I can still remember when 30 Rock came to the UK. It was grabbed up by channel 5 and I give them credit for that because, with hindsight, it was a hot property. However at the same time they also snapped up a similar show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It then proceeded to schedule them one after the other on the same night, with 30 Rock following and thus starting at close to 11pm. The next thing they did, or rather failed to do was really market them in such a way that the show got the attention it deserved. I never bothered watching it because, as I have read others saying, Studio 60 didn't really appeal to me as a show to start watching and, by association, I just didn't bother with 30 Rock.
In the US the show is now in its third season and a browse of DVD's made me think that a reduced price for the first season was perhaps worth a look given how many good things I have since heard about it. Funnily this echoes how I started watching The Wire (I picked up seasons 1 & 2 for cheap in an HMV sale) and I suppose I should have seen this as an omen. I say this because, like The Wire, 30 Rock is really, really good at what it sets out to do. Of course content and aim-wise the two shows are chalk and cheese but both now hold a special place in my heart. For a time, the word "sitcom" would have put me off from the very start but I think this is because I still think of lame BBC1 prime-time affairs, or the endless daytime TV filler sitcoms where the targets appear to be uniformity and blandness rather than laughter. 30 Rock could not be further from those because so much of it is set up purely for the purposes of comedy and it seems like the plots are built around this rather than the other way around.
The strength of it is the amount of characters that are already in place and can be called on as a part of the main narrative of each episode or simply be used for a few lines or scenes that are the funniest thing in the whole bit. Well, it is not so much the characters but rather how good the individual actors are and how sharp much of their dialogue is. Fey is the central point for much of the narrative but also gives herself plenty of laughs as well, mainly from her deadpan and slightly neurotic character. Morgan is the real hoot though. His character is clearly Martin Lawrence and he plays to that cliché really well, greatly helped by the writing, with plenty of erratic turns and twists. Krakowski surprised me with her comic touch and she plays well even if she never feels to the fore of any episode. Even more surprising though is Baldwin, with his gruff deadpan and biting remarks, he is the frequently the best thing in any given episode. As with everyone else, I love Kenneth and part of the reason is just how good McBrayer is at delivering it. In supporting roles the material is lesser but everyone is still reliable when called upon I won't list them all since there isn't really anyone who is a weak link performance wise.
Season 1 of 30 Rock is a refreshing experience. It is very funny, very fresh and the short episodes make it punchy with it. The plot doesn't matter too much but is yet good enough to provide a frame to prevent any episode just feeling like a sketch show rather than a sitcom. Well worth checking out and I'm very glad I did, the only downside of catching it on DVD being how quickly I ripped through it all.
In the US the show is now in its third season and a browse of DVD's made me think that a reduced price for the first season was perhaps worth a look given how many good things I have since heard about it. Funnily this echoes how I started watching The Wire (I picked up seasons 1 & 2 for cheap in an HMV sale) and I suppose I should have seen this as an omen. I say this because, like The Wire, 30 Rock is really, really good at what it sets out to do. Of course content and aim-wise the two shows are chalk and cheese but both now hold a special place in my heart. For a time, the word "sitcom" would have put me off from the very start but I think this is because I still think of lame BBC1 prime-time affairs, or the endless daytime TV filler sitcoms where the targets appear to be uniformity and blandness rather than laughter. 30 Rock could not be further from those because so much of it is set up purely for the purposes of comedy and it seems like the plots are built around this rather than the other way around.
The strength of it is the amount of characters that are already in place and can be called on as a part of the main narrative of each episode or simply be used for a few lines or scenes that are the funniest thing in the whole bit. Well, it is not so much the characters but rather how good the individual actors are and how sharp much of their dialogue is. Fey is the central point for much of the narrative but also gives herself plenty of laughs as well, mainly from her deadpan and slightly neurotic character. Morgan is the real hoot though. His character is clearly Martin Lawrence and he plays to that cliché really well, greatly helped by the writing, with plenty of erratic turns and twists. Krakowski surprised me with her comic touch and she plays well even if she never feels to the fore of any episode. Even more surprising though is Baldwin, with his gruff deadpan and biting remarks, he is the frequently the best thing in any given episode. As with everyone else, I love Kenneth and part of the reason is just how good McBrayer is at delivering it. In supporting roles the material is lesser but everyone is still reliable when called upon I won't list them all since there isn't really anyone who is a weak link performance wise.
Season 1 of 30 Rock is a refreshing experience. It is very funny, very fresh and the short episodes make it punchy with it. The plot doesn't matter too much but is yet good enough to provide a frame to prevent any episode just feeling like a sketch show rather than a sitcom. Well worth checking out and I'm very glad I did, the only downside of catching it on DVD being how quickly I ripped through it all.