30 Rock

This is one of the best comedy shows of the past 30 years. Extremely well written, the shows creator draws on her time at Saturday Night Live to showcase the insanity behind productions at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Most episodes center around scrambling over some hurdle to try and deliver a live show by the end of the week, but how they intermingle and deal with the problems is where the hilarity lies.

The casting is perfect and peppered with hilarious cameos throughout the series. Every role is well acted but let us not forget how smart the writing is. I'm a sucker for comedy laced with endearing moments and 30 Rock is full of that. You have the ability to look at the characters and agree that they aren't necessarily "good" but you still care about them and see that at times they're just doing their best.

Who better to make a show,comedy or no,about the backstage goings-on with a live,sketch comedy show,than Tina Fey,the former head writer and anchor for "Saturday Night Live"? After pitching the idea a few times to the network,Fey finally got her chance here and it is very strong!

Fey is Liz Lemon,a put-upon,single,thirty-something who heads up the writing and production of "The Girlie Show". It's tottered along just fine to this point,but when the network's hired mucky muck,an arrogant ass whose entertainment experience is almost nil and whose previous departmental supervision dealt with hardware appliances named JAck Donaghy(Alec Baldwin,relishing his ubiquity as comedic ace and character actor everyman)is hired to overlook the show's productionthe pot gets stirred. His first move is to shake up the cast of her show by bringing aboard Tracy Jordan(Tracy Morgan,who REDEFINES acting with abandon),a talented comic with alarming tendencies to emotional meltdowns and irrational behavior.

To make life just a little harder for Liz,she has to deal with:a sexually insecure blonde starlet with aging problems(Jane Krackowski)who considers Liz a friend;an oily,selfish boyfriend;writers who aren't very supportive(Judah Friedlander,Scott Adsit among them)and an unnaturally perky network page(Jack McBrayer).

I understand why NBC was more apt to put the PR rush for Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip",but this is EASILY the better show between the two of them,not the least of which because Miss Fey's work on SNL and the decision to make this show more than bitingly ironic and preachy(as Studio 60 seems to be),comedic and yet not gimmicky. I'm rooting for this show to succeed,and for once,I feel like the network nursing this show is willing to oblige my(and I know I'm not alone feeling this)wishes.

Tina Fey is one of the best comedy writers of all time. Her Emmys and Golden Globes don't lie. She works amazing with everyone and the chemistry behind the scenes between her and Lorne Michaels is transferred onto the screen via the quality and self awareness of the show. Of course we can't forget the amazing Alex Baldwin and the young talented writer Donald Glover.

Overall one of the best, clever and funniest shows on TV.

It's a great, funny show. Fey is very good in the lead role; she blew away my expectations. Kudos to her for creating such a fun, funny, witty and quality TV show. Baldwin is at his dry-witted, brilliant best (someone at work said to me, "yeah I heard Alec Baldwin is in it, but isn't that show a comedy?" ...did not know the man did comedy. Did not know). Morgan (who I don't normally like; not on SNL or elsewhere) is hysterical and plays the role perfectly. The minor characters are all very good and amusing, and I can't wait to see them develop more and more. The writing/material is quality crazy with sit-com wackiness, sketch comedy variety/character and fast-paced intelligent wit. If you like to laugh (something a comedy should make you do), please check this show out; if you think a lot of the other crap on TV is amusing, you'll really love this one. Hurry, before it gets canceled.

It's always been my contention that great comedians make some of the best dramatic actors.

Well, what we have here is the corollary to the above-stated theorum. Our good buddy, Alec Baldwin, he of the "Third place is you're fired" monologue from "Glengarry", has quietly honed his comic timing via a run of "SNL" appearances and movie roles ("State and Main")and emerged as one of the funniest actors around. His delivery has gotten so good that he's become one of those guys that's funny standing still, before he utters word one. You're laughing before you even know what the premise is. It's a hard pill to swallow, but it's gotten to the point that I don't know if I'll ever be able to watch Alec Baldwin again in a dramatic role without lapsing into hysterics before he deigns to offer a line of dialogue. "30 Rock" may put the final nail in the notable career of Alec Baldwin-"Serious Actor", but I sure ain't complaining. If for no other reason, you should be watching this show just to see him deliver a line.

And if you still want another reason, Jack McBrayer is a flat-out hoot, and Tina Fey, who wisely scrambled from the deck of "SNL" before the ship utterly submerged, is obviously having the time of her life.

"30 Rock" fits neatly into the "no laugh-track zone" that has become NBC's funniest Thursday night line-up ever.