NBC

CHICAGO – NBC sent over the first two episodes of the fourth season of the Emmy-winning “30 Rock” and, believe it or not, the show may actually be better than when it left the air last spring. Tonight’s premiere is good but next week’s episode is even better with some of the strongest comedy writing of the year to date and amazing work by the standard cast and one of their most talented regular guest stars, Will Arnett.

CHICAGO – NBC has canceled the John Wells cop drama “Southland” before the show’s second season premiere, which was scheduled to air on Friday, October 23, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

CHICAGO – Maybe you’ve heard of a little show called “30 Rock”? It doesn’t set the ratings on fire but critics and award-giving bodies go crazy for it like kids with pixie sticks. Personally, I think the third season of “30 Rock” was a slight step down from the second, but there’s no denying that this is one of the best comedies on television, as its recent major wins at the Emmys proved yet again.

CHICAGO – The wave of new fall shows is coming to an end this week with so many shows having debuted to date that we’ve already had our first cancellation of the season (The CW’s horrible “The Beautiful Life). But NBC has saved one of the best for last in “Trauma,” an expertly produced and acted series that stands as the most promising of the three new medical series this season and arguably the show with the most long-term potential, period.

CHICAGO – Improving with every episode of its short first season, now available on DVD, “Parks and Recreation” returns tonight with the best episode of comedy in tonight’s much-hyped cavalcade of premieres. Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, and the rest of the cast and writers of “Parks and Recreation” are doing everything they can to turn their comedy into the next NBC must-see show. Do your part and tune in.

CHICAGO – I’m one of many fans burned by the fizzling out of “Heroes,” a show that started incredibly strong and went from “must-see” to “meh” in just a few seasons. Despite the show’s overall dip in quality, the Blu-Ray releases have been heralded as leaders in the format, filled with special features designed to please hardcore fans.

CHICAGO – NBC has announced their fall premiere dates and it all kicks off with the highly anticipated premiere of “The Jay Leno Show” at 9pm CT on Monday, September 14th. The network has scheduled two new dramas - “Mercy” & “Trauma” - and one new comedy - “Community”.

CHICAGO – Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) is a 25-year-old paramedic who can hear other people’s thoughts. The telepath is the lead character on NBC’s frustrating new “The Listener,” a show that the network is clearly burning off this summer and that I don’t need psychic powers to predict won’t be on the schedule for too long.

CHICAGO – NBC held a special “in-front” announcement yesterday, two weeks in front of the standard upfront presentations and revealed six news series for the fall while leaving some beloved programs up in the air. On the bubble shows “Southland” and “Heroes” were renewed, but the jury is still out on “Chuck,” “Medium,” “Law & Order,” and “My Name is Earl”.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Premiere episodes of ensemble shows like NBC’s nearly-great “Southland” can be a tough nut to crack. How do you interested viewers in a dozen characters in 44 minutes, give them a resolved plot in that same window of time, and intrigue them enough to come back next week? “Southland” expertly does all three.