As network shows begin to trickle back post-writers' strike, some will have to remind viewers of where the story left off. For NBC's one-hour return of "My Name is Earl" (8 p.m. Thursday), series creator Greg Garcia opted to go with an introduction from NBC chieftan Jeff Zucker.

Zucker is absolutely despised by many people who cover TV and many who work in the business (see the comments here as an example, but be warned, there's profanity). At a final press conference for either "Friends" or "Frasier" a few years ago, some TV critics hissed when Zucker was introduced. Why? I think because they see him as the guy who ruined NBC. He took a classy network and either trashed it up (think: "Fear Factor") or failed to develop any new, compatible hits. And yet he keeps getting promoted!

But Garcia clearly likes him or at last likes to stroke Zucker's ego by asking him to host the introduction in which he mocks the writers' deal by suggesting viewers watch "Earl" online, "preferrably within the first 17 days" (writers only get a cut of online streaming revenue after the first 17 days).

Zucker also notes that Earl got hit by a car in the last new episode, a reference to what happened in the series pilot.

"Writers refer to that as a callback," Zucker says. "I call it getting paid twice for writing the same thing."

Zucker also leers at guest star Alyssa Milano and signs off, "J.Z. out."

It's unclear why the NBC executive would agree to participate in this introduction. It was written by "Earl" writers, but portrays Zucker as the arrogant, bottom-line-minded executive his detractors believe him to be.