30 Rock is an American sitcom I've been meaning to check out for quite a while. Star, Tina Fey, impressions of Republican dumbass Sarah Palin have become legendary, the series has picked up loads of awards over the last few years, and it's drawn acclaim for star Alec Balwin, whose career it has revived. But with Kevin Smith's Cop Out fast approaching, i'd thought I'd check it out to evaluate the work of an actor that both the series and the film share; Tracy Morgan.
30 Rock is one of the best US sitcoms I've seen in a long time (especially a live action one). It's a workplace comedy set in the building of 30 Rockafeller Plaza (hence the title), specifically in the NBC studio that produces the weekly, fictional sketch show "TGS With Tracy Jordan". It's written and created by Fey and I'm completely addicted. I figured I'd watch a couple of episodes and now, unable to drag myself away, I've just started watching the third season. With no laughter track to cheapen the humour, the show has to succeed on it's script and performances. The tone falls somewhere between the hyper-reality of Ally McBeal and Family Guy, with curious flashbacks and the odd musical sequence puntuating the lunacy. That's not to say it's a broad pantomime, because it's played straight (well, mostly) and smart (social and political satire has a way of creeping into the plots).
Fey is pure genius. Her Liz Lemon, the head writer and showrunner, is an inspired mishmash of food addicted, man troubled, weak management skilled optimist and Fey isn't afraid to make a fool of herself for a laugh. She's a subtle actress with a true gift for comic timing. Baldwin goes for broke too, as the network head, both playing up to his powerful persona and taking the mick too, to raise a guffaw. Morgan plays a Martin Lawrence kind of guy (a failed movie star with a huge ego) but is much more likable than that twat while the rest of the ensemble become endrearing very fast.
After the failure of Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip a few years ago, it's great that another show with the same premise has become a success. Only problem is, when I run out of episodes I'm gonna have to wait on a weekly basis for a new fix.
1 comment:
Great, another one to add to the list of unwatched classics that cant be missed.
So that's Curb, Arrested Developement and now 30 Rock.
I was just trying to stick to The Office and avoid all else. Time to invest that £30 on 6 seasons of curb and begin the education.
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