30 Rock - TV Fanatic

30 Rock Review: I'm Female Lutz!

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:11:53 EST

There are inevitable pros and cons to airing a one-hour episode of a sitcom. Some stories that wouldn't have the chance to develop fully in 30 minutes get to do so with the extra time. Then again, there are others that either drag on or are unnecessarily added due to the doubling of episode length.

30 Rock's super-sized "Hey, Baby, What's Wrong" featured both of these pluses and minuses. Jenna and Pete dealing with the former's case of the yips, and Tracy and Frank helping Lutz be a dirt bag, were basically perfect examples of plots that would have been hurt by 21 minutes of run time.

With Jenna, we were able to diagnose the problem, watch her struggle through it and then fix it in a very well-paced funny story. The return of Dr. Spaceman, with his assumption that there is no field of medicine that deals with the brain, and finding out that Jenna has two more nemeses*, also added plenty of laughs.

*Count them now: Abigail Breslin (1), Flo at Progressive Insurance (2), and Gina Gershon (3) from "Today You Are A Man."

Without the added time for Tracy and the gang, we would have missed out on either him and Frank talking about the hilarious things they do to pick women; watching them try to get Lutz to do said atrocities; or Lutz hitting on Liz outside an Ikea and eating Swedish meatballs. Each of those layers of the story was funny.

The fantastic Mary Steenburgen, who has now stopped by three of my favorite comedies over the past calendar year (30 Rock, Bored to Death, Wilfred), played Avery's mom. Her quasi-sexual rendezvous with Jack, and Liz's romantic struggle with Criss, both suffered from a similar issue.

Jack and Mrs. Jessup's awkward sexual tension, and Liz and Criss fighting in Ikea, just dragged on for way too long with too few laughs. Sure, there were plenty of chuckles during those stories, but they came at other points, and if the episode were shortened, they could have removed the tiresome moments.

Some highlights from Jack's side were his accents to the U.N.; him agreeing with Mrs. Jessup that the Transylvanian guy WAS "a penis;" and how made said Transylvanian was about Bono saying he wasn't hungry before the U.N. bought pizza and then eating three pieces after they got it.

There were also some laughs from Liz's story, like Criss's weird, half-written Valentine's song, the flashback to Dennis taking Liz to the batting cage and Chili's for V-Day, and Liz referring to the "pants down, move around" as "mommy daddy sheet monster time."

While those two plots might have benefited from a shorter episode, the Kenneth/New Page stuff never should have hit the screen. I haven't given up on Ken as a character like some have, but pairing him with Kristen Schaal was not a good idea. They're just too much together. It's all weird, all the time, and I really wasn't enjoying it.

Issues with episode length aside, "Hey Baby, What's Wrong" was another good and funny episode of 30 Rock's sixth season. After checking out some of our favorite lines from the night below, head to our 30 Rock Quotes page for all the best one-liners. Then come back to sound off in the comments!

Criss: We'll play the soundtrack to Major League.
Liz: You're making fun of me, but that love song is awesome. | permalink

Frank: You're married. I actually have a girlfriend. All our dirt bag knowledge is gonna go to waste. | permalink

Tracy: Let's prepare for the adventure of a lifetime! And then after we watch Fievel Goes West, we're gonna get you some action. | permalink

Dr. Spaceman: It's funny. If those teeth were in your vagina, you'd be considered a monster. | permalink

Frank: Lutz just hit on Liz.
Tracy: Bout time. The last six years has been like watching Moonlighting. | permalink

30 Rock Review: It's A Jack-Off!

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:39:02 EST

Liz: After six years, there's still room for growth in this friendship.

As Tina Fey smirked at the camera while reciting those words, I wondered if she and the writers were attempting to make a jab at those who might criticize 30 Rock for not evolving its characters in any way.

Then the thought vanished from my mind, because whether or not the show has done a good job of allowing its characters to grow over the past six seasons, "Today You Are a Man" - like many 30 Rock episodes - was funny enough that it doesn't matter.

Yes, Kabletown Jack finally figured out how to defeat Liz-Jack thanks to his realization that emotion can be used as a weapon (the aforementioned growth), but it was everything involving this contract negotiation that led up to that moment that made this yet another hilarious episode at the front end of this season.

The entire sequence after Jack found out Liz was using him as a coach, which included classic Donaghy, playing with himself, and the Jack-off, was fantastic. Then again, it couldn't even compare to how great the negotiations at the ice cream store were.

The back and forth one-upmanship, highlighted by Jack wearing a hearing aid in preparation of Liz's low talking, combined with Jack taking over Liz's side of the discussion, created a glorious span of comedy by Alex Baldwin and Tina Fey.

My personal favorite, though, was how much Liz was enjoying watching Jack in action as she enjoyed that Tasti-D-Lite.

While the other two stories of the episode couldn't possibly have measured up to the Jack/Liz dynamic, the Kenneth plot and Jenna and Tracy's plot came together so nicely that it made a world of difference.

Each had its funny moments, like 40 words of writing making Pete want to die or the fact that Gina Gershon is the nemesis of both Tracy and Jenna, but neither had as much going on as Jack's negotiation, so it was nice to see them play off of each other when the new Tracy Jordan told Kenneth to get out of town because he didn't want to selfishly keep him around anymore.

Overall, it was another solid episode in the early going of season six. What did you all think of "Today You Are a Man?" What was the funniest moment from the episode? And who on earth do you think could beat Jack Donaghy in a negotiation?

Some of our favorite moments from the night are noted below. Don't forget to check out all the best lines at our 30 Rock quotes page.

Jenna: Getting paid to help a boy become a man...is kinda my wheelhouse. | permalink

Liz: I'm negotiating against you, you magnificent bastard. | permalink

Jack: It's the ultimate game...Jack Donaghy, playing with himself. It's a Jack-off. | permalink

Pete: Damn it! I have to write a 40 word exit evaluation of Kenneth. I wish I was dead! | permalink

Jack: I used to be a winner. Men wanted to be me. Women wanted to sleep with me. Bisexuals wanted to watch. | permalink

Jack: He's a white male with hair, Lemon. The sky's the limit. | permalink

30 Rock Review: The Pagemaster

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:17:54 EST

Who needs whom to survive in this crazy mixed up world 30 Rock has created over the years? "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell" answered that question in the second episode of Thursday's 30 Rock double feature.

Liz Lemon and Jenna Maroney need each other as best friends. Jenna needs all of the attention, which Liz steals none of. Liz, on the other hand, needs someone to vent to, and since Jenna listens to nothing but her own voice, they work perfectly.

Thankfully for the viewer, they work great on the comedy side of things as well. Jenna as a successful star is great fun, especially when she brings her besties Charlie from "Charlie Bit My Finger," some Kardashian and Mankind to her dressing room.

It also helps when she makes ridiculous statements, such as you're nobody if PETA doesn't either love you or hate you.

Kenneth needs his job as a page, and Jack needs Kenneth as said page so that he can blame all of his stupid mistakes on somebody. No matter how many random series or episodes Not Kenneth brought up when someone said anything in front of it, the computer was no Kenneth! I mean, it wasn't even a redneck!

Jack's major mistake, while horrifying for him professionally, was hilarious to see unfold in the TGS writers' room. What was a better gift, the scotch fountain? Or the Philly Fanatic giving massages?

Finally, Tracy needs presents! I loved the way Tracy used punctuation to completely change the statement that Dot Com made about charity and presents.

With these three situations, who is the most selfish? My answer would be Tracy, although he's not blatantly using one person over and over again like Jenna and Jack are.

As always, we leave you with some of our favorite lines from "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell," and invite you to check out the 30 Rock Quotes page for all the best one-liners.

Before you sound off in the comments on what you thought of the episode, let's hear who your favorite star of Martin Luther King Day was. Mine was either Plinko from The Price is Right or the 1995 Quebec Nordiques.

Liz: What are those?
Jenna: Leaches. They're good for your skin, and I've lost tons of blood weight. | permalink

Jenna: If PETA doesn't love you or hate you, you're a nobody, like a soldier or a teacher. | permalink

Jenna: It's like I'm in a cage, and not the fun kind where you dance while USC football recruits throw hot coins at you. | permalink

Jenna: What were you even doing at that bachelor party?
Liz: Derek thought I was a guy and I didn't want to ruin what was happening between us. | permalink

Liz: Man, do my feet hurt in heels sometimes...and other things women talk about. | permalink

Mankind: Quiet! Mankind is trying to tweet about these clowns in Congress. | permalink

30 Rock Review: We Have A Magical Horse

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:10:02 EST

As the first of two 30 Rock episodes this Thursday, "Idiots Are People Three" featured a lot laughs and served as a fitting conclusion to last week's "Idiots Are People Two."

Things picked back up with Pete passed out, Tracy and his fellow idiots out for Liz's livelihood and Jack out for her relationship. The first of which led to my favorite story of the episode.

Kelsey Grammer, fresh off of his Golden Globe victory for his dramatic work on Starz's Boss, was absolutely hilarious in his role as...Kelsey Grammer. It must be awesome to play yourself, especially a much more James Bond like version of yourself who calls everyone "baby."

I'm not sure which was better, Kelsey deciding to make up a one man play about Abraham Lincoln in order to distract the people of 30 Rock, or the fact that he pulled it off and everyone in the crowd loved his performance. Either way, the "Best Friends Gang" needs to stay together forever.

Tracy's idiot plot took more of a backseat, but was highlighted by the fantastic speech the dummies wrote for Liz. It really started to get good when Liz started naming things she thought were dumb, but the idiots around her found them to be awesome. I mean, what buffoon wouldn't start chanting "Turtle! Turtle!" when Liz reminded him there may be an Entourage movie?

While the return of Will Arnett as Devon Banks didn't have me jumping up and down, it did allow for a number of funny moments, including Devon's inability to fake laugh and Kathy Geiss's request for a magical unicorn as the new NBC mascot.

Finally, we were treated to more of Jack getting in the way of Liz's relationship. While I enjoy some of his methods, like handing out the index cards describing his level of acceptance for Lemon's boyfriends, this story just doesn't do it for me. The Jack and Liz friendship is a pleasant entity, but 30 Rock is too crazy and filled with non-stop jokes to have time to build a friendship that the audience is supposed care about.

James Marsden, although he wasn't given much to do comically, had maybe the most subtle, calm and humorous "that's what she said" ever on television. There is a time and a place for the Michael Scott screaming version, but this one might have taken the cake as an all time best. He was just so damn quiet about it... but of course, it had to be said.

The interesting thing is that these two episodes - "Idiots Two" and "Idiots Three" - would have worked just as well if not better as an hour long installment. If you wanted to split them up, how did NBC not work it so that the two that were part of the same "to be continued" plot aired in the same night, instead of the second segment, and then another random episode? It was just poor planning.

Other than that, it was a very funny start to the 30 Rock double feature. We leave you with some of the best lines from "Idiots Are People Three" below, and invite you to check out the rest at our 30 Rock Quotes page.

Liz: And now he's inserting himself into this.
Criss: Well that's what she said but... | permalink

Criss: You don't use the tab closers on cereal boxes.
Liz: If you think those are doing anything to seal in freshness, you are living in a fantasy world, pal. | permalink

Tracy: My ringtone is the chicken dance. If I answer it, I won't hear the whole song! | permalink

Criss: I don't understand your relationship with Liz...
Jack: She's my subordifriend. | permalink

Kenneth: In school, all you learn about Abraham Lincoln is that he was a gay alcoholic. | permalink

30 Rock Review: I'm In Chinatown Baby

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:08:27 EST

"Idiots Are People Two" was another funny installment of 30 Rock's sixth season, but it failed to work as well as the premiere due to a retread of the same old Liz's weird boyfriend storyline, and the confusing appearance of Kelsey Grammer.

Honestly, haven't we seen this a thousand times on 30 Rock? Liz has a boyfriend who has a bunch of strange quirks, and eventually she figures it out and drops him. Sure, The Floydster and Carol Burnett were close to normal, but those are the exceptions to the rule.

Watching Liz nitpick over her significant other's blatantly weird behavior has never really been that funny, so watching her imagine Jack's doing the same thing was less than humorous. It was just weird. I know complaining about weird on 30 Rock is unheard of, but this just didn't seem to fit.

Then there was the return of Kelsey Grammer, playing himself, which was completely out of left field. Let's cut to Kelsey at a makeshift casino where he makes strange statements with James Bond-like music!

The ending tag, while it had its funny moments, had to make you scratch your head. Yes, I laughed when Kelsey was standing there eating cereal or playing chess against that really old computer, but it was almost just funny because I couldn't help but think what on earth is going on right now?!?!

Sometimes that's what is so great about 30 Rock. It goes for it and is absolutely out there. It might not always click on all cylinders, but there are always enough hits in the laugh department to make it an enjoyable half hour.

This week a lot of those laughs came from Tracy and his clan of idiots. All of the stereotypical dumb people that he had picketing with him were fantastic: the frat boy, the loud mouthed old bitch, the tramp stamped. As a Parrot Head myself, I take offense to one of the others he mentioned, but I'll let it slide in the name of comedy.

When Denise Richards showed up as the celebrity spokesperson for idiots everywhere, I lost it. Why did she use "for all intents and purposes" correctly, though?

The Jenna and Kenneth stuff was good for a number of hilarious quotes - as most moments are from those two characters - but the story never came together all that well. That is probably due to the fact that we got a "to be continued" at the end, which was weird for the second episode of the season.

It was a bit hit or miss, but thankfully there were enough hits in "Idiots Are People Two!" to make up for the confusing or irritating moments. Take a look at some of our favorite lines of the night below, and don't forget to check out the 30 Rock Quotes page before sounding off in the comments.

Liz: Why did you have to offend the gay community? It is the most organized of all the communities. They make the Japanese look like the Greeks. | permalink

Kenneth: I'm afraid I have bad news.
Jenna: Jenny McCarthy died? But who could have been slowly poisoning her? Was she poisoned? I have no way of knowing 'cause I'm just hearing about it. | permalink

Liz: Now I'm heading home for a nooner, which is what I call having pancakes for lunch. | permalink

Tracy: You can take our freedom, unless you take our lives! | permalink

Jenna: Imagine what the internet would do with this. Maroney found in closet with unconscious married man and inbred virgin...again!?!? | permalink

30 Rock Review: Hangin' Out With McEnroe

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:03:20 EST

Tracy was still acting out for attention, Jenna was still doing whatever it takes to get more rich and famous and Kenneth was still putting all of his beliefs into something bigger than himself - but the return of 30 Rock felt different than the status quo.

If I hadn't chuckled once during the half hour, "Dance Like Nobody's Watching" still would have been a great episode of television. That's not something you normally say about 30 Rock. It's there to be silly and make the viewer laugh out loud, not to simply be a interesting story about characters we enjoy.

That's what this sixth season premiere pulled off, though. It was pleasant to sit through, and interesting to watch what the characters - especially Liz - were up to.

In the past, Liz's story might have ended with her actually being a crack whore, or taking some weird drug to help her deal with Tracy. Instead, Tracy and Jack figured out that she was just enjoying her life, dancing like a weird dance team in Madison Square Garden.

30 Rock is still out for laughs, though, not just emotional payoffs, and it forced plenty on the audience thanks in large part to Jenna's turn as Simon Cowell on their amalgam of singing competition shows, America's Kidz Got Singing.

Sure, they are extremely behind the curve on making fun of the Idol-style judging, but that didn't make it any less funny when Jenna was telling little boys and girls that they should jump back up their mothers or roll down a waterfall in a barrel.

I also loved Johnny McEnroe playing the role of Paula, Kenneth telling everyone they weren't going to go to heaven after the rapture and Tracy making up new names for cocaine.

As always, here are some of our favorite lines of the night, and don't forget to check the 30 Rock Quotes page to relive all the laughs.

Kenneth: I get to go to heaven and receive my reward: 72 virgin, margaritas. Hold the salt. | permalink

Kenneth: Is the sky blue? Well, until tomorrow, when it will be on fire. | permalink

Jack: This thing's a real cash cow, unlike Cash Cow, the NBC spinoff of Cash Cab. You try riding a cow through midtown Manhattan, Lemon. The animal will panic. | permalink

Jenna: How do nice people dress?
Tracy: Socks on their hands, no belt, roller skates. | permalink

Jenna: Emma that was pretty good. You were trying to get me to commit suicide, right? | permalink

I enjoyed the return of 30 Rock, but what about all of you? What was the funniest scene from "Dance Like Nobody's Watching?" How about the single best line? Did you simply want to slap Jenna for being so mean to those kids? Weigh in below!

Emma Stone, Andy Samberg and Nick Cannon to Appear on 30 Rock

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:42:07 EST

As if we weren't already excited over the return of 30 Rock...

Entertainment Weekly confirms an especially fun episode of the NBC sitcom on January 26, as Emma Stone, Andy Samberg and Nick Cannon are all booked for cameos and will appear in a movie within the show.

Tina Fey explains:

Jenna will star in “a movie from the producers of Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve called Martin Luther King Day. I want to lay claim to that bit before anyone gets it. It’s a movie that has everyone in the world in it," including the aforementioned trio.

The series returns this Thursday with a new episode. We'll be updating our section of 30 Rock quotes each week.

30 Rock Season Six Preview: What is Liz Hiding?!?

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:28:32 EST

Community may be off the air until who-the-heck-knows-when. But at least NBC is giving one thing to look forward to this winter: the return of 30 Rock.

The secretive return of 30 Rock, we should say, as the first official preview teases something seemingly significant that Liz Lemon is hiding. What could make her squeeze her breasts in the elevator? And why would guest star Kelsey Grammer supposedly have the answer?

Fortunately, we have less than one month before the answer is revealed. 30 Rock returns on January 12, and thank goodness for that. We want to go to there...

30 Rock Season 6 Promo

Seriously, NBC?!?

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:21:26 EST

NBC is the lowest rated network on television by a wide margin, and this is its solution: bench Community. Keep Whitney on the air.

In a move that executives swear does not mean the funniest show on television has been canceled, Community will take a seat on January 12 in favor of the returning 30 Rock. Meanwhile, Whitney will switch places with Up All Night.

Elsewhere, Prime Suspect fans should start saying goodbye now. The show is nowhere to be found on the following 2012 schedule...

MONDAY
8 p.m. The Voice
10 pm Smash (New show, premiere February 6)

TUESDAY
8 p.m. The Biggest Loser
10 p.m. Parenthood (until February 28)
10 p.m. Fashion Star (New show)

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. Whitney (New time slot beginning January 11)
8:30 p.m. Are You There, Chelsea?
9 p.m. Rock Center with Brian Williams(New time slot)

THURSDAY
8 p.m. 30 Rock
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9 p.m. The Office
9:30 p.m. Up All Night
10 p.m. The Firm (New show, two-hour premiere Sunday January 8; Thursday time period premiere January 12)

FRIDAY
8 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are?
9 pm.. Grimm
10 p.m. Dateline

SUNDAY
8 p.m. Harry’s Law (New time slot beginning March 4)
9 p.m. The Celebrity Apprentice

James Marsden to Appear on Multiple Episodes of 30 Rock

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 07:42:10 EST

We still do not know when 30 Rock will return to NBC.

But we do now know that James Marsden will be featured prominently on the sitcom when it does finally premiere its new season in early 2012.

The actor - seen above during his stint on season two of Modern Family - will appear on six episodes of the series, likely as a love interest for Tina Fey's Liz Lemon.

Entertainment Weekly, which first reported this scoop, quotes a casting description for Marsden's character as: “California-bred with liberal values and a youthful innocence. Easy-going but confident with a strong sense of self.”

Assuming Marsden does romance Liz Lemon, he'll have some difficult, hilarious shoes to fill. Previous suitors include Matt Damon and Jason Sudeikis.