
Starring: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, John Lutz, Keith Powell, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Maulik Pancholy, Katrina Bowden, Sherri Shepherd
Writer: Tina Fey
Rating: *****
Air Date: Comedy Central, 2012

Liz Lemon (Fey) is the head writer on the late night NBC show TGS. She is constantly battling with fast food, annoying co writers (Adsit, Friedlander, Lutz & Powell) and constant diva demands from the stars Jenna Maroney and Tracy Jordan (Krakowski & Morgan). Despite the attempted help from studio page Kenneth (McBrayer) nothing seems to go right, and with an intrusive, bossy and arrogant boss like Jack Donaghy (Baldwin) in the way, nothing ever seems to go right.
I'm not gonna lie, it took me a long time to get into 30 Rock, I pretty much ignored it largely throughout its first four seasons despite the
critical praise, for reasons that now escape me. It's something that I tend to do (Modern Family, Community, The Vampire Diaries), and with
most of these TV shows, I ended up watching every season back to back in
about four days. This makes the wait between series even harder, but each season is better than the previous, so it's always worth it in the end.


That’s why it thrilled me to see that while its humour remains as sharp as ever, 30 Rock is willing to acknowledge its ageing formula, and even uses that to grow organically. Liz Lemon is cherry and for once really happy, and much of the premiere episode involves Tracy and Jack’s desperately trying to figure out what could make the sour, and usually frumpy TGS writer so uncharacteristically cheery. In the process, the show manages to force
both Tracy and Jack to confront their own characters, whether it's Tracy’s
hopeless dependence on being controlled by a mother figure, or Jack’s
clinging to his business man lifestyle while growing softer as
a parent.

There’s even a vague manner of sweetness to Dance Like Nobody’s Watching, as 30 Rock
itself gracefully accepts the soundtrack-driven montage storytelling it
so often parodies, and we see a new man in Liz’s life potentially
providing the true source of her happiness. A bit of change seems to be coming for 30 Rock, and leave it to the shows sharp, self-awareness to accept that fact with dignity and good humour. It looks like its going to be a good year for 30 Rock, and I can't wait to laugh my way through it.
30 Rock - Promo
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