"Well, it's a parody of the behind-the-scenes machinations that go behind Saturday Night Live."
"Ooh sounds interesting. Can you describe it a bit?"
"Sure. It has one relatable character, the titular character Liz Lemon. Everybody else is absolutely insane. Well, Jack Donaghy is also a good character, but he's definitely insane. Their relationship forms the heart of the show. Anyway, the rest of the characters function as joke machines. It's rapid fire jokes and the episodes depend on the jokes. It's also features more cameos than all of the shows you've ever watched combined."
If someone gave me that completely accurate description of 30 Rock, I probably would not be interested in this show. Forget the people involved, forget the critical acclaim, forget everything. Re-read that paragraph and try and tell me that sounds like a good show. It doesn't really. And yet, seven seasons and 139 episodes later, the show had more good episodes than bad and arguably only one or two seasons that were below the show's standard.
This show, more than anything, demonstrates to me that a show's quality is completely dependent on the people involved. That show is a disaster in the wrong hands. I can't even imagine how good of writers you have to have in order to write 139 episodes that -for the most part - completely depend on the jokes. There's no fallback. If the jokes are less than stellar, the episode doesn't work. If Parks and Recreation makes you laugh less than normal, it's still great because the show relies less on laughs. With 30 Rock, the jokes ARE the episode.
The show's exception to this rule is the relationship between Jack and Liz. What little heart this show had for most of its run was that relationship. It never faltered. It was always the emotional center, which was much needed on a show where nobody else is rational. I mean Frank is maybe the third most stable person on the entire show. (Or Toofer, but not Lutz) Think about that.
Helped are the performances by Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Fey basically plays a crazier version of herself, but it's definitely underrating her performance to just say she's playing herself. She's good in the role and is a character everybody identifies with - male or female. Baldwin, on the other hand, is like a gift from God. I can't believe on 30 Rock, we get blessed with one of the best performances of one of the best characters of all time. Seriously, I think Baldwin is as good here - over seven seasons - as in anything he's ever been in. I can't remember a false note or a poor performance from him over all 139 episodes.
The other characters who function as joke machines are at least consistent and well-written crazy people. Tracy Jordan, played by Tracy Morgan based off Tracy Morgan, is a funny character for most of the show's run. While he was never dragging the show down, I do think his character got progressively less and less funny as the show went on. Jenna Maroney, played by Jane Krakowski in a role meant for Fey's friend Rachel Dratch, is the opposite. This is one of the few (or many?) times when a network interference helps a show (I'm guessing). I just can't imagine Dratch in this role at all. It's pretty much a national tragedy that Krakowski wasn't even ever nominated for an Emmy.
Then there's Pete, played by Scott Adsit. He's a character who is sparsely used, but when he's used it's magical. There's Kenneth, played by Jack McBrayer, who was inexplicably used way more than he had any right to be. McBrayer's good in this role, but there were not seven seasons worth of material out of his character and he was prominent in nearly every episode it seemed. (My one complaint that I will make in this review). Then there's the writers and Cerie who are also used expertly in that they disappear for large periods of time and never overstay their welcome.
Besides the main characters, 30 Rock also created quite a list of recurring characters who were funny nearly every time they were on the screen. Dr. Leo Spaceman (Chris Parnell), Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters), Devon Banks (Will Arnett), and Colleen Donaghy (Elaine Strictch) all appeared from the first season to last. Arguably, they were always hilarious (the only one I would accept was not ALWAYS hilarious is Devon Banks)
Oh yeah and how could I forget the famous guest stars. Let's just go through the list of famous people that 30 Rock starred for an episode or more: Oprah Winfrey, Jon Hamm, Matt Damon, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Keaton, Bryan Cranston, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, James Franco, Peter Dinklage, Will Ferrell, Paul Giammati, Susan Surandon, Salma Hayek, John Slattery, Matthew Broderick, Julianne Moore, Edie Falco, Jennifer Aniston, Michael Sheen, Alan Alda, James Mardsen, Steve Buscemi, and David Schwimmer. I left some names out too. And the majority of these guest appearances were used expertly (For example, Broderick's actually good in this, Schwimmer is hilarious as Greenzo, and Buscemi is a national treasure in everything he's in.)
30 Rock is unique in one remarkable aspect: the show was actually really good at the end. I don't think there are that many comedies that end on as high of a note as 30 Rock did - without their end being brought upon by cancellation. They got to finish the way they wanted to finish and they went out about as good as they were in their prime. I've never personally seen either The Office, Scrubs, or How I Met Your Mother final seasons, but... I'm pretty sure they did not finish well. (And That 70's Show didn't even have two of its stars for most of its last season) The evidence is overwhelming that most comedic shows in their final run tend to.. well underwhelm.
I've mentioned this show's relative lack of heart, but I'm not going to lie: the final season surprised me. I think I had tears in my eye for one of the scenes (uh I mean the room was really dusty for some reason). And more than a few scenes pulled at my heartstrings. I can honestly say that I did not expect that and I didn't know 30 Rock had it in them.
Was 30 Rock ever my favorite show? If I'm being honest, there wasn't even a period where it was in contention. But it was a reliable, funny 22 minutes of television (30 if you managed to watch it when it aired... and if the ratings are any indication, you probably didn't)! Thanks for improbably lasting seven seasons. Thanks for giving us the comic brilliance of Tina Fey. Thanks for giving us the amazingness that is Alec Baldwin. Thanks for making famous people do stupid stuff for our entertainment. And thank you for going out in style, in your own way without losing any quality.
Besides the main characters, 30 Rock also created quite a list of recurring characters who were funny nearly every time they were on the screen. Dr. Leo Spaceman (Chris Parnell), Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters), Devon Banks (Will Arnett), and Colleen Donaghy (Elaine Strictch) all appeared from the first season to last. Arguably, they were always hilarious (the only one I would accept was not ALWAYS hilarious is Devon Banks)
Oh yeah and how could I forget the famous guest stars. Let's just go through the list of famous people that 30 Rock starred for an episode or more: Oprah Winfrey, Jon Hamm, Matt Damon, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Keaton, Bryan Cranston, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, James Franco, Peter Dinklage, Will Ferrell, Paul Giammati, Susan Surandon, Salma Hayek, John Slattery, Matthew Broderick, Julianne Moore, Edie Falco, Jennifer Aniston, Michael Sheen, Alan Alda, James Mardsen, Steve Buscemi, and David Schwimmer. I left some names out too. And the majority of these guest appearances were used expertly (For example, Broderick's actually good in this, Schwimmer is hilarious as Greenzo, and Buscemi is a national treasure in everything he's in.)
30 Rock is unique in one remarkable aspect: the show was actually really good at the end. I don't think there are that many comedies that end on as high of a note as 30 Rock did - without their end being brought upon by cancellation. They got to finish the way they wanted to finish and they went out about as good as they were in their prime. I've never personally seen either The Office, Scrubs, or How I Met Your Mother final seasons, but... I'm pretty sure they did not finish well. (And That 70's Show didn't even have two of its stars for most of its last season) The evidence is overwhelming that most comedic shows in their final run tend to.. well underwhelm.
I've mentioned this show's relative lack of heart, but I'm not going to lie: the final season surprised me. I think I had tears in my eye for one of the scenes (uh I mean the room was really dusty for some reason). And more than a few scenes pulled at my heartstrings. I can honestly say that I did not expect that and I didn't know 30 Rock had it in them.
Was 30 Rock ever my favorite show? If I'm being honest, there wasn't even a period where it was in contention. But it was a reliable, funny 22 minutes of television (30 if you managed to watch it when it aired... and if the ratings are any indication, you probably didn't)! Thanks for improbably lasting seven seasons. Thanks for giving us the comic brilliance of Tina Fey. Thanks for giving us the amazingness that is Alec Baldwin. Thanks for making famous people do stupid stuff for our entertainment. And thank you for going out in style, in your own way without losing any quality.
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