30 Rock: Season 1

I think of the dozens of sitcoms that go through the grind every year, and let's face it, the concept of a good sitcom is a hard one to find. It's practically a stereotype that American sitcoms have a laugh track, a goofy, flamboyant sidekick and a stupid father. Often we find that the kids are smarta*s little brats far ahead of their parents in terms of smarts. This concept has been seen over and over again, and it's so much become a cliche that people roll their eyes when they already know the concept and change the channel. While I'm not completely against the concept and sometimes they can be pulled off with aplomb like Everybody Loves Raymond. But that's like lightning in a bottle.

So sitcoms have to be a little different than many of their counterparts and not many of them succeed. When I think of sitcoms I like, which have recently embraced the trend of one camera sitcoms like Arrested Development and Scrubs, I look for something where the characters are a little more edgy than normal. These characters could probably be best described as prickly and the concept works well. But more importantly, the sense of humor is offbeat as opposed to conformist, and such humor is a breath of fresh air. One such breath is 30 Rock, which I willfully admit that I didn't admire it when it was first released. I slowly came to embrace it when it followed The Office, which is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I say that not temporarily, but permanently.

30 Rock is the counterpart to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which was a comedy-drama that also examined the behind the scenes lives of a hit sketch comedy show. But the problem with Studio 60 is it was too serious for it's own good, and lacked the much needed sense of humor and let's face it, the realism in producing a sketch comedy show. 30 Rock is able to get both of those things and tightly wrap them up into jokes that work, thanks to sharp performances by it's cast: writer-producer-star Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin (with the three having considerable experiencing by performing on Saturday Night Live), and the rest of it's ensemble of which there are too many to mention. But long story short, 30 Rock is good and it works because it doesn't follow the traditional sitcom format.

The series is about a woman named Liz Lemon (Fey, no doubt taking autobiographical elements from her life), the head writer of a hit sketch comedy show based in Manhattan. Lemon is as feisty as she is sexy, always the one to keep a ship afloat even if the circumstances are dire at best. Such circumstances are often perpetuated by Tracy Jordan (Morgan), a borderline crazy movie star whose strange ideas often inspire or frighten those around him; and Jack Donaghy (Baldwin), the punctilious network president who resides over Lemon's Girly Show like a stern but loving father figure. Initially Donaghy might seem like the bad guy and one who may not genuinely understand television, but it's obvious the man's insight and wisdom is what got him where he is. The rest of the cast is well rounded out by other characters who manage to pull their weight in personality. I could reveal their names but wouldn't that spoil the enjoyment of familiarizing yourself with the characters.

I think the best way to describe 30 Rock is that it's like Scrubs but with flashbacks that don't look polished. Scrubs takes on a fantasy-like element with it's flashbacks or imagined scenarios, while 30 Rock looks like a more down and dirty envisioning of such a thing. Much of 30 Rock's humor is that it doesn't rely on a joke that one can get, but to allow it to sink into your memory to full enjoy. Let's face it, all the characters of 30 Rock are very quirky in their own way, and that's what helps make the show so enjoyable. I personally found myself laughing at Baldwin, always a straitlaced businessman who suddenly throws you off for a loop whenever he says or does something that totally contradicts what he just did. Baldwin has always been underappreciated as a comic performer but 30 Rock allows him to go full tilt with his comic timing. Initially, I didn't know how Tracy Morgan was going to fit in 30 Rock, but he actually works well within the show's atmosphere as the spontaneous burst of energy that you never see coming. One pretty much gets the feeling that part of Jordan is partly based on Eddie Murphy for the multiple roles the comic plays in his films. Of course, helping counterbalance them is the essential straight woman, Tina Fey who doesn't follow the conventional looking sitcom leading lady. Lemon is a smart character and a razor sharp one, a career woman whose self-deprecation is part of the show's ongoing comedy. Fey has pretty much found herself an ideal vehicle to showcase her talents as a comic actress.

Also part of 30 Rock are several known guest stars like Will Arnett as a closeted rival intent on taking Donaghy's position right out from under him or Rip Torn in a juicy scene stealing bit as the company's president. For anyone whose familiar with Torn's comic work, he doesn't disappoint as do any of the show's guest stars. This is only part of 30 Rock's success as a sitcom that I hope continues on for more seasons, considering the show, like many others are currently in limbo because of the ongoing WGA strike. As for the 30 Rock DVD set, it's perfectly done and even in a surprising tidbit, the show as is set in New York City, is shot in New York City which only gives a kind of authentic vibe to the whole thing. The 30 Rock DVD set has some interesting features that one might enjoy, and usually I don't find myself drooling for special features.

Seriously, like The Office, 30 Rock is a show you have to give a chance. It doesn't follow the traditional sitcom format of other shows and that only helps make it's case stronger as being one of the best shows on TV by not following everyone else.