viewing is sparse.

Me, I’m rewatching 30 Rock Season One and the new season of Weeds now that Battlestar Galactica has gone incognito for 2008. The Office webisodes premiere July 10, but that’s only three minutes a week, roughly. It’ll take some planning and creativity to fill in the many blanks in my viewing schedule.

One way I’ll do that will be to gear up for the second season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles by rewatching the short first season. And I can do that easily  by tuning in to the Terminator marathon Fox has planned.

Starting Aug. 10, the network will replay the nine-episode season in order. If you caught it the first time, this will be a great chance to brush up. If you missed the first go-round, here’s your chance to jump on the bandwagon of a fun and tense show.

The funky schedule, according to TVGuide.com, goes like this:

Sunday, Aug. 10: “Pilot”
Monday, Aug. 11: “Gnothi Seauton”
Tuesday, Aug. 12: “The Turk”
Wednesday, Aug. 13: “Heavy Metal”
Sunday, Aug. 17: “Queen’s Gambit”
Monday, Aug. 18: “Dungeons and Dragons”
Tuesday, Aug. 19: “The Demon Hand”
Wednesday, Aug. 20: “Vick’s Chip”
Sunday, Aug. 24: “What He Beheld”

That takes care of the second and third weeks of August, but I’ve got to keep scrambling until then.

By the way, this made me laugh. Click the pic then just lean back and soak up the weird. Hard to believe that guy kills terminators today.

…Steve Carell tells Time Out New York he wants his own ice cream flavor, and other stuff.

…The Office’s Rainn Wilson and 30 Rock’s Alec Baldwin took part in another Emmy actors roundtable for The Hollywood Reporter, and while Rainn barely gets more t han a few words in edgewise, the loquacious Baldwin weighs in on cursing, tabloids and his dream of an adult-themed space travel show.

…The Season 4 DVD set takes things outdoors, with a cover shot depicting the main cast in the parking lot of Scranton Business Park, as a sneak peak at tvshowsondvd.com reveals. The best part? No Karen like last year. Reminder, the set is due out Sept. 2.

…Network programmers and big-money advertisers are still fretting over the proliferation of DVRs, and who can blame them? Not only has the number of digital recorders doubled in two years, but DVR viewers watch more TV. USA TODAY breaks down how DVRs have actually boosted otherwise sagging numbers for several shows.

In the case of The Office, though, viewership this season actually jumped from a slight decline to a net gain once the so-called “live-plus” numbers are tallied.

…Did you catch The TV Land Awards, where The Office was named a Future Classic? Me neither. Doesn’t matter, thanks to the wonders of online video. You’re welcome.

…And here’s a series of video interviews, in which Steve Carell and Get Smart co-star Anne Hathaway interview one another. Usually these come off like commercials, but in this case they’re entertaining, mainly because the actors involved are down-to-earth, funny and friendly people.

…And this is from the Get Smart red carpet. Hard to imagine Steve and The Rock in a liplock, no?

Season 1 of 30 Rock is keeping me on the treadmill in the morning.

I can get in a good episode-and-a-half before work, and my heart thanks me for it even though it’s tough to laugh and jog simultaneously. I totally forgot about Josh’s spot-on impersonations of Jack and Tracy and about Tracy’s big screen hit, Honky Grandma Be Trippin’.

This nostalgic and cardiovascular look back at the show’s beginnings is timely now that NBC Universal has announced a release date, according to the reliable and comprehensive tvshowsondvd.com, for the interrupted second season: Oct. 14.

Wait a second, that’s not timely at all. Why do networks wait so long to put these season sets out? They insist on timing them to immediately precede an upcoming season premiere.

That’s great from the perspective of the network’s promotional department. It’s not so great for fans looking to catch up or brush up on what they’ve missed. Read more of this entry »

With her new movie, The Promotion, opening Friday, Jenna Fischer was interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR’s Frrresh Aaaiiiirr yesterday. (Don’t you love how Terry speaks? I didn’t always, but she’s grown on me.)

Anyway, amidst several familiar stories, Fischer managed to share a few new insights. The best, I thought, had to do with Office director Ken Kwapis’s long-standing personal interest in the Pam Beesly storyline. Fischer’s recollection of his interaction with her during the filming of the final scene of the season 3 finale was touching and it gives real insight into how she  handled that scene so well.

You can download the interview for free at iTunes or listen to it streaming at npr.org.

Usually when a mainstream network comments on this show, even a network owned by the same parent company, the commentary usually suggests to me that the writer hasn’t seen a lot of episodes.

But in the case of Read more of this entry »

Tim Conway’s recent guest stint on 30 Rock got me thinking about what a funny show The Carol Burnett Show was.

I was too young to know prime time sketch comedy was a dying breed, or even that comic talent of such caliber, all in one place, was a rare thing.

Conway, of course, was the loveable oaf. But his straight man sidekick, Harvey Korman, deserved half the credit for all the laughs they got. In almost explicit homage, they were the Abbott and Costello of their time.

So it was sad news that summoned happy memories to hear that Harvey Korman died yesterdy at age 81. Korman died at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago.

He distinguished himself on the big screen in Mel Brooks’s History of the World, Part I and Blazing Saddles, and the Pink Panther movies. But he is most identified with The Carol Burnett Show, where he spent 10 years, and with Conway, with whom he toured during the 1970s, doing as much as 120 shows a year together.

Photos Right top: In this 1975 file photo, courtesy of CBS, Korman, left, and Conway perform a skit on The Carol Burnett Show in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/CBS, file); Bottom left: In this 2000 file photo, Carol Burnett Show cast members, left to right, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman and Vicki Lawrence appear at a discussion at the Director’s Guild Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Neil Jacobs)

Despite the fact that so many of the shows we follow on this blog involve killing people and blowing things up, many of our favorite actors and actresses are vegetarians.

PETA is holding its annual Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity contest, and here’s the stars from Remote Access shows who are in the running (sorry if I missed anyone!) — and you can vote for one woman and one man, so you can choose your favorite two:

The women

Kristen Bell (Heroes)
Lisa Edelstein (House, M.D.)
Sheryl Lee (Dirty Sexy Money)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes)
Elizabeth Reaser (Grey’s Anatomy)
Perry Reeves (Entourage)
Carrie Underwood (American Idol)

The men

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes)
Ruben Studdard (American Idol)

NBC’s fall slate is out, confirming among other things that The Office returns Sept. 25.

30 Rock doesn’t return until Oct. 30, more than a month later, to make room for prime-time, election-editions of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 9, 16 and 23.

Other highlights include Heroes’s three-hour premiere (which includes an hour-long compilation show) Sept. 22, the Oct. 9 debut of Kath & Kim (9:30 p.m. ET) and the relaunch of Knight Rider Sept. 24 (8 p.m. ET). Entertainment chief Ben Silverman unveiled the lineup today.

Chuck returns (Thankfully!) Sept. 29 (8 p.m. ET) and leads into Christian Slater’s new show, My Own Worst Enemy 10 p.m. ET).

Kath & Kim,” starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, replaces Scrubs —which jumped to ABC—on Thursdays. Reality hit The Biggest Loser launches with a two-hour Families edition, filling the America’s Got Talent slot on Tuesdays.

America’s Toughest Jobs jumps its Summer 2009 scheduled debut with a two-hour episode on Sept. 12 (8 p.m. ET). Check local listings. Its schedule is zany. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10 p.m. ET) starts its 10th season Sept. 23. Read more of this entry »

If there’s an opposite to “blerg!” or an exclamation that’s the equivalent to Sandwich Day, Liz Lemon might be screaming it right now.

With 27 percent of the vote, the “30 Rock” character’s real-life counterpart, Tina Fey, was crowned TV’s hardest worker by Remote Access’ loyal readers. She’s also a writer and exec producer for the show and—with apologies to the amazing Amy Poehler—arguably the headliner of “Baby Mama,” which debuted at No. 1 at the box office. (In retrospect, Poehler’s no slacker, either. Perhaps I should have added her to the list of nominees.)

Fey defeated some stiff competition, and just edged out fellow Must-See TV star Steve Carell, who helms “The Office” and collected 26 percent of the votes. In third was “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest (21 percent), followed by “Lost” guru JJ Abrams (17 percent), Oprah Winfrey (12 percent) and reader-nominated “Flavor of Love” star Flavor Flav (2 percent).

Now time for a new poll: With the “Sex and the City” movie debut approaching, what’s the next HBO series that should be made into a feature-length film?

Lots of intriguing options here, including shows that were allowed to come to unusual conclusions (“The Sopranos”), others that remain on-air (“Entourage”) and still others that deserved a proper sendoff (“Deadwood,” anyone?).

Feel free to add your own nominees, as long as “Arli$$” isn’t one of them. (OK, even Arli$$, if you must.)

(Photo by Heidi Gutman for NBC/Universal.)