2007 Fall TV Preview: 30 Rock On NBC

30 Rock - Season 2

Premieres: Thursday, October 4th at 9:00 p.m. EST
Network:NBC
Creator(s):Tina Fey
Starring:Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Judah Friedlander, Scott Adsit, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross
Website: NBC.com

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Created by former Saturday Night Live head writer, Tina Fey, 30 Rock follows the cast and crew of an SNL-like sketch show called TGS with Tracy Jordan. Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer and producer of TGS. The episodes center on her efforts to balance her sometimes pathetic personal life with her insane professional life. Brought in first as a complication and then as a mentor, Alec Baldwin Plays Jack Donaghy, the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. Liz is often tasked with solving his personal problems in addition to her own.

Last season ended with Liz’s corporate crush, Floyd (played by the dreamy Jason Sudeikis) moving to Cleveland and TGS’s star Tracy Jordan (Morgan) on the run from The Black Crusaders. Jack Donaghy suffers a heart attack in the finale and breaks off his engagement to his hollow-boned fiancée Phoebe (Emily Mortimer), after revealing to Liz that he doesn’t love her.

Season 2 continues 30 Rock’s tradition of hilarious guest stars (last year’s included Sean Hayes, Wayne Brady and Elaine Stritch) with Jerry Seinfeld playing himself in the premiere. Also appearing this season are Edie Falco and Will Arnett, who is reprising his role as Devon Banks.


As Tracy Jordan might say, I love this show so much I want to take it out behind the middle school and get it pregnant. 30 Rock’s blend of traditional sitcom clichés with realistic storylines and topical references makes it one of the funniest shows on television. It just won the Emmy for Best Comedy, people!

30 Rock’s ratings aren’t great. In her speech at the Emmy’s, Fey thanked their “dozens and dozens of viewers” for their support. So what does that mean? It means you guys really need to start watching this show. The season 1 DVDs are out and you can still watch the streaming episodes on NBC.com. If you’re skeptical, just watch episode 3, “Blind Date.” The scenes with Alec Baldwin and Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth the NBC Page, are comic gold. As an added bonus, check out the clip below in which Kenneth tries to seduce Devon Banks.