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NBC renews 'Community' for season 4

NBC renews '30 Rock' for seventh and final season

Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and company will get a 13-episode victory lap

By Alan SepinwallThursday, May 10, 2012 4:56 PM

Tina Fey and company will be back for one final season of "30 Rock."

Credit: NBC

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Still more news from the NBC bubble: "30 Rock" has been renewed for a seventh and final season of 13 episodes, to premiere sometime next season.

There's been speculation that several of NBC's Thursday comedies would get this treatment, but it made the most sense for "30 Rock," which is an older, more expensive show and has never done all that well in the ratings. Tina Fey has said publicly that she understands NBC can't keep financing her cult comedy in perpetuity, but that she'd like some kind of warning when the end is coming so she can write to it.

Now she knows, and now Alec Baldwin can stop predicting the end of the show every three months, because we know when it's actually coming.

My reaction to this news can be summed up in one word: BANJO!

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

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May 10, 2012 at 5:03PM EST Reply to Comment
mccommas

Despite the mediocre ratings over the years, 30 Rock has been a very good show for NBC.
May 10, 2012 at 5:05PM EST Reply to Comment
- mccommas Numerous Emmys. Supportive press. High profile guest stars. I also think NBC would like to stay in the Tina Fey business going forward if she decides to continue with TV.
  May 10, 2012 at 5:08PM EST
gregel

Yay! Love it.
May 10, 2012 at 5:06PM EST Reply to Comment
Roger

"and now Alec Baldwin can stop predicting the end of the show every three months"

Amen.
May 10, 2012 at 5:06PM EST Reply to Comment
DEPSexton

Glad that it's going to get a proper ending.

Now, just got to hope for Community, Parks & Rec and Nikita
May 10, 2012 at 5:09PM EST Reply to Comment
- 7s Tim One of these things is not like the other
  May 10, 2012 at 5:11PM EST
- teacher "Question 1: find the odd one".
  May 10, 2012 at 5:23PM EST
- DEPSexton Yet, they all have awesomeness in common
  May 10, 2012 at 5:35PM EST
- DonBoy "In five years, we'll all be working for [Kenneth]...or dead by his hand."
  May 10, 2012 at 5:53PM EST
J

In some alternate universe, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is just starting to hit its stride.
May 10, 2012 at 5:12PM EST Reply to Comment
- pamelajaye LOL
  May 10, 2012 at 5:14PM EST
- nic919 It must be in the universe where everyone wears an evil mustache.
  May 10, 2012 at 9:38PM EST
- oliver And blimps fly over a bronze Statue of Liberty...
  May 10, 2012 at 10:48PM EST
LJA

Thrilled for this but so worried about the other two comedies now...
May 10, 2012 at 5:12PM EST Reply to Comment
M

Why is this getting an abbreviated final season when it's still funny, but the The Office is unwatchable, looks like it's gonna lose castmembers, has ratings that have fallen off a cliff, yet has no end in sight?
May 10, 2012 at 5:13PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Its ratings are still significantly higher than 30 Rock's. Money money money. And my guess is that next season is the last for that, too, leading into the Dwight spin-off.
  May 10, 2012 at 5:16PM EST
- I've got to disagree about the Office, it's been on a roll lately. It's not as good as it used to be, but it's still funny
  May 10, 2012 at 5:24PM EST
- Freddie The Office is a fetus that has been aborted from a fetus that was aborted - and that's on a good day
  May 11, 2012 at 12:29PM EST
js

i can't imagine my life without 30 Rock. Damn!
May 10, 2012 at 5:14PM EST Reply to Comment
Dr. Gross

I'm always happy to see a great show end in a dignified manner, rather that getting its legs cut out prematurely and/or without warning. Tina Fey gets to end on it her own terms. Good stuff.
May 10, 2012 at 5:15PM EST Reply to Comment
LJA

p.s. LMAO @ "Banjo!"
May 10, 2012 at 5:16PM EST Reply to Comment
- AW "I'll kill you Cr@cker!!"
  May 10, 2012 at 5:26PM EST
- Bgklein I feel like Jon Hamm is quickly becoming the next Tom Hanks, willing to make a cameo and basically do whatever and it is always funny
  May 10, 2012 at 6:31PM EST
Jason

I'll be sad to see it end, but I'm excited to see what they do for a final season. I don't understand (and probably never will) how a show with big names and critic response doesn't attract viewers but The Office still does after such a boring season. At this point, I'd kill for D'Angelo Vickers to return
May 10, 2012 at 5:25PM EST Reply to Comment
Lazy Iggy

I am really excited for Tina Fey and so looking forward to how she is going to end everything with time to prepare.... will there be a lemon party for a pregnant liz in her future? hmmmmm....
May 10, 2012 at 6:32PM EST Reply to Comment
- Kurt A lemon party? My gut says no.
  May 10, 2012 at 7:11PM EST
West Eastman

I'm okay with 30 Rock coming to an end. It had some off seasons, but it rebounded nicely, and I'll be glad to see it go out on a high note. I'd rather see a show I like come to an appropriate end than see it grow into a show I hate. If The Office had ended last season, I'd have remembered it fondly. Now the bad nearly outweighs the good. I have faith that Tina Fey and company will produce something really great.
May 10, 2012 at 7:19PM EST Reply to Comment
- TMB Seems appropriate to me that Liz Lemon, the modern day Mary Tyler Moore, gets the same 7-year run. Maybe Liz will get a new apartment for the final season with a giant 'L' hanging on the wall...
  May 10, 2012 at 10:50PM EST
- Freddie If the Office had ended last season it still would have been a couple of seasons late. They should have had everybody die on the boat at the wedding.
  May 11, 2012 at 12:32PM EST
ABR

Hey Alan, I noticed on the Community renewal (Yay!) article that you mentioned 30 Rock as being expensive in comparison. They're both single-camera comedies, so besides 30 Rock having Alec Baldwin, what makes it so expensive?
May 10, 2012 at 8:33PM EST Reply to Comment
- DavidW For one thing, older show = contractual raises each year
  May 10, 2012 at 8:49PM EST
- Prettok A cast of a dozen+, high profile guest stars, location shooting in midtown manhattan, Lorne Michaels, all those Coke parties.
  May 10, 2012 at 10:44PM EST
bigperm33

I love 30 Rock, but one more season seems about right. I just wish it was a full season. For how good it has been, I feel like it deserves a final full season. But 13 is better than nothing.
May 10, 2012 at 11:29PM EST Reply to Comment

NBC renews '30 Rock' for seventh and final season

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mccommas Despite the mediocre ratings over the years, 30 Rock has been a very good show for NBC.

mccommas Numerous Emmys. Supportive press. High profile guest stars. I also think NBC would like to stay in the Tina Fey business going forward if she decides to continue with TV.

gregel Yay! Love it.

Roger "and now Alec Baldwin can stop predicting the end of the show every three months"Amen.

DEPSexton Glad that it's going to get a proper ending. Now, just got to hope for Community, Parks & Rec and Nikita

7s Tim One of these things is not like the other

teacher "Question 1: find the odd one".

DEPSexton Yet, they all have awesomeness in common

DonBoy "In five years, we'll all be working for [Kenneth]...or dead by his hand."

J In some alternate universe, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is just starting to hit its stride.

pamelajaye LOL

nic919 It must be in the universe where everyone wears an evil mustache.

oliver And blimps fly over a bronze Statue of Liberty...

LJA Thrilled for this but so worried about the other two comedies now...

M Why is this getting an abbreviated final season when it's still funny, but the The Office is unwatchable, looks like it's gonna lose castmembers, has ratings that have fallen off a cliff, yet has no end in sight?

sepinwall Its ratings are still significantly higher than 30 Rock's. Money money money. And my guess is that next season is the last for that, too, leading into the Dwight spin-off.

I've got to disagree about the Office, it's been on a roll lately. It's not as good as it used to be, but it's still funny

Freddie The Office is a fetus that has been aborted from a fetus that was aborted - and that's on a good day

js i can't imagine my life without 30 Rock. Damn!

Dr. Gross I'm always happy to see a great show end in a dignified manner, rather that getting its legs cut out prematurely and/or without warning. Tina Fey gets to end on it her own terms. Good stuff.

LJA p.s. LMAO @ "Banjo!"

AW "I'll kill you Cr@cker!!"

Bgklein I feel like Jon Hamm is quickly becoming the next Tom Hanks, willing to make a cameo and basically do whatever and it is always funny

Lazy Iggy I am really excited for Tina Fey and so looking forward to how she is going to end everything with time to prepare.... will there be a lemon party for a pregnant liz in her future? hmmmmm....

Kurt A lemon party? My gut says no.

TMB Seems appropriate to me that Liz Lemon, the modern day Mary Tyler Moore, gets the same 7-year run. Maybe Liz will get a new apartment for the final season with a giant 'L' hanging on the wall...

Freddie If the Office had ended last season it still would have been a couple of seasons late. They should have had everybody die on the boat at the wedding.

ABR Hey Alan, I noticed on the Community renewal (Yay!) article that you mentioned 30 Rock as being expensive in comparison. They're both single-camera comedies, so besides 30 Rock having Alec Baldwin, what makes it so expensive?

DavidW For one thing, older show = contractual raises each year

Prettok A cast of a dozen+, high profile guest stars, location shooting in midtown manhattan, Lorne Michaels, all those Coke parties.

bigperm33 I love 30 Rock, but one more season seems about right. I just wish it was a full season. For how good it has been, I feel like it deserves a final full season. But 13 is better than nothing.

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30 Rock is updated

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY COMMUNITY COMMUNITY COMMUNITY COMMUNITY COMMUNITY

mccommas

Despite the mediocre ratings over the years, 30 Rock has been a very good show for NBC.

gregel

Yay! Love it.

Roger

"and now Alec Baldwin can stop predicting the end of the show every three months"

Amen.

DEPSexton

Glad that it's going to get a proper ending.

Now, just got to hope for Community, Parks & Rec and Nikita

J

In some alternate universe, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is just starting to hit its stride.

LJA

Thrilled for this but so worried about the other two comedies now...

M

Why is this getting an abbreviated final season when it's still funny, but the The Office is unwatchable, looks like it's gonna lose castmembers, has ratings that have fallen off a cliff, yet has no end in sight?

js

i can't imagine my life without 30 Rock. Damn!

Dr. Gross

I'm always happy to see a great show end in a dignified manner, rather that getting its legs cut out prematurely and/or without warning. Tina Fey gets to end on it her own terms. Good stuff.

LJA

p.s. LMAO @ "Banjo!"

Lazy Iggy

I am really excited for Tina Fey and so looking forward to how she is going to end everything with time to prepare.... will there be a lemon party for a pregnant liz in her future? hmmmmm....

ABR

Hey Alan, I noticed on the Community renewal (Yay!) article that you mentioned 30 Rock as being expensive in comparison. They're both single-camera comedies, so besides 30 Rock having Alec Baldwin, what makes it so expensive?

bigperm33

I love 30 Rock, but one more season seems about right. I just wish it was a full season. For how good it has been, I feel like it deserves a final full season. But 13 is better than nothing.

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
What's Alan Watching is updated