30 Rock


30 Rock is an American satirical surrealist sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live, takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show depicted as airing on NBC. The series's name refers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, where the NBC Studios are located and where Saturday Night Live is written, produced, and performed. The series was produced by Lorne Michaels's Broadway Video and Fey's Little Stranger, in association with NBCUniversal.
Most 30 Rock episodes were produced in a single-camera setup and were filmed in New York. The pilot episode premiered on October 11, 2006 and was followed by seven seasons. The series stars Fey with a supporting cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Katrina Bowden, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, John Lutz, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, and Maulik Pancholy.
30 Rock was known for its use of parody to satirize the corporate structure of NBC and its parent companies General Electric and Comcast. Described as "a live-action cartoon", the show was influential in its extensive use of cutaways. 30 Rock won several major awards and appeared on many critics' year-end "best of" lists. Over the course of the series, it was nominated for 103 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 16, in addition to numerous other nominations and wins from other awards shows. Despite the critical acclaim, the series struggled in the ratings throughout its run.
30 Rock is regarded as a landmark series, and one of the greatest television series of all time. Its series finale in particular has been named as one of the greatest in television history by several publications. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America West named 30 Rock the 21st best-written television series of all time.

Premise

is head writer and showrunner of the NBC sketch comedy series TGS with Tracy Jordan, produced in Studio 6H in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. She supervises cast and crew, including star Jenna Maroney, her best friend, while working with network executive Jack Donaghy and page Kenneth Parcell. In the first episode, Jack forces Liz to hire the unpredictable Tracy Jordan as co-star.
Episodes often depict conservative Jack and liberal Liz's disagreements, Jenna's attempts to become a film star, Tracy's immature behavior, and the characters' romantic and personal lives. In later seasons, the show depicts the network being acquired by Philadelphia-based media company Kabletown, a fictionalization of the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast. Tonally, 30 Rock uses surreal humor to parody the complex corporate structure of NBC and its parent companies General Electric and Comcast. Described as "a live-action cartoon", the show was known for its extensive and effective use of cutaways, sight gags, and breaking the fourth wall.

Development and production

Conception

In 2002, Fey was the head writer and a performer on the television show Saturday Night Live. She pitched the show that became 30 Rock to NBC, originally as a sitcom about cable news. According to Time Magazine, NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly felt that "Fey was using the news setting as a fig leaf for her own experience and encouraged her to write what she knew." Despite being reluctant at first to "write about writing", Fey's mind changed after conceiving the idea of casting Tracy Morgan as the star of a fictional show.
In May 2003, Fey signed a contract with NBC to remain in her SNL head writer position until at least the 2004–2005 television season and to develop a primetime project to be produced by Broadway Video and NBC Universal. Filming was postponed due to Fey's first pregnancy.
The show's pilot – initially filmed with the title Untitled Tina Fey Project – focused at first on the boss of a variety show who must manage her relationships with the show's volatile star and its executive producer. The storyline evolved into one that dealt with a head writer of a variety show who dealt with both of the stars, as well as the show's new network executive. The show was given the name 30 Rock, referring to the location of both NBC Studios and the location where SNL is filmed. It was officially given the green light to air May 15, 2006 with a 13-episode order.
The series was produced by Lorne Michaels's Broadway Video and Fey's Little Stranger, in association with NBCUniversal.

Filming

Interior scenes for 30 Rock were mostly filmed at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. In the episodes "Cleveland" and "Hiatus", Battery Park City, Manhattan, and Douglaston, Queens, doubled for Cleveland, Ohio and Needmore, Pennsylvania, respectively. The show often built elaborate sets, once using a set that took three days to build for only six seconds of screen time. In the episode "Gavin Volure", stock footage of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion was used for exterior shots of the home of Steve Martin's character.
30 Rock episodes were produced in a single-camera setup and were filmed in New York.

Music

The series features a "jaunty" jazz score. The music is composed by Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond, who is also a producer for 30 Rock. Richmond wrote the theme music, which was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music. Seven short, original songs have been featured in episodes, five of which were performed by Krakowski, another performed by Fey and Jason Sudeikis, and another performed by Morgan.
The show also covered three existing songs, including the song "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight and the Pips. The song had its lyrics altered to accommodate the character Kenneth being "misinformed about the time ". The song "Oh My" performed by The Gray Kid is heard throughout the episode "The Source Awards", which was mixed with a piano arrangement composed by Richmond.
The 30 Rock Original Television Soundtrack was released by the Relativity Music Group on November 16, 2010.

Internet content

On April 2, 2008, NBC announced 30 Rock 360, an online extension of the 30 Rock series. The extension featured Jack Donaghy's Online Business Courses. Users could also read Jack's blogs and upload their own business advice in video form. Users could submit sketches for TGS with Tracy Jordan and act out skits from TGS. The feature reopened Ask Tina, an interactive question and answer platform in which users could ask Fey questions. Fey answered the questions in video form. Ask Tina was a fixture on NBC.com's 30 Rock section throughout the first season.

Cast and characters

Main

30 Rock features an ensemble cast. The seven roles that receive star billing during the opening credits are:
  • Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, a "sexually frightened know-it-all" and head writer of TGS with Tracy Jordan
  • Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, the loose-cannon, crazy, and unpredictable star of TGS
  • Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, the original star of The Girlie Show, co-star of TGS and Liz's constantly attention-seeking, arrogant, narcissistic, and clueless best friend
  • Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Ellen Parcell, a cheerful, simple-minded, obedient Southern-born NBC page who "lives for television"
  • Scott Adsit as Pete Hornberger, the "sane", quick-witted producer of TGS, who often reveals embarrassing details about his family life
  • Judah Friedlander as Frank Rossitano, a trucker hat-wearing, manchildish, sarcastic writer at TGS whose hat bears a different phrase in every episode
  • Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, the decisive, controlling, suave, and occasionally senseless network executive who constantly interferes with the goings-on at TGS
Beginning with season two, several actors received star billing after the opening credits.
  • Katrina Bowden as Cerie, Liz's beautiful, laid-back assistant, who usually wears revealing outfits to work, much to the delight of the writers' room
  • Keith Powell as James "Toofer" Spurlock, a TGS writer who is "two for one", a Harvard guy and a black guy, and the polar opposite of both Tracy and Frank
  • Lonny Ross as Josh Girard, a young and immature TGS writer and co-star, known for his impressions
  • Kevin Brown as Walter "Dot Com" Slattery, an erudite member of Tracy's entourage who is also a Wesleyan University-trained stage actor
  • Grizz Chapman as Warren "Grizz" Griswold, a gentle giant member of Tracy's entourage
  • Maulik Pancholy as Jonathan, Jack's loyal and overprotective personal assistant, who at times appears to be in love with Jack
  • John Lutz as J. D. Lutz, a lazy, overweight TGS writer who is often insulted or made fun of by the rest of the staff

    Recurring

  • Dean Winters as Dennis Duffy, Liz's irresponsible ex-boyfriend
  • Chris Parnell as Leo Spaceman, Tracy's quack doctor who regularly provides him with experimental treatments
  • Jason Sudeikis as Floyd DeBarber, a lawyer working in 30 Rockefeller who dates Liz before moving home to Cleveland
  • Rachel Dratch appears as several minor characters in seasons 1, 5, and 6, including four episodes as Greta Johansen, a cat wrangler working on TGS
  • Sue Galloway as Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout, a French-Dutch writer hired by TGS and often referred to as "girl writer"
  • Cheyenne Jackson as Jack "Danny" Baker, a TGS cast member added in the fourth season
  • James Marsden as Criss Chros, Liz's boyfriend and later husband, who ran a hot dog stand in his first episodes of the series