Television fans had much reason to celebrate this morning, as the first formal details of the NBCUniversal streaming service—beyond its telling Netflix “We’re taking our Dunderball and going home”—were revealed in the pages of Variety. Yes, an old favorite is making a comeback. You see, the new NBCU streaming service is going to be called Peacock, after the vibrantly-plumed fowl that has served as the National Broadcast Company’s visual signature since the dawn of color programming. And you know what that means (besides from robbing entertainment writers of a handy shorthand): Weary 30 Rock fans turned to their old, reliable “You say the peacock” references, a joke that itself referenced an NBC tagline that this particular writer has gotten a lot of mileage out of.
But that’s not all that Peacock is bringing back. As NBCU exec and one-time scourge of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 message boards Bonnie Hammer told Variety, the streaming service’s development slate includes continuations of Saved By The Bell and Punky Brewster, plus a new Battlestar Galactica from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail—who, along with wife Emmy Rossum, found a home for their long-gestating series about Los Angeles billboard enigma Angelyne. The first of those shows has the advantage of being headed up by Great News creator and 30 Rock writer Tracey Wigfield, and comes with a logline that begins with the chilling words “When California governor Zack Morris…” We’re sorry to inform you that not even the fantastical Californian paradise of Bayside is immune to governments run by complete pieces of shit.
In the proud tradition of Peacocking comedy, Late Night With Seth Meyers breakout Amber Ruffin is on course to host her own weekly show for the streaming service, while Ed Helms and Michael Schur will bring viewers to Rutherford Falls, in which Helms tries to prevent the relocation of a local monument in the upstate New York town named after his family. A.P. Bio’s own relocation to Peacock will be followed by that of the Brave New World adaptation and the second Psych movie that were previously set up at USA. And, just to bring things full circle: Alec Baldwin, who was wishing his NBC charges “good peacock” before Peacock was even a glimmer in the eye of Jack Donaghy’s real-world counterparts, helps bring the podcast Dr. Death to the screen with Jamie Dornan and Christian Slater.
You can read about more of what’s coming to Peacock here.