Long live Liz Lemon!

Today's column is an ode to "30 Rock," along with some belated thoughts on all the cancellations from Black Monday:

Sometimes, the good guys do win.

Case in point: "30 Rock," the funniest comedy on television at the moment ("The Office" may be deeper and more artful, but it's a distant second in the laugh category) just was renewed for next season by NBC, even though the ratings have been on the wrong side of mediocre all season.

When "30 Rock" debuted in October, I was lukewarm in my praise of it, too caught up in comparisons to the similarly-themed "Studio 60" -- which, like "30 Rock," was set backstage at a fake version of "Saturday Night Live" -- and the history of failed behind-the-scenes showbiz series to judge it on its own merits. But even its biggest fans have to admit that the show has improved by quantum leaps and bounds over the last few months, and as it returns from a brief hiatus tonight at 8:44 (as part of one of NBC's wacky, TiVo-baiting "super-sized" nights), it's time to look at some of the things that make the show so much fun:

To read the full thing, click here.