TVSquad

Edie Falco has been tapped to guest star on three episodes of NBC's 30 Rock. With the success of the new sitcom reaching epic proportions, NBC is doing everything they can to increase the ratings in the second season. Falco is one of many celebrities who are making appearances on 30 Rock including Jerry Seinfeld.

Last season Nathan Lane, Will Arnett, Molly Shannon and Hollywood legend Elaine Stritch all made guest appearances on the sitcom. Arnett will return this season along with Rip Torn and Sherri Shepherd.

I guess some people don't think that NBC is "doing comedy right," and that the days of "Must-See TV" are long gone.

On April 12, NBC's Thursday night lineup of My Name Is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs, and ER got the lowest ratings since the 1987 season. (NBC always finishes third, behind number one CBS and number two ABC.)

I guess I can understand ER not doing that well, since it has been on for quite some time (though the success of Shark surprises me), but I wonder why more viewers - beyond the loyal fans - aren't latching on to The Office and 30 Rock. They're both smart, funny shows, and you'd think more people would watch them, and Scrubs is still good even though it's been on for several seasons. Damn Grey's Anatomy and CSI!

First off, it was a great episode. Dwight shooting Roy in the eyes, all the Toby/Michael stuff (Toby is truly one of the great characters on TV right now), and Ed Helms returning at the end (which I didn't see coming) were all really funny moments. But I'm wondering: was the show really "supersized?"

Oh, I know it was longer. It started at 8pm and got over at 8:40, so it was longer in length, but didn't it seem like there were more commercials than usual? And what about that 4 minute long commercial for 30 Rock? Sure, they increase the length of the episode by 10 minutes, but 4 of those minutes are for an extended promo for another one of NBC's shows? It seemed to be shoved in there and was rather distracting.

I look forward to PopCandy every day, and not just because Whitney is so darned adorable sitting there in her Chuck Taylor's. While that is certainly a better way to start your day than getting a gander at my ugly bearded mugg, she also has some cool content. Like this interview she did with Rainn Wilson from The Office, for example.

Wilson made Whitney's top 100 list again this year, coming in at #17. A deserved ranking I think. The Office hasn't managed to find those glory days Must See TV ratings numbers yet, but it's a great show getting all kinds of good press, largely in part to Wilson's Dwight. They talk about this week's big Christmas episode, the Dwight and Angela relationship (I really want to see the two of them outside the office), and his upcoming projects, among other things. It's a fun read for fans of The Office, or Wilson.

NBC can't exactly claim victory for its first attempt at re-launching Must See TV Thursday nights. Not only did CSI kick the butts of Earl and The Office, but NBC also had fewer viewers than ABC's launch of Dancing with the Stars. The ratings hold good and bad news for NBC. The comedy bloc, which included Will & Grace, Four Kings, My Name is Earl, and The Office, averaged 9.2 million viewers, which is about half of what ABC and CBS each got. NBC not only trailed way behind the other networks in ratings, it also trailed in the coveted 18-49 age group. Earl's ratings weren't as high as they had been when it aired on Tuesday nights, but The Office hit a season high.

I guess I'm part of the minority. I checked out Four Kings and I gave up CSI in favor of Earl and The Office. CSI is getting boring, anyway. What do you choose on Thursday nights?