TVSquad

I think ER first started saying farewell like eight years ago or something. Then last year was the final season. Then this year was the final season. And now NBC has added three more episodes to the final season of ER to push the last episode back just a little bit more. Of course, the end result is that this season of ER is now 22 episodes which makes it the same length as any other normal season. It also gives them a little more time to come up with an excuse to renew the show for another year and make next season it's new final season. What else do you have going on NBC?

They'd have to move it to 9:00 though because of Jay Leno, but it's not like the NBC lineup is brimming with hits they'll have to shuffle around. Of course, there is new programming to think about. In fact, the deal that netted the additional three installments was part of a negotiation involving Warner Bros. TV and another show they've got in development called Police, about the ... uh ... police ... in LA.

Apparently Warner Bros. TV is all about the incredibly generic television show title. Imagine applying that rule across the board, to simplify television. Cheers would have just been called Bar. House becomes Ass, Two and a Half Men becomes Sex Jokes, and According to Jim becomes Schedule Filler.

What was once a 12-episode deal for Police has now become an "almost" six-episode one, which is essentially nothing at all but a chance. Nevertheless, in the wake of NBC's essentially moving to a two hour per night programming schedule, any signs of hope for pending programs has to be something to grab onto.

And with ER performing respectably for the peacock, a few more installments of that staple can't be a bad idea either. Again, what else does NBC have going on for themselves? Are they just going to move toward a schedule filled with various low-budget shows involving Howie Mandel and Jay Leno?