by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Welcome to Cross-Platform Partners! In honor of a new movie release, I have selected a TV show to watch to pair with the movie. Think of it as a way to get hyped for the new movie, a preview of things to come, a means to tide you over if the movie won’t be released where you live for a little while, or a change of pace if you’ve run out of related movies or sequels.
For January, I picked 30 Rock to pair with Mean Girls!
Since I first saw her on Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey has always been someone whose comedic instincts I trust. Her sketches and performances made her a dual-threat, and I looked forward to anything she attached her name to. Also, Mean Girls is one of my favorite movies, and I hope the stage musical adaptation still shows Fey’s fingerprints. Even her autobiography is an outstanding read comedically, and her chapter on 30 Rock is among my favorites.
30 Rock centers around Liz Lemon (Fey), the head writer for a sketch comedy show called TGS with Tracy Jordan. Liz struggles to corral her needy stars, Tracy (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna (Jane Krakowski), along with her staff, supporting cast, and NBC executive, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). The show explores the ins and outs that go into making a show and the personal lives of all the people who make it.
Thisis one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen, thanks in large part to Fey’s guidance. She has a style of comedy that I love, ranging from quirky pop culture references, to creative wordplay, to dad-like jokes. I concede that upon a rewatch of the series, the pop culture references are a little outdated, but for anyone who lived during the time the show was on, it will have you rolling on the floor, in large part to the writing staff. 30 Rock is a rare show I can have on in the background, and it will get me to laugh multiple times each episode.
The performers are also outstanding. It’s hard to single out who is strongest, because everyone brings their best every episode. Liz is so relatable to others. She has to project that she has all her ducks in a row as the showrunner of TGS, but her personal life is a disaster. Between her love life and blurring the lines between co-worker and friend with her staff, Liz often self-sabotages herself. Her perspective as a woman in comedy, along with Jenna, offers great insight into the struggles that they go through in the entertainment business. Issues like being objectified and featured less, and questions about their looks and more come up throughout the show.
Tracy offers a different perspective as a Black comedian in a predominantly white cast. 30 Rock does an amazing job at satirizing the plights that people in entertainment go through, and some of Tracy’s issues lead to tough discussions. Thankfully, Morgan brings comedic chops to lighten the situation at times, but still manages to keep the gravity of certain moments front and center. This is easily my favorite role of his, as he also plays a version of himself that feels so natural to the role.
Baldwin is the true hero of 30 Rock,though, as Jack helped catapult him to TV royalty. Jack offers some great comedy regarding upper class citizens and white collar executives who have no idea how to handle the day-to-day stuff. Yet, throughout 30 Rock, Baldwin shows that Jack has the same problems as any other character in the show, and the fact that he’s rich doesn’t shield him from those experience. Also, Jack represents an older style of management where he’s satirizing the creative process through mansplaining and lecturing.
There are many side characters, but they pack a punch that makes them invaluable to the series as a whole. Lots of SNL cast members make appearances, and whether they’re guest stars or semi-regular characters, everyone is well-placed and effective. Kenneth the page (Jack McBrayer) is an endearing character who starts as a third-tier side character, and makes his way to being one of the funniest on the show. His level of cringe, along with his naivety, presents a fun contrast to all the other extroverts and vibrant personalities. Unsung heroes like Pete (Scott Adsit) and Frank (Judah Friedlander) are outstanding from the start. Then, throughout the show, more people step into the limelight, like Tracy’s entourage members, Dot Com (Kevin Brown) and Grizz (Grizz Chapman), or Liz’s assistant, Cerie (Katrina Bowden).
One of the other joys of watching 30 Rock is going behind the scenes to see how a show is made — these types of shows about Hollywood are super intriguing to me for that very reason. TGS is modeled after Saturday Night Live, and the ins and outs of live television also come into play, with jokes constantly having to be rewritten and people disagreeing on how to proceed with sketches. The massaging that has to go on with a lot of the egos is fantastic to watch from episode to episode.
30 Rock is already one of the best shows of the 21st century. It’s an all-timer that highlights the struggles people have trying to make it in Hollywood, while also offering insight into how women and Black people find ways to break through the glass ceiling. Fey is in command as both a writer and performer, and her work on 30 Rock helped shape how she would shepherd future shows, like The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mr. Mayor, and Girls5eva. As an ensemble, it’s hard to find a more stacked cast with comedic chops, chemistry, and heart than this one. It’s no wonder 30 Rock became a critical and awards show darling.
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd