I feel that before I watch the pilot episode of 30 Rock I must purge some things from my mind. First is going be the obvious comparison to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. This half-hour sitcom should be judged on its own merits and not be compared to my favorite new hour-long drama.
Second, and not so obvious, is my own frustration after attending various networking functions and constantly being told by many network comedy development heads all saying they do not want "behind the scenes" shows (please don't ask me to name names), but every fall I still see new "behind the scenes" shows.
Some feel that this is because Hollywood's new young writers have never worked outside the entertainment industry so they write what they know. Others feel that those who work in Hollywood think that their lives and jobs are just so interesting that everyone in America will find their lives and jobs just as interesting (again, please don't ask me to name names). Finally, I like Tina Fey. I think that she is an incredibly talented writer and performer, but I can't let those feelings influence my evaluation of the show.
I watched the show. I would describe the show as Dilbert meets backstage Saturday Night Live, but in a good way. I really like the fact that the show is set in a real place (NBC Studios) and the characters work for a real company (NBC). Tina Fey writes, executive produces and stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer of The Girlie Show. Fey told USA Today, "It's not meant to be Saturday Night Live. None of the actual events are real, just sort of the vibe of the place. And the people are amalgams of people."
The people include Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, the new VP of development for NBC GE Universal K-Mart. Donaghy is the embodiment of the Peter Principle realized: "In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence." He was successful in GE's microwave oven division and was put in charge of Lemon's show. His first decision is to have Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), an unstable movie star, join the cast.
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Article comments
1 - tink
I have all the Studio 60s DVR'd but can't seem to find a block of time to watch even the first one yet.
But 30 Rock's 1/2 hour (ok...22 minutes) goes by so fast, I end up wishing it was an hour of programming.
Good casting on this show...in a season full of wonderful actors that don't always translate to good performances on the small screen. Tina Fey is great and so is Tracy Morgan. But Alec Baldwin is hands down my fave. So glad to see him getting roles like this...
GREAT job Tony!!!
2 - Aaron
Tony,
Great job on the review. I loved 30 Rock too. I am biased though, because I love anything Alec Baldwin does.
I'm new to the blogcritics universe so I'm just trying to meet all the fellow TV critics. I keep trying to load up your blog, and it won't seem to load up. I'll try a little later. I like to see other TV critic blogs. So hopefully it works later.
Great review.
Aaron.
3 - Jackie
Congratulations, Tony - I chose this article as an Editor's Pick
4 - Ernest Daniels
Tony,
A very good review. 30 Rock has gotten funnier with every episode. Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan are masters of the art, and it's great to see them all in the same show.