30 Rock follows the work and personal lives of the staffers on fictional TV sketch-comedy show TGS with Tracy Jordan. Head writer Liz Lemon has to deal with temperamental, possibly insane star Tracy Jordan; his vain and self-centered co-star Jenna Maroney; overbearing network executive Jack Donaghy; and an entire staff of needy writers and producers, all while trying to make sense of her own pathetic personal life.
Premiered:
October 11, 2006
See It:
Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.
Seasons 1-5 are available on DVD.
Season 1 Synopsis:
Network executive Jack Donaghy orders Liz Lemon to add unstable movie star Tracy Jordan to the cast of The Girlie Show, which becomes TGS With Tracy Jordan. Tracy clashes with fellow star Jenna Maroney, and Liz clashes often with Jack over the network’s meddling. In her personal life, Liz hooks up with loser ex-boyfriend Dennis, and then seems to find happiness with new boyfriend Floyd, only for it to fall apart when he moves to Cleveland. Jack gets divorced from his long-estranged wife, and then ends up engaged to a fragile auctioneer named Phoebe, but the stress of his job gives him a heart attack.
Season 2 Synopsis:
Broken up with Floyd, Liz looks for new love but only ends up hooking up with Dennis again, and having an awkward encounter with Floyd. Jack competes with another executive to become the new chairman of GE, and enjoys a fling with a Democratic congresswoman. But his machinations to get promoted backfire, and his relationship doesn’t last. Tracy separates from his wife, as does producer Pete Hornberger, but both end up mending their relationships in their own messed-up ways.
History:
30 Rock premiered in 2006 at the same time as another NBC show about the goings-on backstage at a sketch-comedy show, Aaron Sorkin’s dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and the two were subject to frequent comparisons. The critical acclaim for 30 Rock helped it survive despite low ratings (while Studio 60 did not), and it’s become an important part of NBC’s Thursday-night comedy lineup. In 2007, 30 Rock won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Cast:
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy
Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan
Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney
Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Parcell
Scott Adsit as Pete Hornberger
Judah Friedlander as Frank Rossitano
Katrina Bowden as Cerie
Keith Powell as Toofer
Creators:
Star Tina Fey is also the creator and executive producer of 30 Rock, inspired by her time as the head writer of Saturday Night Live. SNL’s Lorne Michaels serves alongside Marci Klein, Robert Carlock and David Miner as fellow executive producers.
