Let's say that like a certain senior editor of, oh, I don't know, Movieline, your two favorite shows on network television are Lost and 30 Rock. Certainly, now that Lost has had two years to acquaint us with an eight-month hiatus in between seasons, we've grown to expect a certain patience with its scheduling. But what the hell has NBC decided to do with 30 Rock next year?
The Peacock Network just announced what its schedule will look like when the fall season begins, and you know what isn't there? Oh, yeah, 30 Rock. The Tina Fey sitcom will warm the bench as NBC begins with the following lineup:
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday 8:00pm
Parks and Recreation 8:30pm
The Office 9:00pm
Community 9:30pm
The Jay Leno Show 10:00pm
Eventually, NBC promises, SNL Thursday will conclude its multi-episode run, and the network will move Community to 8pm and bring back 30 Rock in its place. But really? Are we still doing this? Sure, delaying 30 Rock made a little sense last season, when NBC used its Palin-loaded SNL Thursdays to make Fey into a phenomenon before 30 Rock came back onto the air. But with ratings much improved, is it still necessary to treat the Emmy-winning sitcom like a coddled, sickly baby (especially when the much more tenuous Parks & Recreation is part of the Thursday night lineup)?