"Rock" Solid at NBC

First-year sitcom "30 Rock," which earns rave reviews but low ratings, will get a second chance to prove it can win over viewers. The comedy created by and starring Tina Fey of "Saturday Night Live" fame has been renewed for the 2007-08 season, NBC announced Wednesday.

In a statement, NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said the network expects the show to "continue to build its increasingly loyal audience and become another of NBC's classic comedy series."

NBC has been home to other slow-starting sitcoms, including "Seinfeld" and "Cheers," that went on to become TV hits. "30 Rock" has its work cut out: it's averaging 5.8 million viewers compared to top-rated CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men," which draws more than 15 million.

In its favor, NBC said, "30 Rock" is one of the most "upscale comedies" on TV, attracting a large share of viewers with $100,000-plus incomes.

Word that "30 Rock" was safe for next season came as the show prepared to move April 12 to a tough new time slot _ at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday, putting it up against powerhouse dramas "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC.

The NBC comedy, which has been on a break, was returning Thursday with a supersized episode airing at 8:40 p.m. EDT. A pointed satire about a "Saturday Night Live"-like show, "30 Rock" co-stars Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski.