Yes, NBC is having a bad fall — the kind that requires hip replacement. Yes, the sets of Twenty Good Years are, at this very moment, being chopped up for firewood, as hungry, hobo-like executives slaughter the actual NBC peacock and roast it over the flames. Yes, Studio 60 is self-congratulatory coastal chauvinism at its worst. But there’s good news — potentially good news, anyway. The promising, if still uneven 30 Rock (starring Tina Fey, pictured) has been given a stay of execution. Better yet, it’s been grouped with the net’s strongest comedies into a fearsome laugh armada (a term I prefer to the Soviet-sounding "comedy block"): My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock and Scrubs (in a triumphant, told-you-so return) will join forces on a night NBC used to call… Must-See Thursday.
At NBC, "Thursday" must have an Agincourt-like ring to it. It’s the sacred spot where a great Nielsen battle was fought and won, where names like Seinfeld, Aniston, even Schwimmer commanded the respect of a grateful nation. Can NBC recapture that Must-See Glory with a passel of brainy post-sitcom sitcoms? I don’t give a crap — only my TiVo does. (As long as it gets to sleep in the next morning.) I’m just glad to see a network embracing smart, ambitious comedy, if only for one night a week. Let their powers combine! (But please, let them not form a blue-skinned Ted Turner-designed superhero with a flattop, unless it’s sweeps.)
Now all Thursday needs is a drama nightcap at 10 — maybe something alittle fresher than ER. If Studio 60 were a) good and b) performing upto snuff, I’d suggest slotting it at 10 and completing both the comedyarc and the "brainy block" aspects of the programming schedule. Alas,it’s not to be.
And what about all those other nights of the week? No worries. I’ve got it covered.
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30 Rock is hysterical. I watched it for the first time last night, and Alec Baldwin had me laughing the entire time he was on. Seriously, if he doesn’t get an Emmy nomination out of this, there is no justice in TV land (wait, when shows like Arrested Development get cancelled, has there ever been?). Anyway, those four comedies are, by far, the best on network TV, and NBC definitely is making Thursday Must-See again. Unfortunately, they’re also on at the same time as Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy, so, alas, my DVR will be on hyperdrive Thursday nights. Couldn’t NBC have done this on, I dunno, Tuesdays or something?
I’m just here because I love Scott Brown for standing up and saying STUDIO 60 is bad, while every other critic in the u.s. makes love to the screen when this Aaron Sorkin crap fest comes on.
Studio 60, worst show of the year, hey, It’s the worst show I have seen in my short tv watching existence.
Has it been canned yet? cause I have a bottle of cheap champagne at the ready when the announcement comes!
Thank you, NBC! I love 30 Rock, but thanks to a crappy time slot and an equally crappy partner, I thought it might be doomed. But by grouping it with the only other good sitcoms on network TV, NBC has given it a real chance to find its footing. If only they had gone with this strategy from the beginning! If you ask me, this is definitely must-see TV — the only network sitcoms in ages that aren’t formulaic and sucky! (Except for Arrested Development, which I miss way too much)
Aw, “20 Good Years” got canceled? It was pretty funny, but I guess I won’t miss it too much. I do really like “30 Rock”, though. That, “Earl,” and “The Office”? Sounds like a good night!
Considering ER is doing its best in years. No way will NBC replace it, or move it a new night. It helps them have a bit of dignity on Thursday’s. I want NBC to succeed. But going against Grey’s Anatomy and CSI is not the answer. When after those two shows, there is very little ratings left!
Yay! According to that link, “Medium” will be back soon!
friday night lights…
thats it, i got nothing else…i’ve exhausted myself…(raises hand limply…croaks…”please don’t cancel friday night lights…”)
If so many EW staffers find so many faults with “Studio 60″, why did they make it one of the 5 TV Shows to Watch in the latest issue over “30 Rock”? I mean “Ugly Betty”, “Heroes” and “The Nine” were great picks, but “30 Rock” should have been in there over both “Studio 60″ and “Jericho”
And now I must say goodbye to “CSI” and/or “Supernatural”, blah
For the record, “20 Good Years” hasn’t officially been cancelled yet, but it might as well have be.
While I’m glad 30 Rock is being given a chance, (it’s the only new show I’m watching) how much of a chance is it going to have against CSI & Grey’s Anatomy? That’s 40 million viewers who WON’T be tuning in for the Girlie Show. I say keep it where it is, or maybe make it Must-See-Tuesday?
i’m sorry. i love studio 60. i will be upset if it goes.
This is great news. 30 Rock is as clever as Studio 60 is pretentious. Even better, NBC is finally recognizing that Scrubs is as original and funny as the Office and Earl.
I think this is a great idea; a good counter-programming move, especially for those of us who aren’t fans of procedurals or soaps.
30 Rock is smart, it’s clever, it’s funny….. loved last night’s episode and I sincerely hope that the new programming changes improve viewership. Absolutely love the show and all its characters.
I heart Scrubs. And even though I broke up with ER prior to the season starting, I must agree with Stacey and say that ER has been pretty damn good so far. Oh yeah and I love Studio 60 – suck on that Brown.
I think the studios killed some of their new shows by putting them on at 10 p.m. during the week. I have a hard time staying awake when I get up at 6 a.m., so I end up watching them on DVR later in the week. This does not count toward their Nielsen Ratings and thus affects their decision-making. Bad studios! I think Studio 60 would have performed better at 9 p.m. (as West Wing had done) and too Smith at 9 p.m. I also worry about The Nine since it’s been relegated to 10 p.m. What’s with this shift? Put Deal or No Deal on at 10 p.m. That’s perfect bedtime viewing. Who cares if they fall asleep before the end?
I am actually really not happy about this line up! Thursday nights already belong to Grey’s Anatomy and TiVo already belongs to CSI. How am I ever going to be able to watch beloved Scrubs and new enjoyment 30 rock? I don’t think this line up will fix NBC’s thursday problem but it might kill 30 Rock. I mean it is the most competitive night of the week. I’d rather the show say in it’s current time slot and have scrubs go to its past spot on tuesday nights.
Now they just need to think about making My Name is Earl good again…I thought too much Joy was a good thing, but I may have been wrong!
Anything that gives 30 Rock (and Scrubs) a chance, I’m game. 9:30 is the better time for Tina Fey and although Grey’s Anatomy is on at the same time, we’ll watch them all. This is, I think, good news.
I love this block!
I love this block!
I love this block!
If 30 Rock keeps improving, this will be one of the funniest two-hour blocks in YEARS. However, they should put Office at 9:00 to tentpole with Earl.
The only issue with this is that while Scrubs is one of my very favorite shows on TV right now, it is going to get beaten like a rented mule by Grey’s and CSI.
Again, I would like to know if Nielsen’s rating system is keeping up with the technology available to most viewers. Because if it doesn’t take tapings or DVR recordings into account, the system is worthless.
Allie -’Deal or No Deal’ can’t be moved to 10pm. It’s a family show; that’s too late for families to watch. NBC is putting it on for two hours starting at 8pm on Thanksgiving night.
YAY! Now I can watch “30 Rock” at its regularly scheduled time, instead of by rerun on Bravo!
What? What’s that you say? It’s competing against “Grey’s Anatomy” now?
…
Thank you, Bravo, for still making it possible for me to watch “30 Rock”!
Isn’t this Scrubs final season since Zach “I’m so into sad-sensitive indy-rock” Braff is leaving the show to make movies? Scrubs totally fits with the rest of those shows, but I really don’t want them to fit in some other awful show next year, like Twenty Good Years. I’m actually really looking forward to this, since these are all some of my favorite shows. I can catch CSI in re-runs or syndication and I was already content to give up on the ridiculousness that is Grey’s Anatomy – I just needed an excuse. Thanks to NBC, Tina Fey & the Girlie Show provide me ample reason to forget about the manipulative dreck that ABC is airing.
ER will probably stick around on Thursday nights, but the perfect replacement for it would be Friday Night Lights. Unfortunately, that show hasn’t yet gained an audience. I have no idea what’s behind NBC’s decision to try Friday Nights Lights out on Monday’s, where it will mainly compete for its target audience against… Monday Night Football. Seems kind of like a bone-head move, unless they are hoping everyone will tune in during half-time of the game. Still, doesn’t seem like the best method of attracting a solid audience.
I watched 30Rock once. It was horrible. I felt like I was watching Tina Fey’s most embarrassing moments. I’m a big fan of hers, too.
I think placing Scrubs in the Thursday 9 pm slot would have been genius two years ago when it was just up against CSI. Now, given that it’s up against Grey’s, too, I don’t think it stands a chance. I’m a loyal ZB fan, but I think this is NBC saying “Let’s let the market kill it instead of us doing it and looking like the bad guy”.
Way to kill another good show, NBC. Thanks.
I totally agree with you Tyler. I think that “Friday Night Lights” should not be on on Mondays. What are they thinking??!! What sucks is that I really, really like this show and I’m starting to really get into it. I think this’ll have to be a word of mouth kind of show to get that solid audience. To me, it has a little bit of everything in it.
I hope it doesn’t get cancelled
Howard,
Nielsen’s Rating take Tivo (and I think DVR) into the ratings count ONLY if the show is watched on the same day as it aired (and they measure that as 3 a.m.-3 a.m. EST). So if, like me, you often watch 10 p.m. shows the next day, it does not get added to the ratings.
It would make more sense to count the shows you record if you are a TIVO or DVR user (since, austensibly, you are going to be watching the shows). Although, Nielsen’s really affect marketing and ad buys, so technically TIVO and DVR users aren’t targeted audiences since we fastforward through the money (advertisements), but I digress….
YES! Finally NBC makes a good decision
HA! If you look at last weeks popwatch, myself and several others said they should move 30 Rock to Thursdays! good to know the industry is reading this! and am very excited about a Thursday comedy block. Will the execs there have the cojones to let it happen over time? Who knows? But if the idea of 30 Rock, Earl, The Ofice, and Scrubs on the same night does not get you excited, then you don’t know comedy.
If you only caught the pilot of 30 Rock, check it out again as it is getting funnier and funnier. Alec Baldwin is the true comic genuis of the show.
NBC gets points for saving Scrubs and 30 Rock, yes, but loses major points for their diabolical plot to rid the 8:00 hour of all scripted programming. When will we realize reality TV is the devil’s tool?