(S04E06) "Oh brother. Are they really going to do something this year or just put that stupid green peacock in the corner of the screen?" - Liz, about NBC's Green Week
OK, I think we can all agree that this was one of the more disgusting episodes of 30 Rock. It's one thing to have Frank be really gross; we've seen that in previous episodes (the burping, the tank tops, the porn). But now we find out that he's urinating into jars in his office? I think that's officially holy crap disgusting, even if it does eventually help the Earth and give Jack flowers for his office.
It was also one of the least funny in a while, though that doesn't mean it didn't have its moments.
(S04E05) "He looks like all the guys in my magazines!" - janitor, about Danny
Another week, another "30 Rock isn't as good as it used to be" article. This one is from The Atlantic, of all places. The gist is this: "30 Rock used to be funny, but now it's not!" The Onion thinks so, too.
Oh, that's such crap.
I was talking to Joel about this earlier this week, and while it's probably true that the show doesn't have that "new car smell" anymore, so what? It isn't like the show is halfway through it's first season and it has fallen apart, the show is in its fourth season and it's still strong. This show has more jokes (and funny jokes) in one episode than most sitcoms have in six episodes. In fact, tonight's episode had more jokes before the opening credits than most shows have in six episodes.
And ladies, if you date a guy who doesn't think 30 Rock is still great? That's a dealbreaker.
Like most National Football League teams, the Kansas City Chiefs spend their free time creating parodies of NBC Thursday night comedies. So far they've done The Office (below) and 30 Rock (after the jump - warning: it plays automatically).
I don't know how funny these are, but they're well produced and cast. Which one do you think is better?
The poetry posts continue. OK, specifically, it's haikus this time. Jonathan, Jack Donaghy's assistant on 30 Rock, has always had a crush on his boss (remember the episode where he made the collage after Jack was demoted?), and in this web exclusive we find out how deep his feelings go. Love the Bluetooth while he's performing.
By the way, have you noticed that Jack has had a few different assistants over the past few seasons?
(S04E04) "That's what I'm talking about, empathy. It's about as useless as the Winter Olympics. This February on NBC." - Jack
Could this be the end of the "new TGS cast member" storyline on 30 Rock this season? Will the robot guy work out well or will he turn out to be a nightmare and Liz will have to find a replacement for him? I'm curious to see if this ends the storyline and they just use robot guy as a visual joke for the rest of the season, the cast member who is always in metallic makeup and never says a word. Or maybe he'll turn out to be someone brilliant and that will mean more jealousy and paranoia for Jenna and/or Tracy. I guess we'll have to wait and see where they go with it.
The ongoing plot this season on 30 Rock is the search for a new cast member for TGS. A certain NBC personality guest stars on tonight's episode to audition for Liz, which brings back memories of when she auditioned for commercials years earlier.
[Watch clips and episodes of 30 Rock and other shows at SlashControl.]
Allison told you yesterday that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will host the Oscars in 2010. But you probably guessed that others were considered too, right? Three of the people below turned down the gig. Can you guess who they were?
Allison already gave you the news that James Franco is going to guest star on 30 Rock, and now Kristin over at E! has done a little detective work and has news about another casting coup for the NBC show (possible spoilers follow).
An E! correspondent talked to Alec Baldwin on the red carpet at an Elle party and Baldwin told her that he's getting a new love interest on the show. When asked who, he wouldn't say, but looked around and said it was someone who was near to them.
Choosing these two guys, however, is not complicated. It's actually pretty damn clever. Both men are very funny, very comfortable in the moment -- a necessity for a complicated show like the Oscars when anything can go wrong -- and they bring a lot of good will and star power to the proceedings.
(S04E03) "I met JJ Abrams once, and I don't know what this means, but he said that the island was just Hurley's dream." - Jenna
In a typical 30 Rock episode, not all of the plots always work. While the A plot will be great, B and C will be lame. If A and B are great, then C will be lame. If A and C are great, B will be lame. Sometimes A is great and B is fair, but C will be really unnecessary and forced. Sometimes there will just be an A and it's great, and there will be dashes of B and C. I don't know where I'm going with this because I was terrible at algebra.
Oh yeah: tonight A, B, and C all clicked, and that made for a very good 30 Rock.
(S04E02) "This isn't the auto industry, Pete. The auto industry was run by a bunch of out of touch white guys selling consumers a product they didn't want. We're GE damn it, and we're going to make a giant, flimsy microwave." - Jack
It's funny how Liz Lemon wrote the book titled Dealbreakers (a plot from last season they've continued this season). You can actually picture a book like that getting published. There must have been a hundred humor books like that released in the past five years, so this doesn't seem like one of those "crazy" fake books that a TV show comes out with. Actually, I'm surprised NBC hasn't actually published a book to cross-promote the show. Hey, Castle did it.
I just hope that the book that Tina Fey is writing isn't like that.
(S04E01) "We'll trick those race-car loving wide-loads into watching your lefty homoerotic propaganda hour yet!" - Jack
One of the many, many reasons 30 Rock is one of my favorite shows is because it's well aware of its own world. For example, one of the running jokes tonight was about Josh (Lonny Ross). I spent most of the last two seasons wondering where Josh was. He'd make a cameo here and there, but he's been pretty much missing since the first season. Liz and Jack talked about this tonight when Jack revealed that TGS needed a new cast member and Liz wondered about Josh's popularity on the show. Jack said "Oh, that's right, Josh. I forgot about that guy. You think that's a good sign?"
For the record, Josh was indeed in this episode, for a few seconds. He quit and then attempted to tip over the table when he found out a new person was coming on to the show.
I can't wait until the fourth season of30 Rock starts a week from Thursday. Here's a sneak peek/behind the scenes look, with the cast talking about a new plot, guest stars, and what it's like working on the set. I'm already laughing. (Note: it's a bit spoilerish; not necessarily the plots but some great lines you'll hear this season).
[Watch episodes and clips of 30 Rock and other shows at SlashControl.]
Sherri, premiering tonight on Lifetime, is a very confusing show. It has flashes of genius, with several lines that made me laugh out loud ("Screw me once, shame on you. Screw a white woman -- we done"). At other times, however, it's bogged down with over-the-top dialogue and atrocious acting.
The premise behind Sherri is basically Sherri Shepherd's actual life. Both the real and fictional Sherri has held down jobs at a law office while working as a comedian and an actress, with bit parts on television shows. They both got married and had a son, only to find out that their husband was cheating on them.
The popular children's book character Thomas the Tank Engine is once again heading to the big screen, proving that Hollywood has no original ideas left whatsoever. Or that the industry will put anything on screen it thinks will make money. Or both. Thomas and his gang of anthropomorphic vehicles currently appear on PBS on Thomas and Friends.
The character has already starred in the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad starring Alec Baldwin (who also narrated the television stories for years). Is that really enough time between revamps? Is it the fact that the youngest generation recycles every seven years, which has kept Disney in business forever?
Given his association with the franchise, it would be a crime if Baldwin didn't at least get a voice-over role in the movie (and preferably a full cameo). In the meanwhile, he'll have to content himself with his Emmy-winning role on 30 Rock.