NBC Has Conquered Primetime

The National Broadcasting Company, NBC, is dominating primetime television. This season NBC brought out an all-star line-up that includes several Golden Globe nominees. The Thursday night lineup of 30 Rock, Scrubs, The Office and My Name is Earl and is the best comedy line-up on television while Heroes is the best new show on televison, period. The one show that seems to have missed the spotlight is the underrated Friday Night Lights, a riveting drama about high school football.

The real coup for NBC is the depth of their lineup. Rivals ABC may claim top drama with Grey's Anatomy, and a cute comedy with Ugly Betty, but the talent ends there. Fox has the top action show with 24, and cartoon favorites The Simpsons and Family Guy, but again, there just is not much after that to watch.

NBC's shows are creative, exciting and heartfelt, even the comedies. In order to determine just how good each show is, I have reviewed each and presented each a letter grade.

Heroes is an action drama centered round a group of seemingly unrelated people, each with their own super power. From the first show on the viewer is initially introduced to each character, and then as they figure out their part in the plan to save the world, they begin to come together in a brilliantly constructed plot. NBC offers full length episodes on its website for those who have failed to catch the show on t.v. Once you begin the journey to save the world, you will become a hero yourself. Grade: A+

30 Rock is a comedy show about a comedy show. Tina Fey is a former Saturday Night Live writer, and she along with fellow SNL alum Tracy Morgan provide the star power in this comedy, along with Alec Baldwin, who won a Golden Globe for his role on the show. Each week brings new laughs from the every-woman Fey, to the outlandish behavior of Morgan to the fabulous Baldwin. Grade: B+

Scrubs is the comedy side of the hospital. The comedy centers on interns at a hospital, with Zach Braff as the bona fide star in the show. But he and the others bring silly humor to the doctor's life, and provide needed comic relief from shows like ER or Grey's Anatomy. Grade: B

Friday Night Lights brings the drama of high school football to a television audience. The cast is relatively unknown, and that helps add to the belief that these kids are putting their entire lives into football and onto the viewers screen. The show has touched upon topics such as steroid use, high school boosters, and the tragic paralyzation of a star player. Every week this show offers the excitement of game day, the drama of the high school life, and several important real life issues. Highly underrated, this show is gripping from beginning to end. Grade: A

The Office is the American version of the hit British television show. Starring Steve Carell and a cast of comedians, this show is non-stop laughs based on the ho-hum life of office workers. Because most of America can relate to the tedium related to everyday office work, this show connects with everyone. That relationship, along with the great performances from Carell and the other comedians, make this show great. Grade: A

My Name is Earl chronicles the adventures of Earl, played by Jason Lee, as Earl tries to complete his Karma list. The list is a record of all the people Earl has wronged in his life, and he must amend for his past misgivings to each person on the list. Earl's sole mission is to do whatever is necessary for each person to fix his Karma so that he may go to heaven. The show is based around Earl and his stereotypical Southern, 'redneck' friends, and they all bring the laughs. Grade: B