Through my having worked at NBC, I learned enough about the company and how it worked to note a significant number of inside jokes in 30 Rock, and often, it seems to me, those are the funny jokes, the others fall kind of flat. Or, perhaps, it is the inside knowledge that makes some of the jokes and goings-on funny, rather than fall flat (seriously, there are roof-top gardens at 30 Rock, and whether or not you’re allowed on them is an oft-debated point in some quarters). This may be the reason why television shows about television tend to prove less than successful: they’re simply too inside for their own good.
So, take it from a former tool (yes, former), the show is funny. Tina Fey is funny. Alec Baldwin is funny. Judah Friedlander, Keith Powell, and Tracy Morgan, and the rest are funny. Jack McBrayer, on the other hand, is hysterical.
Article comments
1 - Joan Hunt
Congratulations! This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States.
2 - Joan Hunt
I usually love the Alec Baldwin/SNL combo, but this show has left me cold from the start. I'm glad someone likes it. Everyone needs a friend.
3 - Diane Kristine
I mostly like the show, love the page and Alec Baldwin (though I've never worked for NBC). They're enough to make me keep watching even when the show itself gives me some doubts.
4 - Tami
Hey! Thanks for explaining why I don't find "30 Rock" funny ~~ it's not because it's not funny; it's because I was never an NBC page!
5 - TV and Film Guy
I don't think I said that, just that it's more funny if you were an NBC Page.
6 - Michael Marx
As a Six Sigma Black Belt myself, I thought the Six Sigma riff was awesome. Especially the part about "braving a 5 day conference at a Sheraton..."
I manage a network of blogs all about Six Sigma and I've featured the 30 Rock Six Sigma clip from YouTube. It's worth watching over and over again...
7 - TV and Film Guy
But, is it only funny because you know and deal with Six Sigma on a daily basis or is it funny because it's funny?
8 - Michael Marx
It's funny because it's Alec Baldwin explaining Six Sigma. It's funny because he writes something down after Frank's Six Sigma GI Joe remark (like he's collecting data), it's funny because of the looks on everyone's faces as he is explaining it, and finally it's funny because, yes, I do deal with Six Sigma day in and day out - and seeing my work come to life on prime-time television is so unexpected. The next time someone asks me what Six Sigma is (as they often do), I'll give them the 30 Rock elevator speech, then tell them to read my blog.
9 - Roger
Coming from someone who has never been an NBC page.....Kenneth is not funny in the least. The rest of the show is hilarious. I try to fast forward through Kenneth's parts.