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Originally posted: October 29, 2008
30 reasons why you should watch '30 Rock' on NBC
Posted at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29
Tune in or out? 
out of 4. Tune in! Read on for why.
Tina Fey has been everywhere this past month-but not as herself.
The “Saturday Night Live” alum made a triumphant return to the late-night show to play Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
Thanks to Fey’s uncanny impression of Palin’s winky, down-home mannerisms, “SNL” ratings have soared higher this season than in the past 14 years. And Fey is one of the most celebrated entertainers of the moment.
The big question now is: Can Fey turn that popularity into a windfall at her real job as creator, producer, writer and star of NBC’s “30 Rock,” which returns for its third season at 8:30 p.m. Thursday?
“I hope this ends up helping ‘30 Rock,’” she told the Associated Press recently. “I would like the audience to go up just enough so that people don’t have to refer to it as ‘the ratings-challenged “30 Rock”’ anymore.”
But the sitcom is ratings challenged. It averaged just 6 million viewers a week last season, despite later nabbing seven Emmys for the season, including a second best comedy award and honors for Fey and Alec Baldwin.
NBC isn’t doing the show any favors in the ratings war, putting it up against CBS’ juggernaut “CSI” and ABC’s popular “Grey’s Anatomy.” And last week the network streamed the excellent season premiere online for anyone to see, which isn’t really going to help the show on Thursday.
But Fey and “30 Rock” are pulling out all the stops this season. The show is as smart and funny as it’s ever been, lampooning not just the TV world but workplace politics, its characters’ romantic lives and popular culture.
And it has Oprah next week.
Those are just a few of our 30 reasons you should watch “30 Rock.” Read on after the photo of cast members Tracy Morgan (from left), Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer for all 30 reasons.
1. TINA FEY
“30 Rock” is not just Tina Fey’s show, it’s Tina Fey. Fey created the series about the head writer of the fictional sketch comedy show “TGS with Tracy Jordon,” drawing on her experiences as head writer for “SNL.” She plays Liz Lemon as a barely together, self-deprecating nerd who has to deal with a pompous boss and a half-crazy star, not to mention a room full of immature writers. Fey may do a mean Sarah Palin impersonation, but she rocks as Liz Lemon.
2. ALEC BALDWIN
As Liz’s wonderfully smarmy former boss Jack Donaghy, Baldwin makes you forget all the tabloid headlines about him. He’s perfect as Donaghy, a man of such huge ego that, in the season premiere, he has no doubt he will get his old job back: “It took me 22 years to work my way to the top the first time,” he tells Liz. “This time I think I can do it in nine.” Naturally, he does it a lot faster than that.
3. THE WRITING
The show boasts the smartest-and silliest-writing on TV. On what other show could you hear lines like these within the same conversation?
“That information is classified, at least until Cheney dies, and that’s going to be a long time from now. That man is mostly metal,” Jack tells Liz when asked how he got out of his former government job.
“Devin is the worst,” Liz says about her current boss. “It’s like he doesn’t even care when we should have cake for people whose birthdays are on the weekend.”
“The Friday before,” Jack says, “at lunch.”
4-11. THE ENSEMBLE CAST
Fey and Baldwin are backed by one of the best ensemble casts in comedy, including Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Judah Friedlander (left), Katrina Bowden (center), Keith Powell (right), Maulik Pancholy, Kevin Brown (above left) and Grizz Chapman (above right).
12-13. CHICAGO CONNECTION
Fey met Jack McBrayer, who plays naïve NBC page Kenneth Parcell, and Scott Adsit (left), who stars as Liz’s go-to writer Pete Hornberger, while working in Chicago at Second City. She’s also tapped Second City and IO alums Brian Stack, Miriam Tolen and Brian McCann in the past.
14. EVERYONE GETS TEASED
No one is safe from the swipes “30 Rock” takes. Fey and her writers are equal opportunity bullies, mocking corporate culture, egotistical stars and women who want it all. They even bite the hands that feed them-NBC and its corporate parent General Electric.
Here’s just one example of a political slap from the premiere: Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) says the video game he created is “the most profitable thing since the war on terror.”
15-21. GUEST STARS
The guest star roster has been among the best on TV the past two seasons, with star turns from Edie Falco, Jerry Seinfeld, Al Gore, Paul Reubens, David Schwimmer, Steve Buscemi, Isabella Rossellini, Rip Torn, Carrie Fisher and Emmy winners Tim Conway and Elaine Stritch.
The new season won’t be any different. Megan Mullally of “Will & Grace” (15) and Will Arnett (16, right) kick things off Thursday. Arnett is back as Jack’s corporate nemesis, Devin Banks. Mullally, looking very much like Sarah Palin, plays an inappropriately snoopy adoption agency investigator checking Liz’s credentials.
You’ll see other big names this season, including:
Not to mention ...
22. OPRAH WINFREY
That’s right, Tina Fey finally got the original Big O-not Barack Obama-to do a guest appearance.
Back in March, I was on a conference call with Fey and other journalists, when we asked her about guest stars.
“I still want Oprah to play my best friend,” Fey said. “I want to spend time with Oprah, but I don’t know how to make that happen.”
Soon the “30 Rock” cast was taping Winfrey’s show, which eventually led to Winfrey’s appearance on the Nov. 6 episode of “30 Rock.”
Winfrey fully embraces the “30 Rock” spirit of self-mockery, telling Liz Lemon in a scene that her latest “favorite things” are salt water taffy, calypso music, paisley, sweater capes and Chinese checkers.
23. THE OFFICE
NBC’s other stellar comedy, “The Office,” airs just before “30 Rock” at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, making the time period the funniest hour on TV. Wouldn’t you rather laugh than watch as another crime is solved by DNA testing? (You know I’m talking to you, “CSI” fans!)
24. IT MAKES YOU SMARTER
Don’t you want to be able to talk to your cool friends? You can keep up with any conversation after spending some time with “30 Rock.” The show not only drops the previously mentioned political tidbits, but also:
You owe it to your reputation to tune in on Thursdays.
25. IT’S DARING
The show pushes right up to the politically incorrect line without stepping over it. In next week’s episode, a feud between “TSG” stars Tracy and Jenna leads to the black comic pretending to be a white woman and the white sexpot impersonating a black man. OK, maybe “30 Rock” steps over that politically incorrect line just a little bit.
26. THE NOV. 6 EPISODE
Thursday’s season premiere, which asks how far Liz and Jack will go to get what they want, offers inspired jokes about idiotic bosses, the adoption process, soap operas, quick promotions and greed. But the Nov. 6 episode, called “Believe in the Stars,” has it all. The Jenna/Tracy feud shares time with a plot about Kenneth’s disappointment in Jack after he learns that NBC faked some Olympic events, including tetherball and synchronized running.
It’s the funniest half-hour of TV I’ve seen in a long time, boasting the show’s mastery of writing, acting, timing and plot. And Oprah.
27-30. RedEye’s Twitterverse tells us 5 reasons they will watch:
27. Bayjb Two words: Alec Baldwin, dynomite! Another word: Blerg
28. Wkdown Quotes like “You can’t have a Lemon party without old Dick!”
29. scorpionking601 After November 4th, its the closest thing you’ll see to Sara Palin without moving to Alaska
30. Rempel Because 30 Rock is the new The Office, and The Office is the new My Name is Earl.
in Broadcast networks, Chicago connection, Comedy, Review | Permalink
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Comments
This tvshow is so smart and funny!! they really rock!
Curt's reply: I second that emotion, CTA. Thanks for commenting.
Posted by: Commodity Trading Accounts | Oct 30, 2008 10:29:12 AM