NBC has given an early renewal to 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and the rest will be around at least through the 2011-12 season, their sixth season. Though the timing of the renewal is a little out of the ordinary, it’s not really a surprise. 30 Rock is the network’s third-highest rated sitcom and is currently averaging a 2.6 among viewers 18-49 and 4.69 million total viewers.

No word on how many episodes have been ordered but the past couple seasons have been made up of 22 installments each.

Here’s the press release from NBC…

NBC PICKS UP EMMY-WINNING COMEDY ’30 ROCK’ FOR ANOTHER SEASON THROUGH 2011-12

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – November 15, 2010 – NBC has picked up its Emmy Award-winning comedy “30 Rock” (Thursdays, 10-10:30 p.m. ET) for another season through 2011-12, it was announced today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

We are happy to confirm the pickup of ’30 Rock’ for another season,” said Bromstad. “It continues to be a bold, hilarious, sophisticated comedy that has become a classic in its own time.”

The pickup comes as “30 Rock” also celebrates its 100th episode this season.

“30 Rock” has averaged a 3.1 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers overall in “most current” averages for the season through November 7. It’s one of the most upscale and most time-shifted comedies on the schedule, tying for the #2 most upscale shows among all primetime series on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or CW in its concentration of adults 18-49 living in homes with $100,000-plus incomes (46 percent above average), and tying for the #3 biggest time-shifting increase among half-hour comedies when going from “live plus same day” to “live plus seven day” ratings (plus 27 percent). Airing this fall in the Thursday 8:30 p.m. ET slot, “30 Rock” is building on its adult 18-49 lead-in by 25 percent in “live plus same day” ratings and has also improved the time period versus year-ago results by 25 percent.

Multiple award-winning comedy series “30 Rock” is told through the comedic voice of Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner Tina Fey as variety show producer Liz Lemon, and features Emmy and three-time Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin as top network executive Jack Donaghy and Emmy nominee Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, the unpredictable star of Lemon’s hit variety show, “TGS with Tracy Jordan.” Lemon constantly has her hands full, juggling corporate interference from Donaghy and off-the-handle star antics from Jordan, all while attempting to salvage her own personal life.

Also rounding out the cast are two-time Emmy nominee Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, the co-star of “TGS”; Scott Adsit as the variety show’s producer Pete Hornberger; Emmy nominee Jack McBrayer as Kenneth, the over-eager and effortlessly endearing NBC page; Judah Friedlander as Frank, the sardonic slacker on the writing staff; and Keith Powell as Toofer, the sophisticated yet sarcastic, Harvard-alum writer.

Nominated for 15 Emmy nominations (plus one for an interactive Emmy) in 2010, “30 Rock” won its third-straight Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and tied the record for most comedy Emmys in a single season in 2009. “30 Rock” has also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series, a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an ensemble in a Comedy Series, three Producers Guild’s Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Awards in Comedy Episodic Television, three Writers Guild Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and two WGA Awards for Episodic Comedy and a Television Critics Association for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.

“30 Rock” is from Broadway Video and Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios. The executive producers are Lorne Michaels (“Saturday Night Live”), Fey, Marci Klein (“Saturday Night Live”), David Miner (“Human Giant”), Robert Carlock (“Friends”), Jeff Richmond (“Baby Mama”) and John Riggi (“Will & Grace).

What do you think? Are you glad to hear 30 Rock’s been renewed? How long should it continue? If it were up to you, would this be the last season?

Image courtesy NBC.