NBC outed itself as what we can only describe as thirsty at the TCAs today, with NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt telling reporters that he frequently presses the folks behind the network’s most beloved shows to bring them back for a Will And Grace-style revival season. Rattling off his wish list, Greenblatt said he’s repeatedly asked Tina Fey, Aaron Sorkin, ER’s John Wells, and The Office’s Greg Daniels to bring back their massively successful shows, despite the fact that he apparently gets a polite “No thanks!” or “Not right now!” pretty much every single time.
“I keep saying to [Sorkin], ‘Do you want to do The West Wing again, wouldn’t it be great to do it?’” Greenblatt said, clearly on the prowl for that sweet revival goodness. “He says, ‘You know I love that show and some day I’d love to revisit it, but it’s not going to happen right now.’” Ditto Daniels: “We often talk about The Office, I’ve talked to Greg four times over the past few years. It’s always, ‘Maybe some day but not now.’” Or, jonesing to Fey: “I’d say to Tina ‘Hey, you think some more 30 Rock makes any sense?’ She’d say, ‘I don’t know maybe.’” Greenblatt didn’t reveal how he’d phrased his request to Wells, but we have to assume it involved tugging on his suit sleeve and whining some variation of “Come onnnnnnnnn.”
NBC actually did just announce a new reboot this week, bringing Miami Vice back for more hot days and Phil Collins nights. Still, the hunger for the glory days continues, as betrayed by Greenblatt’s description of Will & Grace, which just had a second season added to its revived run. “I think that to me is the best way to go—you have the original DNA of the creators, you have the director, you have the cast, you have the set—everything is what it once was.”