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EMMYS: Comedy Farewells

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday June 17, 2013 @ 9:59pm PDTTags: 30 Rock, Emmys, The Office

Ray Richmond is an AwardsLine contributor.

A pair of long-running NBC comedies — 30 Rock and The Office — will be attempting a rare feat this year: They’ll be trying to win a top series Emmy in their final season. Both have tasted victory in the Outstanding Comedy Series race before, The Office taking the prize in 2006 and Rock in 2007, ’08 and ’09. But winning as a last hurrah is a whole other ballgame, though it’s happened four times before: The Mary Tyler Moore Show snared the comedy series prize in 1977, Barney Miller took it in 1982, Everybody Loves Raymond carted off the comedy trophy in 2005, and The Sopranos earned the top drama series statuette in 2007. Many other long-running series have tried to generate Emmy love in their last year. A few, like Seinfeld, have even been favored. (Seinfeld lost in its final season in 1998 to Frasier, which earned its record fifth statuette in a row.) But most series fail to cart off the gold amid the perception that their best days are behind them, whether accurate or not. As one Emmy-winning producer says: “By the time a show is in its final season, it’s no longer considered fresh or cool, and voters much prefer to reward the hot new thing. It’s just human nature.”

Related: EMMYS: Comedy Series Overview

Given this assessment, 30 Rock executive producer Robert Carlock — himself a three-time Emmy winner — admits to having no expectation of winning this year. 
“But I know what I need to do to make it happen,” he adds. “Every time I won, my son made me carry his C-3PO figurine with me. Every time we lost, I forgot 
to bring it. So I think I’ll take it again this year.”

Related: EMMYS: ‘Big Bang Theory’s Science

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That Alec Baldwin Is So Good To His TV Mother!

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday April 8, 2013 @ 1:57pm PDTTags: 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, Tribeca Film Festival
Mike Fleming

While Elaine Stritch played a mom character who drove her executive son crazy on 30 Rock, that Alec Baldwin continues to be a good son, even after the sitcom has gone by the wayside. Or maybe he … Read More »

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’30 Rock’ Gang Says Goodbye To Tina Fey

By JEN YAMATO | Friday February 1, 2013 @ 8:23pm PSTTags: 30 Rock, Tina Fey

When NBC‘s 30 Rock bid adieu to fans on Thursday after seven seasons, 139 episodes, 14 Emmys, and six Golden Globes, the show’s cast and crew got together to send their thank-yous to the woman who made it all possible: Tina Fey. … Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ’30 Rock’ Series Finale Ends Up, ‘Do No Harm’ Lowest Debut Ever

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday February 1, 2013 @ 8:35am PSTTags: 30 Rock, Do No Harm, TV Ratings

After seven seasons NBC’s 30 Rock (1.9/5) ended its run last night with a one-hour special, another Conan O’Brien cameo, a snow globe and some stiff competition. “Our finale is on this Thursday at 8 PM, up against The Big Bang Theory, so just tape The Big Bang Theory for once, for crying out loud!,” Tina Fey said at the SAG Awards last weekend as she accepted the trophy for best female actor in a comedy series. Someone must have been listening because last night’s finale was up 36% over last week’s show and hit its highest viewership total in more than two years with 4.796 million watching. That’s almost 2 million more than the 2.843 million who watched 30 Rock’s Season 6 finale on May 17, which got a 1.4/4 in Live+Same Day ratings.

Related: How Tina Fey’s ’30 Rock’ Lasted Seven Seasons And Changed The Game For Female Comedy Creators

As one show ended on NBC on Thursday another began with the 10 PM premiere of Do No Harm (0.9/3). Though it might not be around for long. Starring Rescue Me alumni Steve Pasquale, the contemporary Jekyll and Hyde was the lowest rated in-season premiere ever of any scripted show on the any of the Big Four networks. Down 55% from last spring’s Awake premiere, Do No Harm pulled in 3.13 million viewers in the slot usually occupied by Rock Center. Read More »

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How Tina Fey’s ’30 Rock’ Lasted Seven Seasons And Changed The Game For Female Comedy Creators

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday January 31, 2013 @ 12:55pm PSTTags: 30 Rock, NBC, Tina Fey

Ray Richmond contributes to Deadline’s TV coverage.

When the NBC comedy 30 Rock leaves the air tonight after seven seasons and 139 episodes, it will be exiting a far different TV landscape than it entered. The series premiered on October 11, 2006 as an anomaly: the original vision of a single creator-producer-writer-star named Tina Fey at a time when TV actors generally stayed in front of the camera (with NBC’s The Office proving a rare exception with its double-duty writer-performers). Fey made no secret of being a writer first and an actress second, and there is little debate that her success paved the way for comedy performers dreaming of some semblance of creative control of the product. Without Fey’s 30 Rock, it’s harder to imagine the environment would have existed for a creator-star like Mindy Kaling to rise with The Mindy Project at Fox, or certainly for a daring and controversial writer-producer-star like Lena Dunham to make Girls at HBO.

That Fey was able to steer her quirky satirical tale on a broadcast network made the achievement all the more unlikely. And then to keep 30 Rock going for so many critically acclaimed seasons when its ratings rarely rose above the level of abysmal is fairly unprecedented. Rock remained, throughout its run, the little engine that could, overcoming long odds and a cancellation ax poised constantly over its head. Those with a good memory will recall that the series  entered NBC’s primetime schedule with two strikes against it — as one of a pair of series launching on NBC that peered behind the scenes of a fictitious sketch comedy show. The other was of course Aaron Sorkin’s hourlong Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, which was the favorite of the two to survive due to the Sorkin pedigree. It’s the one that NBC put its marketing and promotional might behind, plastering Studio 60 on billboards in Times Square and on Sunset Boulevard. Instead, it was SNL vet Fey’s comedic creation that had the artistic legs for the long haul. Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘American Idol’s Second Night Even With 2012

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday January 18, 2013 @ 8:43am PSTTags: 30 Rock, American Idol, The Big Bang Theory, TV Ratings

Fox’s American Idol (5.6/15) was back Thursday for the second night of its Season 12 premiere. Coming off the series’ lowest-rated in-season premiere on Wednesday, last night’s two-hour auditions show was even with last season’s preliminary second-night ratings. Compared night-to-night, Thursday was down four tenths from Wednesday’s 6.0 debut. Not that that’s unusual for Idol, which has seen a drop-off every season from its first to second premiere night. Last season’s 7.4/19 first night (January 18) fell to a 5.7/18 on its second night in final numbers. Last night’s Idol was watched by 16.18 million, compared with the 18.02 who tuned in last year.

Related: Fox’s Mike Darnell Talks ‘American Idol’
Read More »

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Nancy Pelosi To Guest On ’30 Rock’ Finale

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday January 3, 2013 @ 6:35pm PSTTags: 30 Rock, Nancy Pelosi, NBC

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will guest star on 30 Rock‘s series finale, an NBC spokesperson confirmed to Deadline today. No word if Pelosi would play anything other than herself on the show’s one hour January 31st episode. “I would do almost anything Tina Fey asked me to do,” Pelosi said to The Washington Post today in a statement about her scripted TV debut. Pelosi is one of several politicians who have appeared on the Emmy Award-winning show, including former Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (all of whom played themselves). Pelosi also is no stranger to Primetime TV. Over the years she’s made the rounds on daytime and nighttime talk shows, Read More »

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PGA Awards TV: ‘Homeland’, ‘Downton Abbey’ And ‘Louie’ Enter Series Fray

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday January 2, 2013 @ 5:01pm PSTTags: 30 Rock, Louie, Modern Family, PGA Awards
Nellie Andreeva

PGA Awards‘ weird eligibility window on the TV side made for another field with an outdated feel, like the comedy series nomination for HBO‘s Curb Your Enthusiasm, which has not aired originals for the past year and a half. The PGA Awards follow the Primetime Emmys calendar despite taking place six months later, honoring programs that aired between June 1, 2011-May 31, 2012.

With that in mind, there were only minimal surprises in the series nominations this year, most notably the omission of HBO’s freshman comedies Girls and Veep and last year’s best drama series winner Boardwalk Empire. Modern Family has a shot at a third consecutive PGA Award with another best comedy series nom alongside returning nominees 30 Rock and The Big Bang Theory as well as FX‘s Louie. This extends Louie‘s momentum. After largely flying under the radar for the first two seasons, the series’ third season earned a first Emmy award in September, its first SAG and Golden Globe nominations last month and now a first PGA nomination. Missing the cut this time are last year’s nominees Parks & Recreation and Glee, though Glee co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk landed a TV movie/miniseries nom for the first season of American Horror Story. Read More »

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Jack Burditt Signs Overall Deal With Universal TV

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday December 17, 2012 @ 4:57pm PSTTags: 30 Rock, Big Deals TV, Jack Burditt, Universal Television
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Television has secured another key member of departing 30 Rock. Series executive producer Jack Burditt has signed a two-year overall deal with the studio behind the Emmy-winning NBC comedy, which ends its seven-season run January 31. Burditt joins 30 Rock creator/star/executive producer Tina Fey and star/producer Alec Baldwin, who also recently signed deals with Universal TV to remain at the studio following 30 Rock‘s end. “We are thrilled to continue our relationship at the studio with Jack after his invaluable contribution to 30 Rock,” Uni TV’s EVP Bela Bajaria said. “He’s a great showrunner and is a welcome addition to our roster.” Read More »

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Alec Baldwin Signs Overall Deal With NBC

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday December 3, 2012 @ 10:17am PSTTags: 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Big Deals TV, NBC, Universal TV
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: As he is wrapping his first starring TV series role on NBC‘s 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin is staying in business with the network and the studio behind the departing Emmy-winning comedy. I’ve learned that Baldwin, whose turn on 30 Rock has earned him two Emmys, has signed a two-year overall deal with Universal Television. Under the pact, Baldwin, who also serves as a producer on 30 Rock, will develop and produce series projects for the studio, including potential new starring vehicles for him. Baldwin joins his 30 Rock co-star, the series’ creator Tina Fey, who recently signed a new four-year overall deal with Universal TV. The pact assures Baldwin’s continued presence in the TV business. He had indicated that he may leave acting post-30 Rock for “more of a normal life,” and also has been constantly rumored for a potential political career. The current seventh and final season of 30 Rock ends January 31. Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ’30 Rock’ Up, ‘Scandal’ Hits High, ‘Office’ & ‘Parks & Rec’ Hit Lows

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday November 30, 2012 @ 10:36am PSTTags: 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal
Nellie Andreeva

Big life celebrations scored in the ratings last night. The Liz Lemon wedding episode of NBC’s departing 30 Rock drew a 1.3/4 in adults 18-49 and 3.6 million viewers. That was up 8% from its last original two weeks ago and the comedy’s best demo rating since Oct. 11 and largest viewership this season. Meanwhile, ABC’s sophomore drama Scandal (2.2/6) popped 10% from its last episode two weeks ago to hit a season high. (In adults 18-34, it hit a series high). That is with Scandal‘s lead-in, Grey’s Anatomy (3.0/8), dipping 6% from two weeks ago to tie its season low. No dead cat bounce for ABC’s Last Resort. In its first airing post cancellation news, the freshman drama (1.0/3) fell 17% from two weeks ago to a series low.

Fox’s Glee (2.2/6), which featured the latest cover of Psy’s ubiquitous Gangham Style, bounced back 47% following the depressed numbers last week when the network aired originals on Thanksgiving. (Fox’s fast nationals for last night may be slightly inflated because of an NFL preemption in New Orleans). The X Factor (2.7/8) was actually down a tenth from last week’s telecast, which was boosted by a football lead-in. Read More »

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NBC Sets ’30 Rock’ Finale, ‘Do No Harm’ Premiere Date; ‘Do No Harm’ Gets Thursday 10 PM Slot; ‘Rock Center’ Moves To Fridays

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday November 30, 2012 @ 10:09am PSTTags: 30 Rock, Do No Harm, NBC
Nellie Andreeva

NBC‘s experiment with a newsmagazine in the iconic Thursday 10 PM time slot is over. The network just announced that midseason drama Do No Harm will move into the time period on January 31, following the hourlong series finale of 30 Rock, which will air the same night from 8-9 PM, The Office and newbie 1600 Penn. The low-rated Rock Center With Brian Williams will move to Fridays beginning February 8 and air in the “newsmagazine” 10 PM slot, bumping Dateline to 9 PM. Dateline will take over Grimm‘s slot while the supernatural drama is on a hiatus. When Grimm returns to its 9 PM berth March 8, I hear Dateline will either get off Fridays (by then the Sunday edition will already have launched post-football), or replace Rock Center if the show does not get any traction on its new night. “January 31 will be a special night as one classic series will mark its finale with a great hour-long sendoff episode while a promising new drama will make its debut on Thursdays,” said NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt. Read More »

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Ratings Rat Race: First ‘X Factor’ Live Show Soft As Most Series Suffer Halloween Drops

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday November 1, 2012 @ 10:10am PDTTags: 30 Rock, Ratings, The X Factor
Nellie Andreeva

Between trick-or-treating for parents and partying for singles, adult 18-49 usage was down 7% from 8-11 PM last night vs. last Wednesday. Most series posted week-to-week declines, many of them of the double-digit variety.

The X Factor had its first live show, introducing hosts Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian, whose bra-less appearance proved “very distracting” even for Simon Cowell. X Factor (2.6/8 in the fast nationals, 2.7 in the finals) was down 23% from the show’s last Wednesday episode. Vs. its first live show last fall, X Factor was down 40%. Some of the decline can be explained with the fact that X Factor was originally not scheduled to air Wednesday. The live show was added Monday, and not all programming guides/DVRs picked up the change. Fox still won the night in 18-49.

NBC’s 30 Rock (1.2/4 in 18-49, 3.6 million viewers) aired an original last night with even shorter notice than The X Factor — NBC only made the move Tuesday afternoon as part of a string Hurricane Sandy-related scheduling changes. The departing comedy held OK — flat with its last two airings in its regular Thursday 8 PM slot (30 Rock also tied last week’s episode of Animal Practice, which it replaced last night) and posting a season high in total viewers. Guys With Kids (1.4/4) also was flat with last week. Law & Order: SVU (1.7/5) was down 11% from last week’s 300th episode. Freshman Chicago Fire (1.5/4) was down 17% to a series low and last-place finish at 10 PM. (On the bright side, it was the only 10 PM show not to drop from the first to second half hour). Both Guys With Kids and Chicago Fire have orders for five extra scripts while NBC is mulling their future. Read More »

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NBC Picks Up Two Projects From ’30 Rock’ Co-Exec Producer Ron Weiner

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday October 11, 2012 @ 12:38pm PDTTags: 30 Rock, NBC

Ron Weiner will continue to work with NBC after 30 Rock ends this season, selling two projects to the network. The first, an untitled workplace comedy, is set up via 20th Century Fox TV and … Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ’30 Rock’ Debuts Down, ‘Parks & Recreation’ Up, ‘Elementary’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ & ‘Last Resort’ Slip, ‘Big Bang Theory’ Wins Night

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday October 5, 2012 @ 9:47am PDTTags: 30 Rock, Elementary, The Big Bang Theory, TV Ratings

There was only one season premiere on television on Thursday and its ratings were way down. Falling 28% from last season’s January premiere, NBC’s 30 Rock (1.3/4) returned for its seventh and final season last night. That’s the lowest season premiere ever for the Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin show. Emphasizing the point, Thursday’s 30 Rock was also down 7% from its May finale and 24% from last fall’s September 22 season premiere of Community in the Thursday 8 PM slot. Two new series that debuted last week also saw slippage last night. ABC’s Last Resort (1.8/6) was down 18% from last week’s already modest premiere. With the second episode of its debut season, Elementary (2.6/7) slipped last night too. CBS’ Sherlock Holmes modernization was down 16% from last Thursday. Read More »

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Tina Fey Stays In NBC Fold With New Deal

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday September 25, 2012 @ 12:02pm PDTTags: 30 Rock, Big Deals TV, NBC, Tina Fey
Nellie Andreeva

Tina Fey plans to keep her 30 Rock TV address after the end of her NBC series. The 30 Rock creator/executive producer and star has signed a new four-year overall deal with series producer Universal Television to develop new projects for the studio. The deal kicks in next year. Fey segued to 30 Rock after a stint on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, where she became the first female head writer. Read More »

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Maulik Pancholy Departs ‘Whitney’, Returns To ’30 Rock’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday August 22, 2012 @ 6:00pm PDTTags: 30 Rock, Whitney
Nellie Andreeva

Whitney regular Maulik Pancholy has been let go from the comedy after one season. However, the actor is staying on NBC, jumping back to 30 Rock. On the 13-episode seventh and final season of 30 Rock, Pancholy will reprise his … Read More »

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Alec Baldwin Returns To Broadway In ‘Orphans’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday June 27, 2012 @ 6:06pm PDTTags: 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin will return to Broadway next spring in Lyle Kessler’s Orphans. This will be Baldwin’s first project post-30 Rock, which will conclude its final season on … Read More »

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Upfront 2012: More Returning Than New Series With Shorter Orders This Year

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 17, 2012 @ 5:13am PDTTags: 30 Rock, Body of Proof, Community, Gossip Girl, Next Caller, Red Widow, Whitney
Nellie Andreeva

UPDATED: Last year, most midseason series received shorter orders for fewer of the standard 13 episodes new shows get. That included ABC’s GCB (10), The River (8) and Scandal and Don’t The B—- (7), CBS’ Rob … Read More »

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