30 Rock

It would be confusing opinion with fact to definitively call any series "the best show of the fall season," but I can state unequivocally and without fear of contradiction that "30 Rock" -- one of two new NBC shows set backstage at a broadcast-live sketch comedy -- is my favorite. I feel an almost proprietary desire to see it succeed, and given the high mortality rate of such newborns, I light this small candle against its demise.

In the television world, repeats are to be kept to a minimum. As the stars gear up for Sunday's 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, there's one question looming: Will it be like 2009 (and 2008) all over again? "Mad Men" and "30 Rock" took home the night's two biggest prizes, for drama and comedy series, respectively, both years — proof of either the excellence of the shows or the dissappointing state of the industry. "With the Oscars, movies are different every year by nature," said television historian Tim Brooks.

On Thursday, NBC's butterflies-on-pins comedy "30 Rock" was nominated for a record 22 Emmy awards. Or was it 24? Two of the spots nominated for Outstanding Commercial -- a category since 1997 -- feature Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey shilling for Hulu and American Express, respectively, and in each the actors are madly channeling their "30 Rock" personas.

With “30 Rock” winding down its seven-season run in just a few months, Tina Fey has a lot on her mind: namely, what will happen to Tracy Morgan once the show is over. On Wednesday night Fey paid a visit to “Late Night,” where her former “Weekend Update” co-anchor Jimmy Fallon asked about what it's like working now on “30 Rock,” knowing the end is in sight. “I'm sad every day,” she said. “Half the day I'm crying, then I'm like, 'I'm sick of you people!

Credit the healing powers of comedy? Kim Kardashian and Jon Hamm reportedly mended fences at the "30 Rock" live broadcast in New York on Thursday. After Hamm, in a March interview, labeled Kardashian an "idiot" member of a reality-TV culture in which "stupidity is certainly celebrated," both stars went on defense regarding the content of her character (or at least the one she plays on TV). And there they stayed until the reality star hit 30 Rockefeller Plaza for a quick cameo alongside Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, joining an event that also recruited Jimmy Fallon, Paul McCartney, "SNL's" Fred Armisen and, well, Jon Hamm.

New York loves Ryan Lochte. After 24 hours in the metropolis, the Olympic swimmer has managed a front-row seat at fashion week and a cameo on Tina Fey's "30 Rock. " Network NBC confirmed that Lochte will play with the cast of the Fey- and Alec Baldwin-led comedy while he's in town to cover the sartorial tents at Lincoln Center as an on-camera correspondent for E! News.  No word on what his role will be, but he'll shoot his cameo Thursday. Lochte can add this credit to the walk-on he shot for the CW's "90210" after his victory at the London Games.

Where there's a "Rock," there's likely to be a hard place nearby. NBC has moved its struggling news program "Rock Center with Brian Williams" to make way for new midseason drama "Do No Harm" -- and has given "30 Rock" an end date too. "Do No Harm," about a neurosurgeon with a dangerous alter ego (think Jekyll and Hyde), will take up the 10 p.m. Thursday slot -- a tough time period for the network--beginning Jan. 31.  Its premiere will follow the hourlong series finale of "30 Rock.

THE Watergate tapes were America's obsession during the brilliant run of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." The Alec Baldwin tape was what America was obsessing over late last week, in the midst of the brilliant run of NBC's freshman sitcom "30 Rock." Baldwin's voicemail tirade at his daughter (he called her a "rude little pig" and seemed confused about whether she was 11 or 12) was presumably leaked to the celebrity website TMZ.com as a vindictive strike in the actor's divorce from Kim Basinger.

You will talk about: The return of good TV. Our TiVo has been depressingly bare these last few months -- nothing but "Simpsons" reruns and "America's Best Dance Crew" to come home to at night. Thankfully, NBC puts an end to that: New episodes of "30 Rock" and "The Office" premiere this week. It's about time. (Thursday) You could talk about: The return of OK TV. Our personal jury is still out on whether we like ABC's "Samantha Who?" We definitely like Christina Applegate, but her character isn't really nice, is she?