30 Rock
Y
Oct 11, 2006
8-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11
NBC
Maybe a good place to start is to attack the notion that "30 Rock" is a satirical take on "Saturday Night Live." If that's what you want, visit "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which also has some of the best and smartest acting and writing on TV.
"30 Rock," though written by and starring Tina Fey of "SNL" acclaim, goes in a different direction, and does it quite well. It is, first and foremost, a workplace comedy. The workplace happens to be a network sketch comedy show, but it could tell the same stories and produce the same hearty laughs if it was set in a law office or, truth be told, a trade publication. In short, it is about show business in pretty much the same way "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was.
What's more, "30 Rock" shares some of the same elements that made that classic comedy a favorite with viewers, including an underdog hero, a demanding boss, nutty but enjoyable co-workers and a star with a gift for comic timing and facial expressions.
In the pilot, Liz Lemon (Fey), head writer of the woman-driven comedy "The Girlie Show," gets a new boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). That, in turn, gives Fey a chance to poke fun at GE, her real boss, a hydra-headed conglomerate with divisions that make TV shows and, as seen here, trivection ovens.
Donaghy is a perfect example of what's right with this show. While he reflects all that is maddening about corporate thinking ("Sometimes you have to change things that are perfectly good to make them your own," he says), he is not without humor and charm. Instead of going for cheap and easy buffoon jokes, Fey aims higher, and wins laughs with jokes that are more complex and satisfying.
Same with Tracy Jordan, the slightly unhinged but undeniably clever comedian played by Tracy Morgan, another "SNL" alum. Initially presented as a stereotype, a blend of Martin Lawrence nuttiness and Kanye West political excess, Morgan develops into a well-rounded character by the second episode, possessed of a giant ego but able to turn it off and on, as needed.
Also in the solid cast is Jane Krakowski as the "Girlie Show" star, who gets elbowed out of the spotlight with Tracy's arrival. Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, the overly enthusiastic NBC page, has breakout potential, as do several characters who play writers.
There are a couple of rough patches in the pilot, including maybe too much time for the scene at the strip club, an unplanned stop as Liz struggles to get Tracy to the studio. But these are minor quibbles with what is arguably the best comedy this fall and NBC's best hope for the night.
30 ROCK
NBC
Broadway Video in association with NBC Universal Television Studio
Credits:
Executive producers: Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey, JoAnn Alfano, Marci Klein, David Miner
Co-executive producers: Robert Carlock, John Riggi, Jack Burditt, Brett Baer, David Finkel
Supervising producer/director: Adam Bernstein
Producer-composer: Jeff Richmond
Line producer: Jerry Kupfer
Creator-teleplay: Tina Fey
Director of photography: Michael Trim
Production designer: Keith Raywood
Editor: Doug Abel
Set designer: Jennifer Greenberg
Casting: Jennifer McNamara
Cast:
Liz Lemon: Tina Fey
Jenna Maroney: Jane Krakowski
Jack Donaghy: Alec Baldwin
Tracy Jordan: Tracy Morgan
Pete Hornberger: Scott Adsit
Kenneth the Page: Jack McBrayer
Frank: Judah Friedlander
Cerie: Katrina Bowden
Josh: Lonny Ross
Various characters: Rachel Dratch
NBC
Maybe a good place to start is to attack the notion that "30 Rock" is a satirical take on "Saturday Night Live." If that's what you want, visit "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which also has some of the best and smartest acting and writing on TV.
"30 Rock," though written by and starring Tina Fey of "SNL" acclaim, goes in a different direction, and does it quite well. It is, first and foremost, a workplace comedy. The workplace happens to be a network sketch comedy show, but it could tell the same stories and produce the same hearty laughs if it was set in a law office or, truth be told, a trade publication. In short, it is about show business in pretty much the same way "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was.
What's more, "30 Rock" shares some of the same elements that made that classic comedy a favorite with viewers, including an underdog hero, a demanding boss, nutty but enjoyable co-workers and a star with a gift for comic timing and facial expressions.
In the pilot, Liz Lemon (Fey), head writer of the woman-driven comedy "The Girlie Show," gets a new boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). That, in turn, gives Fey a chance to poke fun at GE, her real boss, a hydra-headed conglomerate with divisions that make TV shows and, as seen here, trivection ovens.
Donaghy is a perfect example of what's right with this show. While he reflects all that is maddening about corporate thinking ("Sometimes you have to change things that are perfectly good to make them your own," he says), he is not without humor and charm. Instead of going for cheap and easy buffoon jokes, Fey aims higher, and wins laughs with jokes that are more complex and satisfying.
Same with Tracy Jordan, the slightly unhinged but undeniably clever comedian played by Tracy Morgan, another "SNL" alum. Initially presented as a stereotype, a blend of Martin Lawrence nuttiness and Kanye West political excess, Morgan develops into a well-rounded character by the second episode, possessed of a giant ego but able to turn it off and on, as needed.
Also in the solid cast is Jane Krakowski as the "Girlie Show" star, who gets elbowed out of the spotlight with Tracy's arrival. Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, the overly enthusiastic NBC page, has breakout potential, as do several characters who play writers.
There are a couple of rough patches in the pilot, including maybe too much time for the scene at the strip club, an unplanned stop as Liz struggles to get Tracy to the studio. But these are minor quibbles with what is arguably the best comedy this fall and NBC's best hope for the night.
30 ROCK
NBC
Broadway Video in association with NBC Universal Television Studio
Credits:
Executive producers: Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey, JoAnn Alfano, Marci Klein, David Miner
Co-executive producers: Robert Carlock, John Riggi, Jack Burditt, Brett Baer, David Finkel
Supervising producer/director: Adam Bernstein
Producer-composer: Jeff Richmond
Line producer: Jerry Kupfer
Creator-teleplay: Tina Fey
Director of photography: Michael Trim
Production designer: Keith Raywood
Editor: Doug Abel
Set designer: Jennifer Greenberg
Casting: Jennifer McNamara
Cast:
Liz Lemon: Tina Fey
Jenna Maroney: Jane Krakowski
Jack Donaghy: Alec Baldwin
Tracy Jordan: Tracy Morgan
Pete Hornberger: Scott Adsit
Kenneth the Page: Jack McBrayer
Frank: Judah Friedlander
Cerie: Katrina Bowden
Josh: Lonny Ross
Various characters: Rachel Dratch
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