Watching 30 Rock

The Ausiello Report on TVGuide.com has an updated list of television shows with a tentative schedule of when they will go “dark” for the season. We all are coming to accept that we will likely have a shorter television season, but just how short will it be? Since different shows all have different filming schedules, then that will depend on the show. Since here at Watching 30 Rock our favorite show is, well, 30 Rock (what? you thought I would say Grey’s Anatomy?) then that is what we are most interested in.

According to the TV Guide article linked above, ten episodes of 30 Rock were produced, and if you’ve been reading our recaps you know that five have aired so far, so that leaves five more new episodes. And for a new show (only in it’s second season) which has done moderately well in the ratings and has something of a cult following (think Arrested Development) then this really can present a problem. Popular shows like Heroes or Lost probably will fare just fine, as they have strong followings. But a smaller, quirkier show like 30 Rock needs time to build, time to develop an audience, time to convince viewers that smart, funny, clever comedies are good comedies. I mean, I don’t watch Two and a Half Men so I can’t really say, but when I imagine it, I just imagine a fairly steady stream of boob jokes. (An aside: Duckie Dale, I will never forgive you.)

Other shows that have five or fewer episodes remaining: Back to You, Bionic Woman, Chuck, Desperate Housewives, Dirty Sexy Money, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, The Office, Prison Break, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies , Reaper, Shark and maybe both Supernatural and Ugly Betty.

30 Rock, Writer’s Strike 2007, Pretty in Pink, Two and a Half Men, Back to You, Bionic Woman, Chuck, Desperate Housewives, Dirty Sexy Money, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, The Office, Prison Break, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Reaper, Shark, Supernatural, Ugly Betty