30 Rock Went Out Live, America!

You didn't think I was going to let the month of April get away with only one posting, did you? I almost did. A transition to a new job has me preoccupied, flustered, unhappy,  making me question my choices in life. I've been bereft of words to describe and keep track of all I love in television and comedy. However, it's time to get out of my head and onto the screen for some words about an auspicious occasion that took place this past Thursday night: The second annual live airing of 30 Rock.

The United States, being a large country attached to a massive continent, allowed our time zone situation to provide our eyes and ears with two brilliant, yet slightly different takes of the episode "Live from Studio 6H" with separate east coast and west coast broadcasts direct from 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The plot of both airings was a celebration of the golden years of live television by setting up the premise that 'TGS' would no longer be going live due to budget constraints set upon by their crappy parent company Kabletown.

So, who better than NBC stalker Kenneth Parcel to lock everyone in a dressing room and expound on the virtues (and racism) of NBC pretend live television past, which is what he did. Snark infused send ups of The Huntley Report (Jon Hamm on east coast/Brian Williams on west coast), Laugh In (Alec Baldwin as Nixon on east coast/Baldwin as Paul Lynn on west coast),  The Honeymooners, The Dean Martin Show, Amos and Andy, re-imagined as "Alphie and Abner" with Hamm and Morgan poking a stick at racism in side splitting fashion,  and cigarette ads that turned to class action suit PSA's featuring  the awesome Dr. Spaceman. 



Cameos as Amy Poehler as the young Liz Lemon spending her prom night (east coast)/sweet sixteen (west coast) night languishing in her basement happily eating cheese steaks while watching a telethon and making prank phone calls to a "General Electric" with the young Jack Donaghy, played by Jimmy Fallon, picking up the call. Donald Glover portrayed the young Tracy Jordan, who discovered his talent for being a "ridiculous man" on the same telethon.  Jenna, whose love for Paul, her drag queen doppelganger, is solidified when he appeared during a live TGS sketch floating down from the heavens singing 'Zou Bisou Bisou' ready to propose marriage. Fred Armisen was the featured background player and stand in for Judah Friedlander while he was off sketching it up on another set.

One confounding difference between the two time zone broadcasts was the walk on by Sir Paul McCartney during the east coast transmission, and the appearance of Kim Kardashian's walk through on the west coast. Talk about an inbalance. If you can't get Sir Paul for both broadcasts, at least find someone with equal esteem. Kim Kardashian? No.

The live broadcasts of 30 Rock may be seen as a ratings gimmick. So what if they are? If ratings motivates a network to allow a filmed episodic sitcom whose very essence is being meta to go live for Nielsen, then so be it. As the television season winds down, 30 Rock going live was a refreshing infusion of fun, no matter which coast you were on.

Tina Fey to Host SNL This Weekend...

...and promos are up!

Tina Bakes a Bun: Brings it to SNL

Not only is Tina Fey pregnant with her second child, but it's been confirmed that she will host SNL on May 7th. Wonder how the jokes and sketches will fly? Speculation abounds over how she'll handle the pregnancy when 30 Rock returns as well. It would be nice to see Liz Lemon knocked up, especially since that's what she yearns for. Make the father the hand-less Drew Baird played handsomely by the handsome Jon Hamm, and girlie fans in the fields will clap their hands.**

Also, her new book Bossypants is out now, kicking it as of this writing at #2 on Amazon's Best Seller list. Buy it for her wisdom. Buy it for the laughs. Buy it for the cover. Man hands are in style this spring.

Read the NYTimes.com Review on Bossypants. (If link doesn't work - you might need to subscribe...sorry.)

Source: TVSquad.com

**Isiah 55:12 and Sufjan Stevens song, 'All the Trees in the Fields Will Clap Their Hands.'

30 Rock: Larry King

If you tuned into 30 Rock last night, and thought you had joined the Crypt Keeper Hour, with guest Tracy Morgan, you were mistaken. It was just another hilariously odd episode of the Tina Fey show with Larry King playing himself. There was also another installment of Selma Hayek portraying Jack's paramour Elisa. Lest there should be an overload of stunt casting, Jon Hamm wasn't in this one, causing me a tinge of sadness, yet a very nice mention by Liz that she has had sex two more times in 2009 than currently sexless Jack. If we count backwards to all the lovers she's had this past month - that would be zero plus one equals Dr. Baird. So, hats off to you, Liz Lemon, for getting laid by your gorgeous doctor boyfriend and having him take boobie shots of you before the first quarter ends. Kudos.

However, all is not rosey in Liz Land. Her iPhone - the most ubiquitously featured bit of product placement on the show these days - was left in a taxi, and is being held hostage by the driver for $2,000. It's either the money or the picture of Lemon boobage that lives in its hard drive will be spread across Livery cabs from borough to borough like that maple syrup smell from Jersey.

Meanwhile, the economic crisis explodes while Tracy is chatting it up with Larry. Jack is trying to keep Elisa from going off to Puerto Rico while juggling his need for sex, love and his need for greed as GE takes the brunt of the economic freakout. Also, the incredible and sorely missed Pete Hornberger tries to find some money that Tracy has told America he has hidden in a special place in 30 Rock that is hard on top, soft on the bottom but moves everywhere. That place was Kenneth's Page jacket - which came in handy when he helped pay off the ransom for the iPhone. Now Liz's boobs ("for once, the were pointing in the right direction!") will not be posted on the Fairway Billboard on the West Side Highway.

Hilarious episode as always. Since the story between Jack and Elisa appears to have ended (or put on hold), I'll miss Selma. Some bloggers weren't thrilled with her acting style, but I enjoyed the Baldwin/Hayek interaction. She brought out his warmth.

Also major props to Maulik Pancholy, who plays Jack's secretary Jonathan. His turn as the infatuated second hand man with a boy crush was and is always incredibly funny. Watching him play flute shirtless on tape in last night's episode was horrifyingly hysterical.

Now, lets bring back Jon Hamm for the ladies, please.

Tina Fey: Suck it Internets!

Tina Fey is glorious. I am one of the many fans of Fey-dom who worship the comedy ground she walks on. I always wanted to be a Tina Fey. A writer, a lover of comedy, much like the fictional Liz Lemon, who idolized a ficitious 60's variety show writer named Rosemarie (played by Carrie Fisher in 30 Rock season two), I had my own television idol in Merrill Markoe, head comedy writer of the original NBC Late Night with David Letterman. Well, lets just say my hopes in comedy writing never happened, but I still hold a big soft spot in my heart for female comedian scribes who deal with the hard to crack boys club, breaking barriers by rising to the top of the credits. The fact that Tina became the first female head writer on SNL while also claiming a stake in the Weekend Update legacy was and is a brash achievement. Now that 30 Rock and the 2008 Elections placed her firmly in the public eye, she is riding a grand wave of success. However, with with every wave comes a crash down to shore, where adulation can be met with snarky commentary and personal written attacks. Tina is very much aware of her detractors. And they live right here on the interwebs.

As she stated in her acceptance speech on Sunday night's Golden Globes, if you are tired of all the accolades and the love, go on the internet. You'll find people there who hate you. Under the cloak of anonymity, registered members of fan forums such as Television Without Pity even Gawker can either put you on a pedestal on high, or can rip you to shreds without reason. If they don't like you, man, they do not like you. (I can personally testify that the majority of contributors on those sites adore Fey and her show.)

Tina's shout out to those who can "suck it" pertained to the L.A. Times' awards forum called "The Envelope", a site where various entertainment awards ceremonies are discussed. I personally do not frequent those boards, but industry folk, like Fey and Mad Men showrunner Matt Weiner take peeks here and there to find forumites trash or applaud the talent and the shows they either love, or love to hate.

Tina discussing TV Without Pity and The Envelope with LA Times' Tom O'Neill after the Golden Globes:


Man Men showrunner Matthew Weiner discusses fan forums...



It's shame that some deliberately turn on their computers, click to a site, and take the energy to attack people they do not enjoy. It's one thing to not be pleased with an episode, or the way the direction a favored show is taking, it's another to do personal battle. One of the many belly aches of my internet discussions has been an unhappiness with the recent character and plot development of The Office. I spare the writers nothing by saying I'm disappointed in Pam's personality changes or the lack of Jim progressing as an individual in addition to being motivated by his love life, or the over-the-top love triangle with Andy, Dwight and Angela. (Although, I will say, I'm beginning to find a method in the Office writers madness). However, as a fan and writer who loves the creation of dialogue and human behavior humorously portrayed on this program, I enjoy critical analysis. Also, understanding the process of breaking stories and arc progression, criticism can be a beneficial technique. It keeps you on your toes. It's doubtful showrunner Greg Daniels or writers BJ Novack, Jen Celotta or Brent Forester, to name a few, are even reading me, but at least I try to throw positive critques out to the internet universe, whether it's just to vent, or for someone to hear my voice. I do it because I love.

I hate to write hate. If one doesn't like an actor or show because you feel its not funny, then don't write about it. Don't spend time spewing personal attacks on a living, breathing person. Doing so only proves you're jealous and bitter that a nerdy funny chick like Tina Fey cracked out of her duckling phase and became a swan. Cynics don't like success stories. Maybe because success has eluded them.

Yet, The Envelope is getting the final laugh, languishing in their new found fifteen minutes of noriety. Suck it up, nerds.

SNL: Ben Affleck and John McCain - Votes are In

(Photo Courtesy of NBC Universal Media)

Two days to go after two years of campaigning, stump speeches, negative ads, change, hope, mavericky mavericks, views of Russia and various Joe's of many vocational distinction. Saturday Night Live has taken advantage of their incredible luck in having the comedic platform to make political commentary through satire, while allowing the candidates to join in on a little self deprecation.

John McCain, who hosted SNL in 2002, returned to the show last night to do some fun lovin' good time humor. America did not have to wait. He was in the cold open, joined by Tina Fey doing her Sarah Palin duties. It was pretty funny to see him sell off his campaign themed knick knacks on QVC, while Palin went all rouge with "Palin in 2012" teeshirts for sale on the side. There was actually an amiable vibe on set. The studio audience seemed quite supportive, considering one would expect an east coast Obama supportive contingency. Yet a supportive crowd out cheered what could have been mistaken for boo's. McCain returned during Weekend Update, again to positive applause, this time with definite boo's laced in the applause, good naturally acknowledged by the candidate, before he went on to satirizing his own campaign tactics.

Guest Host Ben Affleck came back as guest. The monologue felt a bit wasted, shortened, and was not a particularly great kick off for the evening's show. Affleck, making note of being a staunch Democrat, commented that he was supporting McCain tonight since all the Democratic presidents he supported in the past lost. Who better than to deal with superstitious reverse karma than a Red Sox fan? This Mets fan totally understood the strategy.

Affleck stretched his impressionist muscles by doing an very angry and out of character Keith Olberman. I know Olberman can be passionate about his convictions, but Affleck seemed to have missed the twinkle firmly planted in Keith's eye - making the Olberman sketch a little more macabre, and perhaps not as pitch perfect as it could have been. Also, the stab at "The View" was a hit and miss. Affleck continued wearing the skin of someone else - this time Alec Baldwin - with deep voice and squinty eye. The problem with the sketch was the lack of finesse in sending up the ladies. In reality, they are louder, talk over each other, and suffer through right wing discourse from Elizabeth Hasselbeck, thus amplifying her to screeching annoyance. The sketch didn't hit the center of what makes right wingnut Bits and her liberal co-hosts so inflammatory.

Personal favorite of the night was the Target lady sketch and Ben as the man that wanted to sex her up. Ben aced the wigger persona, making guy look like a slightly disgusting, but entertaining ass, while Wigg freaked out customers with her overzealous cheer.

Perhaps the fabulous SNL with Jon Hamm last week made it tough for Ben to outdo my expections. This show was fine, but not as top notch. However, he's always great on this show, even if the writing doesn't hold up all the time.

Cold Open:


Weekend Update:


SNL is on a break next week, but returns on Saturday, November 15th with Guest Host Paul Rudd, whom I love so much, that I have married him in my head. He has been my imaginary husband for a few years now, so it will be a treat. Maybe he can get me pretend tickets to his show?

SNL: Update Thursday and Election Brings Back More Cast from the Past

Will Farrell, perhaps the best George W. Bush impersonator ever, made an appearance on last night's SNL "Update Thursday". Joining him was Tina Fey, channeling Sarah Palin.



More good stuff on SNL. In the same spirit of Farrell and Fey, Maya Rudolph will be re-joining the SNL cast this Saturday to portray Michelle Obama.



Also, the happiness continues. "Mad Men's Jon Hamm will be hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend with musical guest Coldplay.

Worth Watching, and Saving: "Pushing Daisies", "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Friday Night Lights"

There is nothing sadder in the television universe than seeing a compelling show hang onto the network schedule by its fingernails, dashing the network axe, and running from cancelation. Shows such as "Arrested Development" and "Freaks and Geeks" come to mind. Both were well written, funny shows with a cultivated cult following that didn't spread out to Nielsen ratings. What's a show to do?

"Friday Night Lights" is one of the many well crafted programs on air that has been given second and third chances for life. Now entering its third season on NBC (with it's initial premiere on DirecTV starting October 1st), "Lights" is one of the most emotive, well written, executed dramas currently on air. Focusing on a microcosm of American life, it takes place in fictional Dillion Texas where high school football team the Dillon Panthers is the celebrated life force in this one horse town. Hopes and dreams don't go far beyond the front yard fences of the families and teens stuck in this blue collar forgotten portion of America. The emotional turmoil stirred by family and team obligations of Coach Taylor, played by Kyle Chandler, weaves it's passion among the athletes and their personal struggle. You don't have to love football to love this show. The only problem is NBC's lack of promotion. Other than knowing that it will air on DirecTV (check your listings), it's hard to find when it will begin to air on the network itself terrestrially - if at all.



"Pushing Daisies" is a delight: A lovely, surreal bubble of dark, quirky fluff that had so much heart that it's hard to pass this up. Sadly, the writer's strike curtailed the show just when it started to take flight last year, to the point where it even fell off this writer's radar. Ned, owner of the quaint pie shop The Pie Hole, has the power to enliven the dead with just one touch. He's in love with his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (Anna Friel), murdered on a cruise ship, is brought back to life with just one touch, and the love story unfolds as they try not to touch each other for just one feel, and she'll drop dead again. Kristin Chenoweth and Swoozie Kurtz also star. "Pushing Daisies" airs on Wednesdays on ABC at 8pm ET/9pm CT.



Perhaps "Dirty Sexy Money" is not on everyone's favorite list. It's a night time soap opera with a killer cast: Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, Steven Baldwin, Peter Krause who elegantly bumble their way through a script filled with silly twists and turns of the billionaire Darling family. The storylines are so contrived you can't help but wonder if this show's intent is to be tongue-in-cheek or a full blown comedy. Why should you watch it? Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland, great talents who might be able to right this ship. The season premiere lacked bite and was a tad boring; yet, it's still worth viewing in case of improvement. It might be hard for ABC to put this one to bed since the cast is hot and it's an anchor to their Wednesday night line up. Airs Wednesday on ABC at 10pm ET/9pm CT.

If anyone is reading this...anyone...please watch the Emmy award winning "30 Rock" on NBC. The show is a tour-de-force in comedy, and the network doesn't promote it like it should. Even Fey had to give the show a verbal advertisement during her Emmy acceptance speech. It's hilarious, well written and acted. You cannot go wrong with Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan. It airs on Thursdays starting October 30 at 9:30pm ET/8:30pm CT, with a special online premiere on October 23rd.

The 60th Annual Emmy Awards: It Ended on Time

I just want to shout it. Tina! Tina! Tina! She’s the Mary Richards of television today, “This generation’s Elaine May,” as Alec Baldwin boasted. The lady brought them in. One for Best Writing for a Comedy, another for Best Acting in a Comedy, and another she shares with the crew for Best Comedy. Alright, so my “Office” people didn’t get it this year, but that’s ok. It was “30 Rock’s” night. The show has been mind blowing funny, incredibly well cast, guest stars galore who know how to blend well into a storyline. Oh, how I love “30 Rock”. NBC was the first company I worked for while in college and after graduation. Watching Tina Fey lead a cast of characters in an SNL-type television workplace sitcom is like visiting memories – if my memories had dialogue of funny written well by award winning writers.

If only the Emmy Awards ceremony wasn’t such a drag. Perhaps the look on John Krasinski’s face at the pre-ceremony red carpet tipped me off to what these actors go through. After being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest, Krasinski turned away with a faint look of dread, as if he were saying, “It’s hot as hell out here. I’m in a suit. Now I have to go into a theater and watch a crap festival of boredom when I could be home playing Madden or listening to Cold War Kids.” It was as if he was making run for it, away from the awkward Seacrest, whose interviews are about a scintillating as wads of wet paper balls hitting a wall.

Speaking of balls and Seacrest, the hilarity that never was continued to die when the first thing he said to Steve Carell was “Two words…Enlarged balls.” Nice attempt to be funny, Ryan. There is a story behind this. The day the WGA strike began back in October, Carell supposedly called in sick, claiming his ailment was “enlarged balls”. This story isn’t really true, and the comment was actually uttered by someone else, but boy our Ryan was all over it with his witty repartee, making Carell squirm, while his lovely funny lady wife Nancy looked at Seacrest as if his hair was about to explode.

As for the lackluster three hours of show, I think what got me were the hosts composed of the buffet of bland served up by Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Ryan Seacrest, Howie Mandell and Jeff Probst. Why must we have reality television rubbed in our faces during a night filled with television that ranks in quality and genre? The evening flowed with the usual bit of forced humor and conviviality, carefully tip toeing around, the election, Sarah Palin, the financial crisis, Sarah Pain, the war and Sarah Palin. The feeling of watching glittering gowns and shiny tuxes trapped at the Nokia Theater, breathing in the proceedings on tender hooks was odd and coma inducing at the same time. There were no cute opening dance numbers at which to snark, no funny comedy clips. Remember when Conan O’Brien hosted the Emmys in 2006? He started the ceremony with a VT of him sitting on a private jet, sipping champagne and ready to embark on his journey from New York to Los Angeles to host the awards. Suddenly, his plane crashed, and he immediately found himself in an episode of “Lost”, which lead him to the set of “The Office”, “House” and “24”. It was clever, refreshing, and funny. To fans of these programs, it was a kick to see their favorite characters interact with Conan as he surrealistically became part of their story. When he landed on stage at the Emmy’s, he had just taken a journey around the dial (or remote), and began his master of ceremonies duties. Last night’s litany of hosts winged it onstage, tele-promter-less, mulling around in flop sweat, while William Shatner came on stage to help Bergeron rip off Klum’s fake tuxedo. Meanwhile, back in the fun pit known as the audience, men’s collars pinched, and women held their breath under the tight girth of their dresses. I sipped a martini in my pajamas.

The Emmy awards seem to be a hodgepodge of well deserved wins, understandable loses, and confusing selections. “30 Rock” deservedly swept the awards this year. Their show has been consistently well written, gut wrenchingly funny, and pitch perfect in tone and pace. Tina Fey’s wins in writing, best actress and best comedy were highly deserved. This fan of The Office was saddened by the fact the show wasn’t on it’s game this year. “30 Rock” has indeed usurped the crew at Dunder Mifflin for tops in laughs and writing.

Awards for “John Adams” was not a surprised. The mini-series was highly acclaimed, with stellar performances from Giamatti and Linney. “Recount” garnered some prizes. Although the writing and performances were riveting, the idea of living out that horrendous moment in election history made it difficult for me to past into the second hour of the film. Still, what I did see was wonderful, even if the memories were too jarring to continue.

As much as I adored Bryan Cranston in “Malcolm in the Middle”, where he should have won the lion’s share of Emmys (and apparently didn’t), his win for best actor in a drama for his performance in “Breaking Bad” was definitely a surprise. Perhaps it’s because “Mad Men” has gained a cult following is the critic’s darling of the year. As a fan of the show myself, it was disappointing not to see Jon Hamm win the best actor award. Kudos definitely go to Cranston, even though I am in the category of fans who think that Hamm got robbed.

Why “Entourage” continues to be nominated in the Best Comedy category astonishes me. Everyone knows the show hasn’t been a comedy for about two years now. The snubbing of “Flight of the Conchords” continues to confound. Perhaps the Emmy voters like to stick to what they know. Maybe people from New Zealand singing funny, melodic song scares them? Jeremy Piven beating out Patrick Neal Harris and Rainn Wilson for Actor in a Comedy Series makes me believe that someone is paying off someone somewhere. Wilson continues to make the character of Dwight a compelling, funny element in “The Office”. Harris always brings out a quirky, intelligent humor in his role as Barney Stinson in “How I Met Your Mother”. This award was up for grabs between them. Having to watch raving, formulaic fits of anger from Ari Gold as per Mr. Piven doesn’t really feel like something worthy of anymore Emmys. He’s already got the prize. Let someone else carry that heavy thing home.

Highlight of the night was Ricky Gervais threatening Steve Carell to fork over his Emmy award, won last year for his work on "Extras". For two years straight, we've had the antics of Carell, Colbert, Stewart and Gervais stirring the cauldron of boring with some spicy fun. Why can't these guys be the hosts of next year's Emmy award ceremony?

The cast of “Mad Men” are delectable to behold. Jon Hamm, John Slattery (another actor who lost out last night) and the boys of Sterling Cooper are maddening in their handsomeness. The women are beautiful. January Jones is such a pleasure to see, Elizabeth Moss is stunningly adorable, and Christina Hendricks is a vision of lusciousness. They do not make women like that in Hollywood anymore – all curves and bumps. Bless her. But all shallow beauty aside, “Mad Men” came home the winners of Best Drama, making history as the first cable show to win best drama anywhere this side of “The Sopranos”. It was a satisfying end to an otherwise less than surprising and entertaining evening. As speeches were rushed and drowned out in "shut the fuck up" music, and presenters raced to get their comments pronounced in time, the show clocked in just under three hours. So, I guess that in itself is an accomplishment. Apparently it was the lowest rated Emmy Awards ever. Word to the Academy...get better hosts. Perhaps Gervais and Carell will be free?

In Memoriam: Roger King:

We lost some great people: Bernie Brillstein, George Carlin, Charleton Heston; however, one person’s face flashed across the screen during the tear jerking stream of goodbyes that gave me pause. Roger King passed away in December 2007. I was his assistant from 1993 to 1996. I remember reading about his death in Variety the Monday after the weekend he passed away. The expression has been used before, but it serves a purpose: It felt like a giant Redwood had fallen somewhere. He was a formidable man. Full of vinegar one minute, a playful good ‘ol boy the next. He was the gruff executive who came from the school of hard knocks, brought up by a family who found success after working hard and paving paths in the world of syndication where no one paved them before. His voice boomed through the halls of King World. “Debi, any messages?” I can still hear him. To be honest, I never got that close to Roger as a boss or friend. He kept some people at a distance, and I always felt he trusted very few. It was a trait I understood and respected. Roger died of a massive stroke. I remember thinking, “Man, even when he gets sick, he doesn’t do it half assed. He does it big time.” May he be placing his bets at the Baccarat table in that big casino in the sky.