BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Poor NBC, once proud as a peacock, now plucked of prestige. The network's downfall began at least a half-dozen years ago with its inability to create compatible, successful programs to air alongside "Friends." Now Thursday is the network's only real beachhead for quality programming, but despite critical acclaim for "The Office" and "30 Rock," NBC's ratings are down dramatically. And NBC's bright new hope for success this fall? A new "Knight Rider."

At least the network and Jay Leno had the good humor to poke fun at its "Tonight Show" debacle. Leno showed up at press tour in makeup -- bald head, goatee -- and asked NBC executives Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff questions about the upcoming transition much the way Jimmy Kimmel was planted in the audience to ask questions during ABC's executive press conference last week.

"Is it true you've offered Leno a fifth hour of the 'Today' show?" the disguised Leno said.

"That's a great idea," said one of the execs.

"That's a crappy idea," Leno shot back.

"I know you brought back 'Knight Rider'; will 'Airwolf' or 'Manimal' be back?" faux reporter Leno asked.

NBC's GE-bred corporate culture has created a company with an eye for smooth transitions (see: Tom Brokaw passing the "Nightly News" torch to Brian Williams), but the network's planning ahead for a "Tonight Show" change appears to have blown up in executives' faces.

NBC executives announced a transition plan in 2004, but it's become increasingly clear that Leno has no interest in retiring. It seems likely that ABC will make a play for Leno, and Fox and syndicators are expected to, as well. In an interview with USA Today last week, Leno said he was done with NBC after he ends "The Tonight Show" on May 29, 2009. (Conan O'Brien takes over the following Monday, June 1.)

Graboff said Leno was "taken out of context a little bit" in that interview, and he said NBC Universal hasn't given up on keeping Leno in the family.

"We're not agreeing he's going to ABC," Graboff said. "We're talking to Jay about staying with NBC Universal. We've made our decision [with regard to 'The Tonight Show'] and we're happy with it and we're confident 'The Tonight Show' will continue to be dominant in its time period."

O'Brien will end his tenure on "Late Night" early in 2009. Before the successor program "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" premieres on NBC next March or April, test episodes will stream online early in 2009.

"One of the things that I learned from the first year of 'Conan' was how brutal it is finding a show on the air," said "Late Night" executive producer Lorne Michaels. "Beginning it on the Internet for five or six months before it goes on will be an exciting process and allow us to sort of find the voice of the show."

'Office' spin-off

NBC's planned "Office" spin-off is on the backburner while the creators of that spin-off develop a new series for "Saturday Night Live's" Amy Poehler that will not be an "Office" spin-off.

A true "Office" spin-off is still being developed but NBC's Silverman seems more eager for the Poehler series. Poehler, who is pregnant, will continue on "Saturday Night Live" this fall until the birth of her first child.

Neither the Poehler show nor "The Office" spin-off is guaranteed to premiere in the post-Super Bowl time slot announced earlier this year.

Fixing 'Heroes'

The folks at NBC's "Heroes" are not in denial. They realize they messed up the show in season two.

"It was a tough season, everybody knows it," said Sendhil Ramamurthy, who plays Mohinder. "We're very aware of how we need to step up."

Ramamurthy said he's confident that season three is in good shape. It sounds like his character will take a walk on the dark side.

"He's always been on the outside looking in, trying to help," he said. "This year he finds a way in and it has some severe consequences. This season is about dealing with the consequences of your actions. It's deeply dark and twisted. ... He's a much more decisive character this year. Sometimes too decisive."

Change won't be limited to Mohinder. Star Masi Oka said viewers will see the dark side of many characters in season three, which will be broken into two story arcs. The first 13 episodes comprise Volume III, "Villains," and episodes 14-25 make up another chapter with a title the show's writers would not reveal.

"More is happening quicker in season three," said writer Christopher Zatta. "In season one a lot happened quickly. Season two was more drawn out. We're back to a lot happening very fast."

All the "Lost" writers I talked to at a Writers Guild of America/West reception Saturday afternoon seemed to agree that the biggest problem with season two was that the pace was too slow. That approach was employed to try to broaden the show to reach more viewers. Instead, it alienated existing fans and ratings dropped.

"Nikki will be back, but she won't have that name," said writer Kay Foster, confusing her own writing partner, Adam Armus: "I'm just confused by that answer." What they did agree on is that Ali Larter, who plays Nikki, will return.

In the second season finale, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) was shot. Did he survive?

"Something miraculous happens to Nathan," Armus said. "He will see a new destiny in this world or the next world or in between, it's up for grabs. But there's something that guides him."

Sylar (Zach Quinto) will be back on his game now that his powers have been restored. Elle (Kristen Bell) will return, though it's not clear if she's good or bad.

"What defines a villain?" Armus said. "Whose morality should dictate what is right and what is wrong? People will be crossing the line."

'Battlestar' prequel

As Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" prepares to premiere its final 10 episodes next January, the network is readying a possible prequel series, "Caprica."

Set 51 years before "Battlestar," "Caprica" follows two rival families, the Graystones and the Adamas. Less space-based than "Battlestar," "Caprica" will be more of a futuristic urban drama as it chronicles a technologically advanced society that will eventually create the robotic Cylons.

Executive producer Ron Moore said the fact that "Battlestar" viewers know how the story ends shouldn't dampen interest in "Caprica."

"The tension comes from the fact that you do know where it's going," he said. "There's a sense of dread and an ominousness that gathers over all the characters. In terms of the narrative and the story structure, it's like any period piece. You know how World War II turns out. You know the Nazis are going to lose, but that doesn't mean that you can't tell compelling stories in the time frame and you can't make it suspenseful and exciting and wonder exactly which of the particular characters that you're following will live or die or what will happen ..., and then you find out it didn't happen exactly the way that you thought."

"Caprica," which stars Esai Morales as Joseph Adama and Eric Stoltz as Daniel Graystone, has been filmed as a two-hour TV movie, a so-called "back-door pilot." An air date for the movie has not been set.

The look of "Caprica" is more retro than "Battlestar," lending it a bit of the "Mad Men" feel.

"It certainly wasn't to try and emulate 'Mad Men,' " said executive producer Remi Aubuchon. "But what 'Mad Men' does well and what this show does great is give you a sense that this is a different time and place where there were different rules and there were different things happening."

Channel surfing

USA has renewed "In Plain Sight" for a second season. ... Janice Dickinson will live with her models in the fourth season of Oxygen's "Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," which premieres Aug. 26.