Interesting piece in The New York Times that asks the question: where the hell is 30 Rock?The third season of the show won't bow until October 30, but you would think that the show would want to launch a week or two earlier because of all of the attention that Tina Fey is getting for her Sarah Palin impersonation on Saturday Night Live, her Emmy win, and her new mega-million dollar book deal. So how come the show hasn't premiered yet? They must have an episode or two done for the new season.
NBC head Ben Silverman says that it's all party of the strategy (I'm beginning to think that NBC really doesn't have a strategy, only hunches). He wants to make sure that the show can air at 9:30 so it gets the Office lead-in, and not in an 8pm or 8:30 time slot right now. But really, come on. I'm sure that NBC could find 30 minutes the season opener SOMEWHERE. Silverman even says that they could have put 30 Rock on instead of Kath & Kim, but they're not going to do that. Because Kath & Kim is the best new show of the season.*
When I saw the season premiere schedule and saw that 30 Rock wasn't going to premiere until the end of October, my heart sank. Knowing now that it still won't come any sooner just makes it worse.
*Sarcasm
Update: NBC has come up with a solution: they're going to have the season premiere online first, on October 23! You can check out a preview of the new season below.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-13-2008 @ 4:54PM
colby said...
Don't forget ... the premiere may be on the 30th, but it's going to be posted to NBC.com for viewing a week earlier (23rd). Can't wait : D
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10-13-2008 @ 5:12PM
Tacocartguy said...
Honestly, I thought this was all common knowledge at TV Squad Towers, considering you guys have had the entire fall schedule up for a while now, and I believe I read it here first that 30 Rock was gonna be on Hulu, NBC.com, etc. on the 23rd, and the broadcast premiere on the 30th.
I'm just surprised at your surprise, I guess.
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10-13-2008 @ 5:50PM
Frank said...
ooooh, interesting.
I'd LOVE to see the numbers on that.
I gotta think that online premiere's gonna be huge.
And I'm totally curious how it will affect ratings the next week for the TV premiere.
I'm guessing online should only help the TV ratings, but there's a definite chance it could cannibalize ratings. (i mean, I'll watch online on the 23rd, and I'll definitely watch again on TV, but I could see alot of the folks that skip it on the 30th since they;ve already seen it, especially the TiVo crowd)
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10-13-2008 @ 5:53PM
Dan said...
It's lame! TV Network Executives seem to be a bunch of crap-flinging monkeys. Kath and Kim was terrible. 30 Rock and Scrubs are FAR superior programs. I miss the best comedy on TV and can't wait for it to come back on 10-23.
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10-13-2008 @ 7:01PM
Arclight said...
I guess NBC prioritized shilling for Obama and bashing McCain/Palin over getting 30 Rock's veiwership numbers up
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10-13-2008 @ 10:01PM
B said...
"Oh noes my candidate sucks and all I can do is blame everybody except my candidate!"
10-13-2008 @ 7:50PM
Usama said...
I'm so looking forward to Oct 30. I'm glad it's that late, separate it from some of the other shows. Also gives me a chance to focus more on school ;-)
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10-13-2008 @ 9:36PM
C C said...
30 Rock's "late" season premiere may have to do with a possible SAG strike. Though the probability of a SAG strike was weaker than last year's WGA strike, the industry still came into this fall prepared for one. I think SAG's board is going to meet next week to decide whether to hold a strike vote. If a strike does take place, it will start in late November or early December.
Anyway, if there are only 2-4 new 30 Rock's this fall, there will be episodes leftover to air in January and February-convienently providing NBC with fresh programming to counter a possible strike.
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10-14-2008 @ 11:18AM
willy the impeached said...
Once again Silverman provides the case for late term abortion. Could anyone seriously, willing want to have a child this dumb? Right to choose people! Them babies are dangerous.
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