Lorne Michaels says "30 Rock" will go on with or without Alec Baldwin

In the U.K., television shows often come with an expiration date — a show runner has a story to tell, and once that story is done, the show goes off the air. It's like the TV version of Dignitas; there's no point in torturing a show into a few more seasons, from a creative standpoint. Maybe 30 Rock could learn a thing or two from our friends across the Atlantic, because I just don't know if I'd want to see a version of the show without Alec Baldwin:

Vulture caught up with [Lorne] Michaels at the TV Critics Association press tour, where he was hyping his new comedy Up All Night; we asked him if he could imagine any scenario in which next season would be the last for 30 Rock. "No, I really can't," he told us. And what if Baldwin makes good on his promise to depart next spring? "I can't imagine doing the show without Alec, but I couldn't imagine doing [Saturday Night Live] without Chevy," he said. "And we're still on the air."

If you take Jack Donaghy away from me and leave me with only Tracy Jordan, I will come at you, Michaels. This is very clearly a bad idea, so I don't even feel like I should go into it. But I will ask why people are so willing to destroy good things when it comes to TV: Mad Men without Matthew Weiner? Friday Night Lights on DirecTV? I thought TV was considered art now! Please let things go when their time comes, Lorne.