30 Rock: Season 3

Most people can readily get into making fun of their job or perhaps in a broader sense their profession. This typically takes the form of a few quick jabs in good fun at the boss or co-worker while on a break or after work hours. When your job happened to be head comedy writer for a long running sketch comedy show like Saturday night live then there are a lot more in terms of expectations. Fortunately for TV audiences Tina Fey was more than up to the challenge in her creation of ‘30Rock’this series has been picked up for a fourth season reaffirming at least a little faith in the decision making abilities of the studio executive. This series is the ultimate in ‘insider jokes ruthlessly biting the hand that feeds them with gleeful abandon not only does it place the television studio in its cross hairs it widens it sights to ridicule the parent corporation, General Electric. Many shows were fatally harmed during the recent writer’s strike but fortunately a series like this benefited since there were fewer pilots than normal as possible replacements. Another factor might have been Fey’s mainstream news worthy return to Saturday Night Live spoofing the republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. This put Fey in the center of one of the most historic runs for the Presidency ever and propelled her to the foreground in the collective consciousness of the nation. In any case the series deserved the third season, now on DVD and earned it’s forth by being one of the freshest more imaginative sit-coms around. This is one of those series that seem to fly under the radar for a lot of people. Still, people in the industry have joined with the growing band of loyal fan in singing the praises of this well deserving series. Not only has it earn a number of TV’s highest honor, the Emmy. It was been the recipient of highest honors in the direction, writing and production departments.

First and foremost Tina Fey is one of the funniest most intelligent people to come out of SNL since the series started in 1975.prior to her stint in front of the cameras Fey was the first woman to take charge as the head writer for the series. She easily could have concentrated in a movie career like most alumni of the series and truthfully has made a few good one. Her true genius is behind the scenes in writing and production. This gift is able to blossom fully on this show. It is not as if she is not funny as a comedian performing, as mentioned her impersonation of Governor Palin was roll on the floor hysterical. She also deported herself far better than others from SNL seeking fame on the big screen. In this series Fey is in absolutely top form. She has surrounded herself with some of comic talent available creating an unrivaled ensemble cast.

Fey play Liz Lemon, the head writer of a popular television sketch comedy shoe called ‘The Girlie show (TGS). Liz is a modern woman rapidly approaching her mid thirties trying with great difficulty to juggle her demanding professional life with a dismally off track personal life. Liz is driven by two virtually mutually exclusive directives for her life; breaking through the glass ceiling and motherhood. Both of these goals are challenged immediately as the third season opens. In a bit of a parody of the opening to ‘Sex and the City’ we see an enthusiastic walking down the streets of Manhattan. She as an air of resolve surrounding her; Liz it determine to take life on her terms. Before she gets to the office Liz encounters Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). Until recently he was her boss that is until a corporate shakeup put senior executive Devon Banks (Will Arnett) and the daughter of the owner Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot) in charge. Devon has a personal grudge against Jack and demotes him to the mailroom. Kathy, well to woman is just not right. It is more than being emotionally and mentally changed she just doesn’t think or react in any fashion conducive with normal behavior. At work everything is the usual mayhem as Jack proceeds to working his way up from the mail room to the executive suite getting several promotions in the first day. At home Liz has to pass the overly stringent evaluation for the adoption agency performed by the ‘out to get you’ Bev ((Megan Mullally). Anything that could go wrong does but a hit to the head gives Bev amnesia and Liz a second chance.

Mullally is only one of the special guest stars to show their support for this series. Others include Lindsey Lohan and Oprah. While such stunt casting is entertaining what matters most is the incredible work done by the rest of the cast. Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan do much more than provide some zany characters; their quirky comedy is perfectly suited fo a venue like this. With all that the show had to overcome it is better than ever.

Posted 09/20/09