'30 Rock' Season 6: Ratings Hit New Series Low

"30 Rock" is not having an easy time in the 8 p.m. timeslot on Thursday. With stiff competition -- Fox's "American Idol" and CBS's new ratings juggernaut "The Big Bang Theory" -- "30 Rock" has hit a series low in the Nielsen ratings.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Thurs., Feb. 2 episode pulled in a 1.3 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic, a series low for the comedy now in its sixth season. Last week the show had a 1.6 rating at 8 p.m. In terms of total viewers, early reports have "30 Rock" coming in at 3.2 million viewers. However, there have been reports of somewhat widespread DVR malfunction, causing "30 Rock" not to record in some markets. Season 6 kicked off in January with 4.5 million viewers, down from its Season 5 debut, which notched 5.9 million at 8:30 p.m.

The disappointing numbers put "30 Rock" in the same ratings neighborhood as "Community," which NBC decided to shelve for midseason. "Community's" last episode in the "Community" Thursday timeslot (Thurs., Dec. 8) brought in 3.6 million viewers. "Community's" lowest ratings during its current third season were 3.4 million viewers, according to TV By the Numbers. It seems the 8 p.m. timeslot on NBC's Thursday nights is not kind to any show.

On Sat., Jan. 28, "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin tweeted about attending the SAG Awards the following day. In the tweet, Baldwin took a jab at the timeslot.

@alecbaldwin
AB

SAG Awards on Sunday. Maybe I'll win Best Actor in a Comedy in a Shitty Time Slot

January 28, 2012 2:58 pm via Twitter for iPhone Reply Retweet Favorite

"Community" star Yvette Nicole Brown tweeted back at Baldwin, poking fun at the issue.

@yvettenbrown
yvette nicole brown

@alecbaldwin Wait, there's something wrong with Thursday's at 8?! Surely, you jest! ;)

January 28, 2012 10:54 pm via Echofon Reply Retweet Favorite

Variety reports "30 Rock" had its highest ratings during its third season: "Christmas Special" boasted 8.9 million viewers and aired at 9:30 p.m. TV By The Numbers reports "Community" had its highest ratings, 7.9 million viewers, also at 9:30 p.m. for the pilot episode.

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Comments

[kbrown2225]

10:21 PM on 02/22/2012

Maybe if they would stop moving shows around and showing one or two new episodes and then two or three reuns there would not be such a ratings problem for many of these shows. I am tired of having to guess when a show is going to come on, what time they will move it to, and if it is going to be a rerun even though the season just started. If you treat your viewers like crap you will have less viewers.

I love 30 Rock but my wife likes the Big Bang Theory and Vampire Diaries and they put 30 Rock opposite those shows when they moved their time slot. Sorry my wife already watches those shows (watches one and DVR's the other). I am not going to mess up my wife's tv viewing habit because NBC decides to mess with the schedule.

[Greg Cook]

11:10 AM on 02/22/2012

Didn't even know it was on at this time slot. Gotta stop moving crap around, NBC.

[provgrays1]

09:26 PM on 02/16/2012

I love 30 Rock and Big Bang and putting them against each other is just stupid.
30 Rock has lost its touch in season 6 so far. Too many guest stars and the writing isn't what it was. Still, Tina Fey has built a legacy by making a unique contribution to comedy. In spite of my comment about guest stars, Julianne Moore was hilarious as Nancy Donovan. I hope she makes one last bow.

[ronbo60]

08:50 PM on 02/16/2012

Since Tracy Morgan insulted me, my love and my family, I decided that anti-gay bigots don't deserve my attention.

I'm betting that 30% of their audience agrees with me. F*#c them AND the network they rode in on.

[thesadtruthliveson]

11:18 AM on 02/08/2012

i thought this season has been pretty decent. I mean its no Mike and Molly but what is ?

[philss]

10:28 AM on 02/08/2012

nbc has the worst programming
of sourse they are ruing the show
it costs money
and that money costs profits
nbc has become the reality show channel
they suck so bad that I have taken them on my remote control
I will never agtain know what is really on nbc anymore
and I am happy with that decision
reality tv sucks
and the worst part is that it is not even reality

[addismag]

04:11 PM on 02/07/2012

This show is a mystery to me. I considered myself an enormous fan, absolutely loved the humor in this show and it seems to have been dumbed down to a point where I just get uncomfortable over the ridiculous attempts at humor-downright child like, like their demographic has become 11 year olds. I miss you Alec and Tina-if there was a way to have the show the be just the two of you and absoultely no one else in the cast (except Mayhem and Donagee's mother and dumb hot boyfriend) I would come back. But you have lost me, it is an awful show and the material given to the secondary players is just too awful to watch.

[NamSpurs]

03:42 PM on 02/07/2012

I am one of those die hard fans of 30 Rock..but I have to admit, the show is not as funny as it was last season. This season has been a major disappointment. The jokes are not as clever and the story lines are not that appealing. We need Avery back.

[sc00by]

10:18 AM on 02/07/2012

Lazy writing and stale characters are dooming 30 Rock, not so much the time slot.

[Atxish]

12:33 PM on 02/07/2012

Agreed. I also don't think it helped that it started SO much later in the season than all the other shows. My sister and I were asking "Where's 30 Rock" in September/October when other shows' seasons were starting up again.

[hoagie76]

11:56 PM on 02/06/2012

there is no way that 30 Rock is losing a show that has to use an 80's style laugh track to make sure its lowbrow audience knows a joke was told. Bring Back Community!!! and long live 30 Rock!!

[Spiral Architect]

10:59 PM on 02/06/2012

Lowest common denominator humor....about as witty as Leno

[trweste144]

10:09 AM on 02/07/2012

Yeah, it's hard to believe the Big Bang Theory does as well as it does.

[indysteve1227]

10:31 PM on 02/06/2012

NBC is paying the price for devoting their schedule to reality, singing competitions, game shows and faux documentarys. Let's review: The Apprentice, Fear Factor, The Biggest Loser, Minute to Win It, Deal or No Deal, Who Do You Think You Are?, The Marriage Ref, America's Got Talent, The Voice. All junk that you can't build your brand on. It's cotton candy TV. Guilty (non)pleasures that have no quality or substance. You've alienated audiences who want scripted shows so they've given up on your network. Now they've bet the house on Smash (which appears to be ridiculously self-important) and it is doomed to fail. Why didn't they put it in the coveted post Super Bowl slot instead of the derivative The Voice? I love Parks & Rec, 30 Rock and still enjoy The Office but I'm shocked at how low their ratings are every week. NBC's problems go back to the Jay Leno everynight at 10 debacle. They've never recovered from it. And until they can ween themselves off of the junk they regularly program they never will either.

[philss]

10:30 AM on 02/08/2012

nbc is now ru8n by nean counters who have no artistic talents

what once was a great network and become the true lowest common denominator
fanned for your insightfulness

[free2be2cool]

04:52 PM on 02/06/2012

This could be an overreaction to the content of 30 Rock's scripts, which always criticize corporate power over artistic control. Is it paranoid to think DVRs malfunctioned? Of course!!! But it's also possible, as is the fact that I can no longer view 30 Rock episodes on Hulu without paying for Hulu Plus. Us un/underemployed just can't catch a break these days. Don't forget, these are the geniuses who wanted to cancel Star Trek and Seinfeld.

[CoffeeOnIce]

03:13 PM on 02/06/2012

"Friends" and "Mad About You" both spent considerable time in the 8pm NBC time slot - Friends went up against Survivor's massively popular early seasons and survived quite well. The ratings issue with 30 Rock is less the slot and more that it has declined in quality - the jokes aren't as sharp, the plotlines have gone past amusingly gimmicky to ridiculous gimmicky, and too much time is spent outside the office setting focusing on the characters' personal lives. That said, I don't see it as a lost cause, I just think it has fallen into the same trap so many shows do, especially when they peak early.

[hoagie76]

11:59 PM on 02/06/2012

30 Rock Community The Office and parks & rec should be the lineup.

[sticks n stones]

03:16 PM on 02/08/2012

I second that.

[SaraJeanQueen]

02:24 PM on 02/06/2012

I've been a long-time fan of 30 Rock, and I do think there are reasons the ratings have dropped so significantly since season 3 that have nothing to do with time slot.
1) The dialogue is now so rushed, there's no time to laugh. By the time you get the joke, they're already running another gag or someone else's lines. In previous seasons, they would let comedic lines BREATHE ("What am I... a farmer?"). Now lines are stepped on by someone else. 30 Rock isn't high on my priority list because it doesn't make me laugh as much. Sad but true.
2) There's no "will they or won't they" storyline. I'm sure this was a deliberate choice, but seeing Liz Lemon with a new 20-something every other week isn't sexual tension. It's not appointment TV because there's no suspense.

[hoagie76]

12:00 AM on 02/07/2012

but that's exactly it. their whole schtick is to keep punching out the jokes. have to be quick have to be clever

[SaraJeanQueen]

02:21 AM on 02/07/2012

I get what you're saying. But also I think there's fans like me who understand the jokes, but the way they're set up doesn't give enough oomph to the punchline. No time to really laugh out loud. And that makes the show suffer, because viewers aren't as enticed to watch if they're not pulled in by laughing or by a romance on the show.