It's been a long time since NBC had anything to celebrate, but 2012 suggested that the epic Jeff Zucker-fied tailspin may be coming to an end. The Super Bowl and the second season of "The Voice" helped the network ignore spring failures like "Bent" and "Awake." The Olympics and "America's Got Talent" helped NBC enjoy a strong summer. And this fall, Sunday Night Football plus "The Voice" have pushed the network to the top of the 18-49 heap, boosted by a rare nascent drama hit in "Revolution." Is the network over-relying on "The Voice"? Perhaps. Will pulling "Revolution" for four months in the middle of its first season prove to be a mistake? Maybe. Did NBC still have too many fall failures like "Animal Practice" and "Guys with Kids"? You betcha! Should NBC be concerned by the amount the network poured into rebooting the low-rated "Smash," which will be aired without its comfortable "Voice" lead-in in the spring? Oh my, yes. But there's cause for hope! And when could NBC last say that?

-Daniel Fienberg