More hurricane mess: NBC replaces Thursday comedies with a repeat of The Voice, moves 30 Rock to Wednesday

By Sean O'Neal | October 30, 2012 | 10:51pm

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It looks as though the effects of Hurricane Sandy will ripple through Wednesday and Thursday's TV programming, as well as tonight's: NBC has announced that it will broadcast a repeat of Monday's episode of The Voice—which was preempted in many major markets by storm coverage—on Thursday night, replacing all scheduled episodes of 30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office, and Parks And Recreation. And yes, the decision to replace its NBC Thursday night lineup with what is, for most of the country, a rerun speaks to the value the network places on its one bona fide hit, as well as the general indifference it has to preserving its fiercely beloved yet inarguably low-rated comedies.

Ditto the strange decision just handed down to swap out what would have been the last-ever episode of Animal Practice with Thursday's 30 Rock, confusing fans who certainly wouldn't think to look for it there, but hopefully know now. (The decision is likely related to the episode's time-sensitive presidential election plot—an unprecedented display that the network cares about the show.) Meanwhile, the network's other most prized possession, Revolution, will get its own rerun on Friday night (though there it's just replacing scheduled repeats of Guys With Kids and Go On). In short, this week continues to be a mess in more ways than one.