Channel Surfing: Should NBC Have Launched "30 Rock" Earlier, Possible "Melrose Place" Redo, "Blackadder," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Last night was quite the busy telly viewing night, with new episodes of Skins, Mad Men, and The Amazing Race on tap, not to mention the latest installment of Masterpiece Contemporary's five-part The Last Enemy on PBS. Whew.

The New York Times' Bill Carter wonders just where 30 Rock is, amid all of the Tina Fey/Sarah Palin fascination that has gripped America. NBC, of course, had plans to launch the third season of 30 Rock on October 30th, allowing plenty of time to promote the series' return behind new episodes of The Office. However, Ben Silverman admits, "If we knew then what we know today about how hot Tina was going to be, would we do it differently? Maybe." (I'll take that as a resounding yes.) Look for Fey to likely pop up in the two remaining editions of the election-focused Thursday editions of Saturday Night Live as the network heavily promotes 30 Rock but I can't help but agree with Carter: the Peacock would have been much better off launching 30 Rock now, with Season Two out on DVD and Fey literally everywhere after her star turn as Sarah Palin. (The New York Times)

Could Melrose Place be the next television series to get touched for a remake? Series creator Darren Star says that there's a possibility he'd be interested and admitted that there had been some unofficial discussions, following the launch of the CW's 90210. "Regardless of whether they do it or not, whether I'm part of it or not, I think it would be a fun thing to do," said Star. "I wouldn't be surprised if it happened — If it can be put together in the right way." Do we want to see another rehashed, underwhelming version of a formerly great program? (TV Guide)

Mark Waters (Mean Girls) will direct the pilot for FOX dramedy Eva Adams, the US remake of Argentinean telenovela Lalola. Project, from writer/executive producer Kevin Falls (Journeyman) and Sony Pictures Television, follows a womanizer who somehow turns into a woman overnight and must endure the same sort of sexist and misogynistic behavior he perpetrated in his former life as a man. (Variety)

Adam Shankman (Hairspray) is attached to direct Cadillac Ranch, a drama pilot about the life of a female small-town mayor that has suddenly become hot thanks to one Sarah Palin. Project, a spec script, is said to be in development at 20th Century Fox Television which will soon take it out to the networks. "It's about a female character who's a mayor in this town with the crazy family and the kids and the stay-at-home dad, and everyone couldn't help but think of Sarah Palin now that they've read it," said the studio's Jennifer Nicholson Salke. (New York Post)

NBC is building a treehouse in Times Square to promote the launch of drama Crusoe on Friday. Yawn. (Variety)

Missing Gilmore Girls' Melissa McCarthy? Or just curious to see what she has to say about the second season of her ABC comedy Samantha Who?, which launches tonight? You're in luck as McCarthy dishes about Season Two, including a possible catfight and some guest stars. (TV Guide)

CW has ordered six episodes of wedding-themed reality series For Better or Worse, which will offer unmarried couples involved in long-running relationships the ability to experience all of the drama that goes into planning a wedding in a single week. Project comes from RDF USA and Next Entertainment; it will be executive produced by Mike Fleiss. (TV Week)

Richard Curtis has revealed that a new season of cult British classic Blackadder would have been set in the 1960s, with Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) living as a wealthy businessman (and Baldrick accidentally killing President Kennedy) in this incarnation of the time-spanning series. (Digital Spy)

Stay tuned.