What was the "30 Rock" set like?

Bump

Bump . Tina and Jane had hot chemistry on show

Probably like working in the White House when Trump was president.

Why hasn’t Jack McBrayer ever come out?

Apparently no one knows anything! DL FAIL :(

It's a campaign by "nasty" Tina Fey, OP.

Tina is alluring

Tina and I get along now that her career has slowed down.

I’m a fan of Tina Fey knowing that I probably would not like her in real life.

Fey loved proving she had a bigger dick than Baldwin and Morgan with every belittling script.

I thought Tina was excellent in-front of the camera.

A powerhouse behind the scenes, obviously, but she was a very strong comedic actress in this.

I liked Tina Fey until I read her book. There's something unsavory about her below the surface and she doesn't know enough to hide it more. I wouldn't be surprised to hear she's unpleasant in real life.

Jane and Tina work together pretty often. Alec almost was in Mr. Mayor, a Tina Fey production. It was supposed to be a spin off of 30 Rock, where Jack becomes mayor of NYC. Maybe he was causing problems there so they went with the Cheers guy and set it in LA? Anyone watch past the first episode?

Tina is a major success story .

[quote]Love Tina Fey but she seems like someone who's probably kind of nasty in real life

She's not, although she's openly talked about her dislike of internet SJWs multiple times on and off her shows.

If there were any dirt from her years doing multiple shows including 30 Rock and SNL that would have come out by now.

Hornberger!

I like her, but there’s an element of “smart girl sneers at the pretty girls” in her comedy that makes me uncomfortable.

There was a great episode in season 2 that might be a glimpse of how she is in real life. She goes back to her high school reunion, remembering she was bullied throughout high school. Lo and behold, she’s just totally got it wrong—SHE was actually the bully, and she just rewrote it all in her head. Great episode, great show, I still rewatch it and laugh my ass off.

Tina is not unpleasant in real life.

At the height of this show I did some work for her. She was one of the absolute best.

That’s great to know, r19. I really love her sensibility, I think 30 Rock was one of the best comedies ever.

R19, Good to know. I was really hoping she wasn't awful. Loved 30 Rock.

Everyone loved working on that show. Baldwin has said it was the highlight of his career. They were super-nice to crazy Tracy and Jane is a pro.

If anyone was an on-set handful it was Elaine.

I know someone who worked on the show and only had great things to say about her.

Elaine Stritch, God lover, was a total pain in the ass to everyone she ever encountered.

That should've been Elaine Stritch, God love her.

I saw the Elaine doc called "Shoot Me." Tina makes a brief appearance and kind of insults Elaine. Or at least is like "Yeah we think she's magic on screen but...boy is she a lot. Like a lot-a lot."

Baldwin once said the funniest thing Elaine ever said to him was "Alex, you're too fat to play Noel Coward."

I don't see the insult. Elaine was a handful, but they obviously thought the stress of her was worth it because they brought her back every year.

R U N T!

A former acquaintance of mine was friends with Jack McBrayer and one summer Jack was over to my acquaintance's home for a party and Tina called him and was pressing him to make sure he didn't get any sun because his character is supposed to be pale - I guess to carry on the joke that his character is stuck in the building. I thought it was nervy of her to dictate what a cast member was doing off set. If he did get sunburned, it's not as if they couldn't apply makeup to make him look pale.

I’ve heard stories that Dr. Spaceman was really out of his mind.

I know someone who worked on the set and he said Jane was very much Jenna. That made me so sad.

R29 Jack has said in interviews that he is practically tanorexic so that’s not as out of place as it might first seem.

When Jack McBrayer gets too much sun, he looks like a Ken doll

Matching his skin tone with makeup would take half a day - minimum - with application, camera tests, adjustments and re-applications. That's hundreds of thousands of dollars as hundreds of crew and actors all sit around and wait.

Or the fucking queen can just sit in the shade for a weekend.

Tina seems like she really loves what she does and is amazed at her well deserved success.

I've never heard that Jane Krakowski is a diva, OP.

Tracy Morgan is crazy, but they wrote it into the show.

Jane K rocks !!

Jack is brilliant

I rarely speak to famous people when I see them, but I was standing close to Jane at intermission of Hadestown and I just had to say hi. She was very nice even though I’m a total nobody.

R39, I believe it. She gives off kind vibes

There was a nasty lice infestation in Season 2.

Tiny Fey didn't like food that was colored orange so she insisted that all orange-color food be hidden from her or dyed green.

Did Tina have a crush on Jane?

Tina doesn't like pussy

That was intense, R33. I've been to the Wiener's Circle once or twice, and it was nothing like that. I guess it was before they started capitalizing on their reputation for that.

R44, her hubs is fug and she pings bi

I have a good friend who was a writer/producer on 30 Rock for a good chunk of its run. He loved working with her.

Tina is a fairy tale success

Getting her face sliced open didn’t hold her back!

Oh the horror, R29. Eye roll.

[quote] Elaine Stritch, God lover, was a total pain in the ass to everyone she ever encountered.

That includes me. I worked with her once and she had being a pain in the ass down to a science.

Tina is hot

Tina does ping for me (and I'm rarely wrong) but she is someone who would never come out of the closet.

Her husband is as pretty inside as he is outside.

R53, I agree. It’s a crusade for her to prove to everyone how straight she is .

I felt crush vibes from Tina towards Jane in scenes . Chemistry is palpable

Jack McBrayer is in a few "Drunk History" episodes that are shot outside and he always looks California tan in them, I suspect he must tan within seconds. It would be a massive undertaking to cover that up, and Tina was probably worried because she'd been through it before.

Jane flirts with Tina in scenes with her eyes .

Anyone else think that Jack looks like John Ritter ?

NO R59, no one else thinks that.

The cast were sublime together . Brilliant casting

McBrayer is gay.

Jane Krakowski was not liked by the writing staff.

The writers' prank was to take things Jane actually said and to include them in the script as lines for her vapid, narcissistic character Jenna Maroney.

I love Jane !!

[quote]there’s an element of “smart girl sneers at the pretty girls” in her comedy that makes me uncomfortable.

Is this where we’re supposed to ask, “How pretty are you?”

Bump

[quote] The writers' prank was to take things Jane actually said and to include them in the script as lines for her vapid, narcissistic character Jenna Maroney.

Somehow this doesn’t make me like her less.

A (straight) friend bartended at Second City for a while, and he said Jack McBrayer still emails or texts him on his birthday. Apparently a very nice guy.

R17. Why? Do you think you’re pretty?

The biggest drama was the fallout between Tina and Rachel Dratch.

NBC thought Rachel Dratch was too ugly to be a lead so they ordered her to get replaced with a hot chick, so straight guys would watch. It was a purely business decision.

Jane is certainly hot

Tina can’t possibly be sexually attracted to her dwarf hubs?

I'm a huge fan of 30 Rock, and I've always got the impression that the show was a very tightly run and professional set (even with Tracy Morgan).

The funniest episode was the one with Carrie Fisher. It's the only one I'll re-watch. I'm glad her character was only in one, perfect episode instead of being run into the ground like everything else on that show.

They all looked like they really enjoyed doing it

Alec is sexy in this .

I know that bullshit about Jane is a lie.

I worked with her on a staged reading, she is an intelligent, well spoken woman who plays a character. She is not vapid or shallow.

Rewatched this recently and loved it. Laugh out loud funny with jokes they probably wouldn't get away with now.

Kristen Schaal stole every scene she was in.

R75 The Carrie Fisher episode is my favorite too; Im pretty sure that’s the same episode that has Alec Baldwin doing impersonations of Tracy’s parents and other people in building from Tracy’s childhood. He was screamingly funny and deserved an Emmy just for that scene alone. That IS a perfect episode; Carrie was also great in it.

30 Rock is my favorite sitcom; definitely worth the rewatch. I bought every season on DVD after Tina Fey voluntarily pulled any episodes with blackface from streaming (so as not to “spark outrage” from the cancel crowd.)

This may be the only DL thread looking for gossip that got almost all positive feedback about the people behind the scenes; impressive!

I am in the midst of rewatching the entire show. One of my top three of all time. However, it’s funny how much of the humor wouldn’t fly in today’s “woke” atmosphere, when the show only ended 8 years ago. I love it though, still makes me laugh.

I remember as the show was ending, Tina giving an interview and said about Alec Baldwin - He’s a bear to deal with but the quality of his work makes it worth it.

Tina being great, skip Hamm.

more Tina

R79 Kristen Schaal stole every scene she was in, skull fucked it in an alley, and then threw it in a dumpster

I will never find it again but I remember seeing a video of many of the cast on stage for a talk about "30 Rock" and Tracy Morgan was almost unintelligible, you couldn't tell what he was trying to say, and when he would interject and say something the rest of the cast were all so nice and positive and would laugh and say "Yes, exactly."

The weird thing was that I watched other videos and Tracy wasn't like that at all in them. Maybe it was after he got injured really badly, but I don't think so.

R85 - They wrote their frustrations with Tracy into the show. In one episode they depicted him with a mouth full of jellybeans and getting dubbed over. The show also made constant references to his inability or unwillingness to memorize his lines. There was also an episode “Tracy is an idiot”

I enjoyed the show because it was pure unadulterated comedy. No sudden preachy or cheesy emotional moments. And I liked that they didn't do some sort of annoying sexual tension will they or wont they schtick between Jack and Liz. So many shows would have had them hook up in a series or season finale.

Awesome show, could never be made today. I think Tina is just a hilarious, sarcastic Philly girl who doesn't front... Philly folk cannot fake it, no facade.

[quote]A former acquaintance of mine was friends with Jack McBrayer and one summer Jack was over to my acquaintance's home for a party and Tina called him and was pressing him to make sure he didn't get any sun because his character is supposed to be pale - I guess to carry on the joke that his character is stuck in the building. I thought it was nervy of her to dictate what a cast member was doing off set. If he did get sunburned, it's not as if they couldn't apply makeup to make him look pale.

It is not uncommon for such things to be written into contracts, r29. Likewise recreational activities that end in injury.

Whether they are fucking or not, the pairing of McBrayer and Skaarsgard seems so random. How would those two ever even meet? Almost as odd as Mindy Cohn being the godmother to some of the Pitt/Jolie children. Somehow I don’t envision Mindy and Angelina being besties.

Best line from that episode r85: “I can’t read Liz Lemon! I think I voted for Nader!”

Sadly it was before the accident. He didn’t have the accident until well after 30 Rock ended.

Tracy acts retarded

"The new Liz Lemon is fun!! Let's all do the Diane!!"

[quote]However, it’s funny how much of the humor wouldn’t fly in today’s “woke” atmosphere, when the show only ended 8 years ago.

Overall, I enjoyed 30 Rock after the first season. A lot of the humor wouldn't work now but there were only a couple of moments I thought they went too far and usually the press called them out on it even then.

Jane Krakowski should have won an Emmy.

I will always give Tina credit for getting Alec Baldwin to dress up as Harriet Tubman. That was hilarious.

Tracy Jordan : [Tracy is on the set of the Harriet Tubman biopic he is directing, starring Octavia Spencer] Octavia. Excellent; you're black. Now in this scene, you're going to enter through the door.

Octavia Spencer : I don't think so. I'm gonna walk in from over here.

Tracy Jordan : But... the door...

Octavia Spencer : Well, you're just going to have to re-write the script, and explain how my character can go through walls. Also,

[Octavia holds up a t-shirt advertising her poker website]

Octavia Spencer : I want to wear a t-shirt; promote my website.

Tracy Jordan : But slaves didn't wear t-shirts.

Octavia Spencer : That sounds like a Tracy problem, Tracy. I'm done for the day. I gotta go home and feed my eels. They're not electric, but I have a plan.

Jan Hooks in her last acting role as Jenna Maroney's white trash mother, Verna. She was hilarious.

For your information, I am a Christian illiterate.

R94, I agree with you .. but comedy is supposed to push the envelope, piss you off. As long as it’s not cruel, let’s make people laugh out loud

I loved Cristin Miloti's episode

Was Cristin Miloti supposed to be a reference to a specific comedian? As a casual observer, it seemed like a targeted Sara Silverman burn and Google tells me I'm not alone.

I find myself regularly quoting this show still - it really has become part of my personal lexicon.

I don't drink coffee, sir, I don't drink hot liquids of any kind. That's the devil's temperature.

Drathch played over 16 guest spots on the show in a variety of supporting character roles, mainly in the first two seasons, after the NBC suits dumped her. I wonder whether their was any awkwardness or tension on the set when she showed up. She was supposedly royally pissed at being let go from a lead.

^ Dratch

^ And there was, not their was, of course

[quote]Awesome show, [italic]could never be made today[/italic].

Why do people always say this?

[quote]Jan Hooks in her last acting role as Jenna Maroney's white trash mother, Verna. She was hilarious.

"Yeah, this show will have laughter. Tears. Topless arguments. Infections caused by jacuzzi water"

[quote] A lot of the humor wouldn't work now but there were only a couple of moments I thought they went too far and usually the press called them out on it even then.

I LOVED 30 Rock but it's true, some of the jokes were offensive then and they'd be offensive now. The difference is that now more people would find it offensive.

Here's Rachel Dratch as Jenna.

As with all things you need to give people time to settle into things, and 30 Rock really settled in around episode seven of it's first season. I think switching Dratch out for Jane Krakowski was a smart move.

The pilot had a different Cirie as well.

The one issue I had was their response to real-life Tracy’s anti-gay rant in his standup. They made an entire episode about how everyone was overreacting to another dumb Tracy joke when in reality he said he would stab his son in the stomach if he came out as gay.

Kimmy Schmidt and Girls 5eva have a lot of the same humor and tone as 30 Rock, but Mr. Mayor was awful and unfunny.

Ted Danson had a teenage daughter on that show. He looked more like her great-grandfather.

R98, I think Tina Fey put it best when their blackface episodes (all three) were pulled. It didn't matter what the intent was, it still hurt people and that's not something she would want kids to run into just because they want to watch the show. (There's so much else to love there.)

R106, I'd also add that people's voices are "louder" now as in, I mean twitter either didn't exist or was in its infancy and the media both feeds and feeds off of it. Then of course there are other forms of social media that play the same role.

R109, I loooooooooveedddd her series, Great News. It didn't have a "great" first season but they hit their stride in the second before it was cancelled. It was definitely the spiritual sister to 30 Rock with a few of the characters being similar to the 30 Rock character archetypes.

Great News was criticized for its lack of diversity.

R19 That’s probably Amy Poehler

R85, Tracy Morgan is an alcoholic. He was probably drunk.

Woke won’t work in comedy . A Colossal bore

I know people are saying that the show could never be made now (which is totally true) but the show was not well-received by mainstream audiences even during it's original run. It was not a hit for NBC, in fact there were other shows on the network that garnered high rating than 30 Rock and were ultimately canceled after only a season or two. The truth is, the show only survived seven season in part because of the critical acclaim, the fact it was highly regarded within in the industry, the reality that at the time NBC had very few comedy shows that were having an impact beyond 30 Rock and The Office, and because it was actually much more successful internationally (30 Rock was a top 10 show in Canada during it's run and big in Norway ... something that was referenced as in jokes throughout the show).

Several of my students watch 30 Rock. I was very surprised that they watch it and get the references.

R116, 30 Rock was brilliant and is top trending on Netflix. Ha ha ha haters!!

This is still my favorite BW impression 😄.

Glurg.

R118 I wasn't saying 30 Rock wasn't a brilliant show, it's one of my all time favorite comedies, but it's fact that during it's run it was never a ratings success during it's run. 30 Rock rank 102 during it's first season and peaked in the third season with 5.7 million viewers and number 68 in the overall ratings.

One of my favorite bits - Jack impersonating Tracey's father, sounding like Redd Foxx.

Hopefully, it makes up for that on Netflix.

Tina Fey frequently made fun of 30 Rock's low ratings in both interviews, her book, and even within the show itself. 30 Rock lasted seven seasons largely because of the critical acclaim within the industry (it earned over 100 Emmy nominations) and the fact the it did well in large markets, LA and NYC. It also had a huge audience in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

They were lucky NBC could carry it for prestige purposes.

It’s gaining a new audience on Netflix

[quote]Tina Fey frequently made fun of 30 Rock's low ratings in both interviews, her book, and even within the show itself.

That reminded me of their line from their final episode before "Jenna" sang Rural Juror over a montage of the cast over the years.

"Thank you America. That's our show. Not a lot of people watched it but the joke's on you, because we got paid anyway!"

I'll never forget reading that when "Jenna" was crying that was actually Jane choking up while singing the song for the last time.

They deserve a bigger audience

30 Rock was too smart for many Americans.

Liz's commercial for the phone sex line....

It wasn’t too smart, R128. It was just a niche show with a specific sense of humor that became more forced and tryhard as the years went on.

I love all the people claiming the jokes in 30 Rock would never fly today because the show was so damn edgy and we're living in Stalin's Russia. I think this a total misrepresentation of the show and the time we live in. The humor on 30 Rock was very weird and fast, not at all shock humor. South Park and Family Guy traffic in racist/sexist humor and those are hit shows on major networks. Some people have to insert SJWs and "cancel culture" into every single fucking thread on this site.

Woke is not funny

R131 Take your pick of results...

"D'Fwan told me she's the new spokesperson for the Ham Council."

"People do like the way she says ham."

"Haayaam!"

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, r30, but you’re wrong. There are a handful of shows that are up there with the quality of 30 Rock (Arrested Development comes to mind). But it was an inventive, creative, funny show for a long time.

R133 you actually googled 30 rock problematic. Of course you’re going to get results like those. You could Google “anything” problematic and get similar results.

I laughed when the article at r100 suggested Fey was possibly criticizing DL anti-fave Olivia Munn.

The therapist in the Jack impersonates Tracy's father scene was the delightful Jean Villepique, now a regular on A.P. Bio.

Yesterday I watched the reunion special that came out last year. It's mainly a commercial for Peacock, but still funny and worth watching if you're a fan.

r100 back after a bit of research. IMDB comments have 2 options:

The Abby Flynn character, disregarding the hyper-sexuality, is a reference to the character of Abby Cadabby, introduced to Sesame Street in 2006. Controversial for reinforcing the worst stereotypes of what little girls like, she is a pink, sparkly, pig-tailed, baby-doll voiced fairy. With sugary baby speech patterns to match.

Is based on Irin Carmon's condemnation of The Daily Show (1996) hiring Olivia Munn as a correspondent on Jezebel.com.

r131 network tv is different.

R140 The Jezebel bit was the inspiration for the Joan of Snark blog mentioned in the episode, not the character

I'm trying to work out what sane human being would watch that episode and think the character is meant to be a reference to Abby Cadabby. IMDB poster insanity strikes again.

“Werewolf Bar Mitzvah…Spooky, Scary…..Boys becoming men, men becoming wolves…….”

“My muffin top is all that, whole grain, low fat. I know you want a piece of that, but I just want to dance……”

Kenneth is so tan in the pilot. It does look wrong. She probably bought him 5 more years on his face before it turns into a vintage bomber jacket. My favorite Rachel bit was Liz Taylor

[quote]"D'Fwan told me she's the new spokesperson for the Ham Council."

The Queen of Jordan bottle episode was the best episode of all of 30 Rock.

"A powerhouse behind the scenes, obviously, but she was a very strong comedic actress in this."

Great on and behind SNL. Great as Liz Lemon and producing/writing 30 Rock.

Nearly everything else of hers that I've seen, I haven't liked at all.

The clip r107 posted was horrific. NBC made the right call recasting both Jenna and Cerie. Dratch could never pull off being a sexy star of a show...neurotic, absolutely, but not sexy or a star. Her trying to convey that she thought Alex Baldwin was sexy was so pathetic.

NBC kept the show on the air because it was cheap. The product placement helped the budget a lot. Snapple, Verizon and Cisco are three placements that I remember well.

R147 is fortified with optimism

[quote]The product placement helped the budget a lot. Snapple, Verizon and Cisco are three placements that I remember well.

Did anyone watch the "30 Rock: A One-Time Special" reunion which was really just a giant ad for NBC's Peacock streaming platform?

The special ended with one last Jenna Maroney song featuring the stars of Peacock.

Wowwww, those pilot clips with Dratch are BAD. That version of the show absolutely would not have lasted. Sometimes the suits are right.

[quote] could never pull off being a sexy star of a show...neurotic, absolutely, but not sexy or a star. Her trying to convey that she thought Alex Baldwin was sexy was so pathetic.

Dratch's Jenna wasn't meant to be sexy. She essentially played a different character from Krakowski's, one that was reimagined once the show went to season and the part had been recast. Even Jenna's surname was different.

[quote]Dratch could never pull off being a sexy star of a show...neurotic, absolutely, but not sexy or a star. Her trying to convey that she thought Alex Baldwin was sexy was so pathetic.

Dratch's Jenna wasn't meant to be sexy. She essentially played a different character from Krakowski's, one that was reimagined once the show went to season and the part had been recast. Even Jenna's surname was different.

30 Rock needed sex appeal, so that's why Jane was brought on.

Someone on the show told me Tina Fey noticed at the soundstage across the hall that the psycho leading lady of Unforgettable, Poppy Montgomery, would have little people actors in at least one scene per episode. Some sort of Aussie superstition. Anyway Tina said “That’s retarded” and so she had Jenna demand “giant people” to be in scenes of the movie she was starring in. My friend told me Fey was overall pleasant and intelligent, never a shrieking harpy like Montgomery, but also “complex” and someone not to be fucked with.

It is odd how, given its ratings, NBC still chose it to front its big Super Bowl commercial one year

30 Rock was perceived as a 'cool' show, despite its ratings, which is why from seasons 2-5 they had so many huge stars do guest appearances or in Matt Damon's case, a recurring character.

But also fuck them for playing a part in rehabbing Condoleezza Rice's image

Hahahahaha R143

I still randomly sing Werewolf Bar Mitzvah as I’m searching for my keys or glasses or am running late for something.

I have no idea why, but it is somehow fits as underscoring to my stupid life.

Though, I’d have to say, R157 that flute shooting from Baldwin’s hands was one of the best physical comedy TV moments of all time.

Please d'fwink responsibly.

Infinitely watchable.

I worked on a theatrical production with Jane and she is an infinitely kind and generous person. She’s also a total professional and gets along with everyone. We never spoke about 30 Rock, but all our interactions were a delight.

I ran into Jane at the Citibank ATM around the corner from where she lives. She walked in on the phone and she was saying "Well the room was full of a bunch of JACQUELINES if you know what I mean."

I caught her eye a little and mouthed "You're the best!" and she mouthed "Thank you!!" and that was that.

I want to hear Jane say “CAMERA” live and in person!

R163, what are Jacqueline’s?

A bunch of friends of mine went to dinner with Jane (who one knew and invited) and they couldn't stop raving about her afterward. Yes, they're all gay men, and at the time all of them were in their 20s/early 30s. She told stories all night long, at their behest, and was a hilarious absolute delight.

R166, I get good vibes from Jane . She’s a doll

I love Jane. It sucks she never won the Emmy for 30 Rock or Kimmy Schmidt. Or Search for Tomorrow!

"Jacqueline" was the name of the character she played on "Kimmy Schmitt," which she was shooting at the time.

Jack McBrayer and Alexander Skarsgard are besties. You think they might be more?

I heart this thread.

Tina is wicked smart

Alec and Tina sizzle together in perfect harmony

Does anyone remember Sorkins weird drama about an Snl type show that came out about the same time as 30 rock? It starred DL fave Sarah Paulson. As well as Matthew Perry. The show was so over the top with the melodrama that it simply did not work.

(174) - it was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

R175 ah right that was it. I think the problem with the show was he tried to make a comedy set have the same importance as the white house. It just didn't ring true.

Plus Sorkin can't really do comedy, at least not the type that would be on a SNL type show. This was really on show when the big idea Matthew Perry's character had for their first episode was a Gilbert and Sullivan parody - yeah, that'd get those 18-34 viewers tuning in in their droves!

I have to admit, the pettiness from Lorne in not allowing Sorkin to observe how an episode of SNL is made is hilarious.

On the other hand, Sorkin's pettiness in relitigating fights he had with Kristin Chenowith via Paulson's character was just odd and seemed shoe-horned in. And Bradley Whitford's character's obsession with Amanda Peet's character, including outright refusing to accept her request for him to stop harassing her, was just creepy as fuck, even before MeToo was ever a thing (and of course in The West Wing Sam did the same thing with Laurie, which does make you wonder what it is about women telling men to back off that Sorkin has a problem with).

His cameo on 30 Rock was good though. "Studio 60" "Shut up".

I really enjoyed 30 Rock - good comedy on multiple levels. And, I've been revisiting it.

Unpopular opinion - I never really liked Kenneth. He wasn't a distraction or a negative to the show or anything for me, but I just never found his schtick that funny. But, he wasn't overused, so the character was fine.

Anyone else love 30 Rock, but don't like Kimmy Schmidt at all?

Kimmy Schmidt would have been ok if they stopped it at 10 or possibly even 20 episodes. It got old quickly.

American TV producers run every series into the ground.

I love 30 Rock but just couldn't get into Kimmy Schmidt even though I really tried. I watched the first few episodes and just found it boring.

I love Kimmy Schmidt, except for the Carol Kane character.

Regarding 30 Rock I always thought Scott Adsit (Pete) was kind of hot.

I thought a worthy successor of "30 Rock" was "Great News". It was sillier (if you could imagine that) and the comedy was gentler. It was created by Tracey Wigfield, who was a producer on "30 Rock" and executive produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

Tina is sexy

R128 This is very true. 30 Rock was rooted in surreal comedy and surrealism doesn't seem to do well in America. 30 Rock was a legit hit in Canada (one of the top 10 most watched shows in Canada during its original run) but Canada is kind of the home of modern surrealism. Canadian comedy shows (e.g. Schitt's Creek) are often based on surreal humour. I think Americans take themselves very seriously and don't get jokes and satire based around American culture.

They get it, they just don't want to hear it.

I agree with you about Kimmy Schmit, r180. I think Kimmy and Liz Lemon had a similar writing problem. The characters had to drastically change to justify continuing their respective shows and changing them made them less funny. Liz was at her best when she was a low-confidence workaholic dork, Kimmy was at her best when she was completely naive and unequipped to deal with the world. Both shows should have ended after two seasons.

Titus Burgess was amazing on Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock but seems extremely tedious and self-important during interviews. Reminds me of Billy Porter.

I think I'm a closeted Frau, because I loved Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock, because of the weird characters. Tina's shows feel like kids shows without the puppets and the adult behaving in an over the top slapstick way. A weird cutesy kind of feel. A similar show in that sense was Trial & Error. Cutesy "real crime doc" with bizarre characters.

Titus Burgess was tolerable on Kimmy Schmidt in very small doses.

Ops, totally forgot that Kimmy Schmidt did feature a puppet in Titus' MeToo storyline.

It's been said that 30 Rock is sort of like "The Muppet Show." Tina is Kermit. Jenna is Miss Piggy, Kenneth is Scooter, Tracey is Gonzo, etc.

I'm offended this thread became so popular after OP had to bump it three times and insulted Tina Fey based solely on his own misogyny.

I love Tituss Burgess. He can do no wrong to me. And I'd put on some airs too if I'd clawed my way up from a farm in Athens, GA

His "Peeno Noir" and Lemonade parody songs are some of the best things about the show

Hey r193 want to be my sex idiot?

[quote]I think Americans take themselves very seriously and don't get jokes and satire based around American culture.

I'd argue they're also more literal. Satire, farce... there's so little exposure to it and, when it lands, it's offensive because USA! USA! USA!

I always wondered what happened with the actor who played Josh. The early promos, which aired constantly during “The Office,” made it seem like he was the star of the show (it was him doing an impression of Ray Romano). But he rarely got more than a line or two per episode, and then they dropped him without explanation after the third season.

It’s true he couldn’t act. And it was a good gag when they showed him back auditioning for the white guy slot after he left the show.

I didn't buy Liz's boyfriend at the end. Too cute. She needed somebody weirder. He didn't need to ugly, but he was too nice and normal.

[quote] Tina Fey

Cunt!

I felt like James Marsden was supposed to be Jon Hamm 2.0. Beautiful on the outside but containing “flaws” that were difficult for Liz to overlook. In the case of Hamm, it was impossible because he was a complete idiot. With Marsden she revisited that storyline in a sense.

I wouldn’t call it a success. I think Tina was ready for the show to be over at that point and she had a newborn too. The last two seasons were weak.

You can't blame her for wanting a hot guy as her TV show boyfriend. If Kevin James can have a hot partners, so can she.

I too wonder about Josh. He just disappeared without explanation and it doesn't look like he left for greener pastures either

Considering the actor who played Josh was never in the opening credits, I don't think he was ever supposed to be more than a recurring character, ala Lutz. The character existed so that it seemed that there was more than two actors (Jenny and Tracy) on TGS which was supposed to be a sketch show in the tradition of SN. He was supposed to be the Andy Samberg/Jimmy Fallon cute guy in the cast. I feel like the went a bit of time before bringing in Cheyanne Jackson as another 'actor' on TGS after the Josh character disappeared, and then Jackson's character, after his initial introduction, wasn't seen all that often.

Not a fan at all of Marsden's character, though I watch the episodes to marvel at his cheekbones, they are astonishing. That said, I would be in the camp of finding Pete (Scott Adsit) in his tan cords far sexier.

I don’t understand why people think Tracy Morgan is funny. He must have a charm when one works with him, because his co stars seem to love him. But he sucks.

James Marsden is gorgeous.

So that’s two people that want to fuck Pete Hornberger?

Tina is a treasure

I want to fuck Lutz. So....

R187, 30 Rock was excellent beyond the fist two years. Although, I will admit the last two seasons were weaker. But it was still funnier than almost everything else on tv.

Ugh “first” at r210.

Season 7 had my favorite episode

R212, I had stopped watching by Season 7. But that is a great clip.

I had veal! I had veal with cheese on it!

(vomits)

[quote]Considering the actor who played Josh was never in the opening credits, I don't think he was ever supposed to be more than a recurring character, ala Lutz.

They changed the entire premise of the series around that Josh was part of. He was a victim of the same thing that did Dratch's character in. "30 Rock" was supposed to focus more on "The Girly Show"/"TGS" but they ended up making that the background piece and focusing more on Liz's relationships. Without TGS as the focus they eventually just gave up writing for the character.

His best moment with Rachel Dratch.

"I'm here to give you the gift of pain ... WHITE DIAMONDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I’m watching 30 Rock again on Netflix. What a great cast. Baldwin is brilliant in this.

There was a guy who used to look like Lutz who I used to see at Spa Castle in Queens. It could have been him. He was not chatty or playful and kept to himself.

One of my favorite bits!

I knew John Lutz (and was acquainted with McBrayer) back in the day. Both very kind men.

That's good to hear. I really like them both. I loved how disgusting Lutz was willing to be

Judah Friedlander contributed absolutely nothing to the show throughout its run. Nothing.

Lutz was dirty. Much dirtier than we knew. I'm sure of it.

I didn’t mind Judah Friedlander but he did not deserve top billing.

Was anybody else bummed by Jenna not been included in Liz's wedding? Years later and it still irritates me.

I think there was some scheduling conflict with Krakowski, but they really could have tried harder to work around that; she was Liz's oldest friend.

Judah Friedlander had character arcs with Susan Sarandon and Patti LuPone, so for a live-action Dilbert cartoon he seemed to be pulling his weight.

r224 Jane missed episodes every season of both 30 Rock and Kimmy Schmidt. I think she may have it in her contract to have time off for other interests.

Hmpf. And here I thought DL hated Tina Fey. Go figure.

R224 the very next (and hilarious) episode centered on Jenna being unaware of Liz's wedding. Seems like a deliberate story choice

R141, Family Guy is on Network TV.

[quote]Was anybody else bummed by Jenna not been included in Liz's wedding? Years later and it still irritates me.

I was as well but they managed to make Jenna more upset that she didn't have her surprise wedding first which was very Jenna.

She was mildly upset she didn't get invited and Liz did manage to apologize.

Considering that no one else in Liz's family, who we all met, or coworkers other than Jack were there it kind of was okay to me?

At least it led to Jenna wanting the opposite of Liz and having her surprise wedding in front of all of her friends at Jack's mother's funeral.

Unwindulax, man!

“It’s more like The Girls Next Door and you’re that old boat captain that shows up sometime.”

“That’s Hugh Hefner, Jessica!"

“Yeah, we have no idea who that is, so you’re kind of just proving our point.”

Lutz and Sue are real life husband and wife.

HAM!!!!

Alec made the show . He’s suberb

r235 ≠ Halyna Hutchins

[quote] Baldwin has said it was the highlight of his career.

Well fuck him. Enjoy prison, fat ass.

He's not going to prison.

Yes he is, R238. Because he’s one of the producers in addition to being the star.

He's not.

Ask the trigger.

[quote] [R98], I think Tina Fey put it best when their blackface episodes (all three) were pulled. It didn't matter what the intent was, it still hurt people and that's not something she would want kids to run into just because they want to watch the show. (There's so much else to love there

Out of curiosity, what was the intent? (I have never seen 30 Rock).

I would assume that Tina Frey would write blackface episodes to see if she could get away with writing blackface episodes, being a comedian and all.

It's a shame they had to pull them. One featured Oprah Winfrey and was actually pretty funny. She was not part of the blackface plotline.

I wonder if she saw the script for the full episode or just her scenes.

NBC kept the show on the air because it was cheap? Nope - the show was expensive, shot on film. weird fact: RURAL JUROR is an Edith Skinner training speech phrase. Someone in the writers room went to Northwestern.

Alec shined on this show, his comedic timing was killer. The cast was superb (even annoying Jack McBryer, who is definitely closet case central and fuck that midwestern rube if he’s getting down with Alexander Skarsgaard) the writer amazing and plot lines with little tie in’s made it fun to watch. Hated Keneth becoming head of NBC, always thought it should be a nightmare sequence of Jack Donoheys character a la last Newhart Episode. Elaine Stritch was a tough TAKENTED bitch and she made that role hysterical! Tina is a genius , too smart for herself sometimes but never nasty. Jane rules. Can’t say a bad thing about her. Alec is complicated but he’s definitely having a hard go of it with the accidental death of the DP on RUST. He was a producer by name , he doesn’t have enough say in how it’s run , he puts up cache with his name not actual cash or input as to how crew runs the show. That’s on the production crew, someone careless (she’s been on other shoots careless as well and nepotism getting the job due to her fathers connects) Alec is being vilified and for no reason other than he was part of an accident that killed a co worker. Very sad.

The one thing that has come out of this thread that's surprised me is that Tina Fey actually isn't a bitch, but good to work for. Because her persona, to me, when herself - Emmy host etc., - is as a hostile, odd, out of step mean girl. I think she's one of the best satirists there is, but I never got a sense she was actually an OK person to be around.

R243, I loved that episode. I don’t remember anything about blackface. I loved the girl Liz ‘thought’ was Oprah! Her favorite things, her friend GAYLE! I’m laughing just remembering it. Maybe I’ll start looking for the DVDs at thrift stores

The blackface part in the Oprah episode is a subplot with Tracey and Jenna. They are disagreeing over who has it tougher - white women or black men. So it culminates in Tracey showing up in white face and in drag to live as a "white woman" and Jenna showing up in black face and drag to live as a "black man". Liz's reaction is to be exasperated with Tracey and horrified by Jenna.

Thanks r248. I actually just finished watching it, after finding a poor quality version of it on Dailymotion. I had completely forgotten the subplot. But, the Oprah, “Spunky Tween” Pam was hilarious.

It’s a shame a heavily edited version couldn’t work, or another digital solution existed.

When the show was releasing seasons on DVD, before streaming etc, I bought them. So fortunately, I can watch the "lost" episodes whenever.

It's a shame because they also pulled the Christmas episode from season 5 - Christmas Attack Zone. It has Stritch and Alan Alda. My favorite line from that episode is Avery reading her and Jack's Christmas card - Happy Holidays.... is what terrorists say. Merry Christmas from Jack and Avery.

Although I cannot stand Tina Fey or Alec Baldwin as public figures, and not much of a fan of Tracy Morgan either, I have to say this show was one of the most consistently funny and creative sitcoms I've ever watched -- definitely top 20 for me. It was smart, hilarious, and very slick. The earlier seasons were the best, but I thoroughly enjoyed binging the whole run about 2 years ago. I still remember several jokes and scenes. So, good on them.

[quote] The one issue I had was their response to real-life Tracy’s anti-gay rant in his standup. They made an entire episode about how everyone was overreacting to another dumb Tracy joke when in reality he said he would stab his son in the stomach if he came out as gay.

Yeah, but I loved how Tina’s press release in response was a veiled threat reminding him where he’d be without the show and all the gay people behind it: [quote] “I hope for his sake that Tracy’s apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers at 30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket.

R212, that “Lightsmith, help me out! Fire up the lekos! And the klieg!” moment with Jenna recoiling back like a vampire in the sun was hysterical!

In the "blackface" episode with Oprah (Believe in the Stars, S3E2), the entire premise of Tracy and Jenna's disagreement was the way in which race and gender intersect when it comes to celebrity. That they chose to determine this by way of a silly race-changing make-up contest was a natural outgrowth of their insecurity, narcissism, and lack of imagination--three personality traits that motivate these characters in *every* episode of 30 Rock because that's how Fey sees comedians/actors. The visual of Tracy as a "white woman" was a clear reference to movies where characters radically alter their appearance for comedic effect: the Wayans Brothers movie White Chicks (2004) or even Shallow Hal (2001). Jenna didn't dress up like Al Jolson (no charcoal cheeks or exaggerated red clown lips) nor did she launch into a minstrel performance--she had real make-up applied and looked in the mirror and thought she resembled a young Michael Jackson, so we see her singing "Ease on Down the Road" from the Wiz. Once Liz and Jack saw what was going on they IMMEDIATELY corralled her while Toofer admonished everybody for perpetuating negative racial stereotypes. The comedy came from how ludicrous Jenna and Tracy's behavior was, not from any hidden nostalgia on the part of white audience members for minstrel routines of the 1920s.

I picked up the DVD here in the EU and it includes the Oprah episode.

Dude. Give me some Tina Fey and that Sarah Silverman in some girl on girl shit back in the day when they both were hot and I'd even let you blow me, dude.

R255, So many bumps in the road!

[quote] Woke is not funny

Neither is blackface.

R256, this thread was referred to in the active Tina Fey thread. There's some good stuff there too. Check it out!