TCA press tour news: NBC

The Television Critics Association press tour is underway this week. First up, some juicy news came out of the NBC panel. Here are the highlights.

Karen will be back on The Office
Rashida Jones, who plays Karen, will be back this season for a handful of episodes, according to her costar John Krasinski. Office fans thought they’d seen the last of Karen, when Jim returned alone to Dunder Miflin in the season finale, but apparently Karen isn’t history yet. I’m worried that his could result in Pam walking barefoot over hot coals again.

Friday Night Lights schedule change
Friday Night Lights has been moved to Fridays at 9 p.m. ET., bumping Las Vegas to 10 p.m. ET. I think this is a good move for both shows, as Las Vegas was always a little risqué for the 9 p.m. timeslot. Plus, call me crazy, but a show with the word “Friday” in its title seems a better fit for Friday. Las Vegas returns Sept. 28.

Jerry Seinfeld to guest on 30 Rock
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will guest star on the Oct. 4 season premiere of 30 Rock. Seinfeld will once again stretch his acting chops to play himself. Frankly, I’ve only watched one episode of 30 Rock, but if Seinfeld is visiting, I’m in.

Norman Lear producing new show for NBC
TV legend Norman Lear is producing an hour-long dramedy for the Peacock network. Kudos to NBC for snagging Lear. Perhaps there is hope for the reality TV-heavy network yet.

Earl and The Office return dates
Mark your calendar for September 27. That’s when we’ll find out how Earl is faring in jail and hopefully what happened on Jim and Pam’s date when My Name is Earl and The Office premiere.

The Apprentice goes celeb-reality
The Apprentice, which was somehow saved from the cancellation graveyard, is doing celebrity version of the show this season. Despite rumors, I think it’s safe to say that Rosie O’Donnell won’t be joining Donald and the gang in the boardroom.

Plenty of TV critics are cranking out amusing blogs and stories from the press tour. My favorites are TV Guide’s hilarious Michael Ausiello and the folks over at TV Squad.

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