GOOD LUCK TUNING IN FOR 30 ROCK SPECIAL: Viewers may have a hard time finding NBC’s 30 Rock special tonight (Thursday), as several affiliate groups have opted to not participate. Nexstar, Tegna, Hearst, Gray Television and Sinclair are among those having their affiliates opt out of the special, which also doubles as NBCUniversal’s upfront pitch to advertisers. The special will highlight all of NBC’s assets, including the new Peacock streaming service that launched Wednesday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, affiliates were peeved after NBCU decided to stream episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers on Peacock a couple hours ahead of their over-the-air broadcasts. The 30 Rock reunion will feature Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer, among others. Viewers will be able to tune in Friday on NBC’s website and app.
FINN WOLFHARD AND ANYA CHALOTRA SET FOR NEW-GEN: Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard and Witchers’ Anya Chalotra will headline the voice cast of sci-fi series New-Gen. The show is set in a futuristic utopia threatened by a nanotech war.
KIDDING NIXED: Kidding will not return for a third season, Showtime reveals. The Jim Carrey-headlined comedy had a two-season run and it marked his return to TV after a three-decade absence.
MAURICE ROEVES DIES AT 83: Maurice Roeves, known for his roles in theater and film, has died at age 83. He is most recognized for his appearance as Colonel Edmund Munro in The Last Of The Mohicans and the Sylvester Stallone-starring 1995 incarnation of Judge Dredd. He is survived by his wife Vanessa.
BFI STANDARDS NOT THERE ON INEQUALITY: The British Film Institute’s diversity standards are lackluster, according to a new report that looked at 235 films that passed their criteria. The standards have been adopted by BBC Films, Film4 and BAFTA, but a study found that 50 percent referenced race or ethnicity as a factor in their story/content, compared with 63 percent for gender. Just 40 percent of projects cited race/ethnicity in off-screen employment, compared to 71 percent for gender. "This report acknowledges that the BFI Diversity Standards is an evolving concept and to this end, has performed as a crucial intervention in policy approaches to diversity in the film sector from 2016," the report surmised. "The Diversity Standards represents the most ambitious and wide-ranging attempt to respond to the issues of diversity with the sector. However, this research reveals a number of issues and area for improvement with both its methodology and uptake."