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TV Renewal Roundup: ‘The Office,’ ‘Nikita,’ And ‘Whitney’ Are Spared, ‘The Ringer,’ ‘Awake,’ And More Get Axed

Travis Woods — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:33:15 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year again, when TV networks decide which TV programs are profitable enough to save, and which are unsuccessful enough to deserve a summary execution. Up for the chopping block this year were such shows of wildly varying quality like The Office, Nikita, Parks and Recreation, Whitney, Community, Awake, and many, many more. What’s surprising, however, is how many flailing shows actually made it, and how many decent shows have been effectively cancelled.

Be sure to keep checking back, as the information is constantly updating!

ABC:

Unsurprisingly, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Revenge, Castle, The Middle, Suburgatory, Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, and Shark Tank were all renewed, so your parents should be really, really happy about that.
Show like Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, The River, and Last Man Standing, however, are all quivering in their boots while ABC takes its time making up its mind. Expect cancellations within the next few weeks. [The Hollywood Reporter]

CW:

Fan favorites Nikita, Gossip Girl (with a limited sixth and final season of 10-11 episodes), and Hart of Dixie will all live to air another day—specifically, this fall on CW. In a recent interview with ScreenCrave, Nikita star Maggie Q stated that she felt the show needed to at least make it to season three–looks like she got her way!
Not so lucky, though, are The Ringer and The Secret Circle, which both got the axe in favor of pilots for The Carrie Diaries (a Sex and the City prequel), a Beauty and the Beast reboot (really), and Arrow, a small-screen adaptation of the Green Arrow comics. [TV Line]

FOX:

The bedrock of Fox’s non-Simpsons animation block, Family Guy and American Dad, will carry on for their eleventh and eighth seasons, respectively, for 22 episodes each. [The AV Club]
Cartoons such as The Cleveland Show and Napoleon Dynamite, however, are still up in the air—Fox is still shuffling their lineup like a Rubik’s Cube, trying to find a slot for those programs that will somehow connect with viewers. Translation? Expect them to be cancelled by this Fall. [The AV Club]

NBC:

As we reported earlier today, Community will be back for a fourth season, but in a limited, 13-episode run. Read our full story for details.
Parks and Recreation, arguably the finest comedy on network TV, was renewed for a 22-episode fifth season. Sometimes, the universe just gets things right. [HitFix]
The Office, long the crown jewel in NBC’s comedy crown, has been limping along without Steve Carrell for about a year now, and despite rumors of a cast bailout and imminent cancellation, the show appears to be saved by the last-minute contract negotiations and signings of stars Ed Helms, John Krasinksi, and Jenna Fischer. Thus, the office will hobble ever onward, continuing to disappoint fans for at least another season. [Deadline]
30 Rock will be coming back for its final season, doing something that never occurred the U.S. version of The Office—quit while you’re still ahead. [Entertainment Weekly]
Somehow—perhaps because NBC, quite simply, hates us all, Whitney has been renewed for another season, while Awake was cancelled for never finding the audience that matched its potential. I repeat, Whitney has been renewed for another season. So we can all look forward to another year of Whitney Cummings shrilly yelling the word “vagina!” as loud as possible, and then looking at the rest of us to applaud her ‘edgy’ comedy. [TV Line]

What shows are you hoping to see come back?

30 Rock: Season 6 Episode 18: Murphy Brown Lied to Us – TV Review

Roberto Rico — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:19:27 +0000

Sometimes regression is progression, especially on 30 Rock. While Jenna has moved on from Paul and Liz has moved on from the idea of being a foster mom, both spent last night’s episode wondering if they’d really made the right choice. Meanwhile Jack’s attempt to broaden Kabletown’s horizons threatens to blow up in his face after his cottage industry turns out more torture device than comfy couch.

The Players:

Director: John Riggi
Writers: Robert Carlock and Vali Chandrasekaran
Cast: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan, Will Forte, James Marsden

Episode Title: “Murphy Brown Lied to Us”

As usual, 30 Rock is quick to praise and quick to shred; this week’s targets include the trendy furniture industry (digs at Jennifer Convertibles, Ashley Furniture and several others), Bazooka Joe gum, and celebrities who melt down just for the attention. Praise this week is given to Miss Murphy Brown herself (Frank Fontana also gets a shout out), nap-drool-absorbent fabric, and Princess Leah Halloween costumes.

The Good:

Giving props to a legend: Murphy Brown was one of the most underrated shows ever.
Rightfully slamming an Icon: Bazooka Joe gets called to the mat for turning “a softer version of his gum into armor piercing bullets” and being comparable to “chewing a mountain someone shot a freeze ray into.”
Charmingly out of touch: Jack continues to be the most likeable tyrant on television, this week showing his inner Monty Burns by estimating a gallon of milk to cost, “oh, I don’t know, 90 dollars?”
Hitting the nail on the head: Jenna believes a celebrity meltdown is exactly what she needs to get back into the headlines. It’d be funny if it wasn’t so accurate.
The return of the masked man: Will Forte returns to Jenna and assures her they’ll be buried together, “pelvis to mouth,” for eternity.

The So-So:

Art imitating life: Jack’s push to move Kabletown towards couches is emblematic of companies trying to get their hands in as many pots as possible, but a furniture company seems like a sloppy move for someone as put together as Jack Donaghy.
Pick your battles: American engineering is slammed for the uncomfortable couch because all they know how to do is “build roller coasters.” I’m pretty sure there are plenty of other industries that deserve more criticism than the engineers.
Battle of the network stars: A fine cameo from Matt Lauer, but give me Brian Williams any day.

The Bad:

Too many fringe characters: Will Forte is of course welcome, but this week we meet Kat, the 11-year old daughter of Liz’s blind date Kevin. Although it was nice to see Jack set up his friend just so she could see how great children can be, do precocious preteens really need more airtime?

The Quotable:

Tracy on the set of TGS: “I didn’t get to work an hour late just to be the first one here.”
Jenna, on having a breakdown: “everyone does it: Demi, DeMi, Brittany, Lindsey…Momar.”
Jenna: “I need your input.” Tracy: “I can’t, I’m a married man.”
Jack, on triumphing over adversity: “What did Theodore ‘Bazooka’ Joe do when all his father left him was a pink rock quarry? He baked those rocks and sold them to children as gum.”
Liz, on how uncomfortable the couches are: “I can see the veins behind my eyes.”
Jack, chiding Liz on her frumpiness: “You look like a substitute teacher who just got her one year AA chip.”
Tracy: “I’ve been thinking.” Jenna: “Why? You’re famous.”

Overall:

Nothing remarkable, but as always, the jokes were quick, the patriotism was satirical, and the message was humble: always be up for new possibilities.

Rating: 8/10

30 Rock airs Thursday nights on NBC.

What did you think of the episode?

Alec Baldwin Leaks That ’30 Rock’ Is Coming To An End In 2013

Travis Woods — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:04:05 +0000

Alec Baldwin isn’t exactly known as the most reliable source of information on the longevity of 30 Rock, the NBC comedy in which he stars, as the actor has frequently mused and Tweeted that each new season for the show would be either its, or his, last for NBC. In fact, just this time last year, the famously cantankerous star came under fire for announcing that 30 Rock was over. And in keeping with this annual tradition, the actor has once again announced that 30 Rock is ending, this time in the Spring of 2013.

After noting in 2011 that the Rock was coming to an end during contraction expirations, 2011 came and went with a sixth season of the show. However, Baldwin is at it again, now announcing that he has signed on to appear in 30 Rock’s seventh season (which will run from Fall of 2012 into May of 2013)… and he also let it slip that the upcoming season will be the final one.

While we’ve heard this before from Baldwin, 30 Rock is starting to get up there in terms of TV years (seven seasons is a decent stretch for any program, let alone a sitcom); moreover, NBC has interestingly remained “mum” as to whether or not they are going to renew 30 Rock after next year.

Might Baldwin actually be right (for once)? Only time, and his humorously bitchy Twitter, will tell.

What do you think of the 30 Rock news?

Source: The Washington Post

30 Rock: Season 6 Episode 17: Meet the Woggels! — TV Review

Roberto Rico — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:24:32 +0000

30 Rock continues to churn out shows this year, as the NBC comedy aired its 17^th episode in just 13 weeks. This week’s episode went back to a few occasionally touched upon subplots. We get more insight into Jack’s prickly relationship with his mother, Tracy’s non-existent relationship with his son, and Jenna’s weird relationship with her boyfriend Paul. How did this episode measure up?

The Players:

Director: Linda Mendoza
Writer: Ron Weiner
Actors: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan, Elaine Stritch

Episode Title: “Meet the Woggles!”

Last night’s 30 Rock wished you appreciated things more. Jack didn’t appreciate his mother enough (at least according to Liz), Tracy didn’t appreciate his son enough to raise him as a “true Jordan” (and as a result the kid is a Stanford-bound nerd), and Jenna didn’t appreciate just how much Paul meant to her until she realized how lonely it is at the top of the world of toddler entertainment. This week’s episode also featured an inordinate amount of grown-ups in costumes: Couchie the couch mascot, Mr. Met, and Will Arnett. And finally, updating last week’s bit-players rundown, Grizz and Dotcom are back in, Hazel and Pete are out.

The Good:

The dead-on Wiggles rip-off: The Woggles, a band Jenna intends on Yoko’ing as she checks off another box on her “sexual walkabout.”
No Hazel: The new annoying character they’ve “poochied” us into the last few weeks was thankfully absent in this episode.
Elaine Stritch: Alec Baldwin’s mother Colleen is every bit a legend as Betty White, minus the creepy octogenarian horniness.
Liz’s neediness taking the week off: Even fanboys like myself enjoy a break from neurosis from time to time.

The So-So:

No Frank, Lutz, Pete, or Toofer: They are usually good for a laugh a piece.
Still in North Korea?: No advancement in the Avery plot line (and therefore no closer to seeing the wonderful Elizabeth Banks reprising her role)
Jack’s mother’s elaborate plan: She gets up to New York and just to give Jack a family heirloom for his daughter. Why not just send Baldwin down to Florida?)
A more-hastily-slapped-together-than-usual Tracy focus: His son, George Forman (this particular joke belongs in “the good” category”) hasn’t spent much time with his old man, and as a result he’s turned out to be a nerd who actually wants to go to Stanford.

The Bad:

Tracy’s increasingly irrelevant-more-than-irreverent plot line
The ratings: 30 Rock comes in at 150^th in this week’s Neilson ratings – yeesh.
No NBC insults
The writers’ continued indecision over being neither episodic nor serial: Especially the Avery and Criss “plotlines” that barely merit the term. Either kill these characters off the way you did Matt Damon and John Hamm or have them be more than someone who can show up on set one day a year for the seven scenes they’re in that’ll be spliced in over seven random episodes.

Memorable Jokes:

Jack has real problems, like “losing your giant scissors before a ribbon cutting.”
Jack saying the opening of a factory means three things: jobs, pride, and Springsteen song material
Jenna dating the guy from Blues Traveler who apparently kept his harmonica in “the entire time.”
Kenneth attesting to the Woggles’ popularity by relating the fact that his eight-year-old niece used their music for her wedding entry
Tracy declaring he will teach his son to be a true Jordan “and die trying.”
The hospital contacting Jack based on a list of disappointments his mother keeps in her shoe
Jack admonishing a man dressed up as a couch: “unlike you, Couchie, I have eyes, I can see it’s over.”
Jenna being told that nothing can tear the Woggles apart, “except the shark that tore apart the fifth woggle.”
Jack’s mother wondering why they didn’t name Liddy after her mother, whose given name at Ellis Island was “Unclaimed Irish Stowaway”
Tracy and his son playing video games with Mr. Met
Jack arguing that he’s not immune to “sobbing like Bill Belichick at an Adele concert.”
Liz texting Jack: 80>-< which she says is her with her hands in the air saying, “Talk to your mother!”…her glasses are the 8.
The Woggles playing at the “Gwammys,” i.e. the toddler Grammys.
A couple random insults of Dean Cain (I’m a fan of “kick ‘em when they’re down” comedy).
Colleen taking out the battery that charges her heart and throwing it across the room just so Liz has something to do instead of talk.
Jenna, realizing after a song called “Mommy Kangaroo” that included the lyric “separate the races,” that “that song – like everything – is about me!”

Overall:

Maybe I’m just waiting for the live show, but this one was kind of a snooze. 30 Rock works best for me when two things, quirkiness and insult added to injury, are at a balance. This episode had a little too much sentiment – the same comedy virus currently ruining Modern Family. No one watches this show for the “aw shucks play the Full House resolution music” ending. Please get back to Lutz being alone and Pete being pathetic. Dear Liz’s neuroses: Please forgive me for not appreciating you (especially during an episode on appreciation) and suggesting we take a break. Please come back next week and I’ll never question you again.

Rating: 5/10

Photos:

30 Rock airs on NBC at 8:30pm (ET/PT) on Thursday nights.

What did you think of last night’s episode?

News Roundup: Johnny Depp May Appear In ‘Beetlejuice 2,’ ‘The Office’ Loses More Cast Members And May Be Closing, And More

Travis Woods — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:02:14 +0000

It’s been a big day in the world of entertainment news blurbs today, with various rumors/ news bits leaking about the possible casting of Johnny Depp in Beetlejuice 2, what is sounding more and more like the downfall of the American version of The Office, a rumored “four hour” version of The Dark Knight Rises, and scattered bits and pieces concerning things as varied as another live episode of 30 Rock and the next horrible Brett Ratner film. Dig the news below.

Johnny Depp to Appear in Beetlejuice 2?: Less a confirmation than a refusal to deny, the writer of Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows adaptation, Seth Grahame-Smith, spoke with MTV about the possible Beetlejuice sequel. When asked if longtime Burton collaborator Johnny Depp would appear in the long-awaited sequel, Grahame-Smith didn’t say yes, but also “didn’t deny it.” [/Film]
Bad News for Fans of The Office: Still reeling from the loss of Steve Carell, The Office is not only looking at losing the character of Dwight (who’s getting his own spin-off, The Farm) and actress Mindy Kaling (who has a new pilot with Fox), but showrunner Paul Lieberstein, who also plays the wussy HR rep Toby. Lieberstein is taking reduced role with The Office in order to now focus on The Farm. And now that talks have stalled with remaining cast members Ed Helms, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B.J. Novak, it looks like The Office may be closing for good. [The AV Club]
Netflix May Save The River: If you hadn’t noticed (and you’d be forgiven for missing it), ABC has all but cancelled the troubled new series The River. However, it looks as if Netflix will be adding the show to its growing roster of original programming, and is currently in talks to pick up the program. [Deadline]
30 Rock Goes Live: In 2010, 30 Rock aired a pretty fantastic live episode. And now, Alec Baldwin has let it slip that they’re doing it again, this time on April 26^th. [TV Line]
The Dark Knight Rises Won’t Hit Four Hours: Despite a wild internet rumor to the contrary, Batman News has disappointed die hard Batty fans by clearing things up: the film will be nowhere near that long. [Batman News]
Brett Ratner to Ruin Another Franchise: Just as he helped to topple the Hannibal Lector franchise with his bland and faceless Red Dragon, Brett Ratner is now in talks to direct the sequel to Midnight Run, the 1988 buddy-comedy crime film starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. A Brett Ratner film starring Charles Grodin? Gee, where do we sign up?! [Deadline]

Tracy Morgan Collapses At Sundance 2012

Travis Woods — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:55:40 +0000

As readers of ScreenCrave may have noticed over the weekend, the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is currently in full swing, which means a deluge of films, press conferences, interviews, reviews, snow… and, apparently, celebrity health emergencies. At least in the case of Tracy Morgan, who collapsed into unconsciousness on Sunday night outside of a Sundance event.

The 30 Rock and former Saturday Night Live comedian fainted outside of the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards in Park City, Utah on Sunday night, where he had just finished giving a speech after giving an acceptance speech at the event.

An ambulance was called and took the star “to a nearby hospital for treatment and he was joined by his fiancée Megan Wollover.”

Due to Morgan’s troubled medical history (which involves alcohol abuse with diabetes and a kidney transplant), many in the media were quick to assume Morgan may have been abusing alcohol at the event. However, Lewis Kay, Morgan’s representative, “has put the incident down to exhaustion and altitude sickness and dismissed reports which suggested the star had been drinking.” Kay also states that any accusation that Morgan may have been drinking are completely false. Hang in there, Tracy.

What do you think of the Tracy Morgan news?

Source: Starpulse

’30 Rock’ To Satirize Tracy Morgan’s Homophobic Rant In Upcoming Episode

Travis Woods — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:26:25 +0000

Well, this should be interesting. Remember last year when Tracy Morgan, during a stand-up routine, stated that he would stab his son to death if he discovered he was gay, “criticized the media for promoting a gay agenda, said lesbians were just women who were angry at men and dismissed the wave of anti-gay bullying, which was at the time making headlines following a series of teen suicides, ‘insignificant’’? Yes? Well, so do the writers of Morgan’s TV show, 30 Rock, as the comedy series will be tackling Morgan’s homophobic rant in an upcoming episode.

MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts has a cameo in the upcoming episode, and let the details slip yesterday:

“Well, you know how a lot of their episodes mirror their lives. They’ve incorporated [Morgan's rant] into the Tracy Jordan storyline…Liz Lemon writes Tracy’s apology on the show and says he’s not a homophobe, he’s an idiot. That offends idiots, so while NBC is being picketed by the LBGT community, now it’s also being picketed by idiots led by Denise Richards. She’s the leader of the idiots.”

Which is about the funniest thing you’re likely to hear all week, and yet another example of how 30 Rock is one of the best and most clever comedic TV shows on the air today, taking a meta-satiric swipe at Morgan’s real life follies. It’s also nice to see a show not shy away from the controversies created by its stars, but, rather, embrace them (and mock them) head-on instead of sweeping them under the rug. Good for them.

What do you think of 30 Rock’s reaction to Morgan’s rant?

Source: MTV News

Top 5 TV Comedies That Figured It Out

Damon Houx — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:05:01 +0000

As with every new year of television, the weakest shows that cost the most money are often cancelled after airing a handful of episodes. For example: this season, we’ve already seen The Playboy Club get shuttered, among others. TV shows are often about the ensemble, and most of their casts need time to work together to see how their chemistry develops over longer stretches of time. With comedies, that energy and chemistry is pivotal, and with so many shows put together through high-concepts or based around a name talent, everyone needs to find their footing. With that in mind, here are five shows that started rocky, and became brilliant.

5. 30 Rock:

When 30 Rock debuted, it was coming out the same time as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Both were thought to be “takes” on Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey’s version supposedly the more friendly one. It was going to be about a sketch show where Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) fought with unstable, Martin Lawrence-esque Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), and their struggles with the company’s owner Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). Though the residue of that remains, the show never became about the fake show as much as it became a workplace comedy, and spun off in all sorts of other different directions once the ensemble found their groove. In 2006, Studio 60 had a brilliant pilot, and 30 Rock had a first episode with some scattered laughs. By mid-season, Studio 60 was done, and 30 Rock congealed into near-greatness. Alas, that groove meant removing Rachel Dratch from the show.

4. Cougar Town

When Cougar Town hit the scene, even the creators knew the title was the terrible hook. At the time, Bill Lawrence and Kevin Biegel spoke of how the Cougar Town was a joke premise that became the pitch, and so for the first episodes it followed the newly divorced Jules (Courtney Cox) as she started dating younger men. But that idea couldn’t sustain a show, and so it quickly became about her Cul-de-Sac friends, and their neighborhood adventures. Everyone hated the title so much that season two offered a running joke during the credit sequence where they would actively make fun of their own name. But once it became about the ensemble, the show became about it’s goofy, wine-drinking, but loving family of misfits.

3. The Office

The first episode of The Office was nearly (and originally) a shot-for-shot remake of the first BBC episode of The Office. The original ran for two British seasons, and had a Christmas Special, and is one of the most perfect TV shows to ever air. Steve Carell couldn’t really do the same sort of desperate and obnoxious as Ricky Gervais – no one could. When Carell did his take on David Brent (renamed Michael Scott) it came across as too loud for America, and the cast couldn’t slip as easily into the same roles without it coming across as a bad cover. The first season, which ran six episodes (smart for comedies), is mostly a misfire with some good stuff here and there. But over the summer break they figured out their angle on the character – he’s just a good salesman who got promoted beyond his skill set – and everyone else started falling into place.

2. Parks and Recreations

Ironically, what hurt Parks and Recreations was a similar problem to that of The Office. The concept seemed to be that Amy Poehler was going to play a Michael Scott-esque small town bureaucrat whose reach exceeded her grasp. She made a new best friend (Rashida Jones), and kept interacting with a possible love interest (Paul Schneider). Like most of the shows on this list, those elements are now either removed (in Paul Schneider’s case, he left after season 2) or reconfigured to better fit another workplace comedy. The main thing was figuring out Pohler’s Leslie Knope, and that she shouldn’t be incompetent so much as perky. Once they made her goofy and loveable, they had a lead to hang the show upon.

1. Seinfeld:

The best example of giving a show a chance to develop its own aesthetic, Seinfeld started out as another in a long line of sit-coms based around a stand-up in the hopes of repeating the success of The Cosby Show, etc. Jerry Seinfeld played a variation on himself and had wacky friends. The first season – which ran four episodes – was hurt by studio interference, with Julia-Louis Dreyfuss’s Elaine character acting as an ex-girlfriend the studio wanted to make a possible love interest. Once the show was free from those sorts of notes, it kept getting weirder, better and less forced sit-com. Ironically, it’s now one of the templates for situational comedies.

30 Rock: Season 5, Episode 22: Everything Sunny All the Time Always – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:55:47 +0000

This week’s episode of “30 Rock” brings in two very special guests from the world of politics. Ok, to be fair, one of those “guests” is merely an actor impersonating a famed political figure, but the performance is so frighteningly spot-on that we’d be safe in pretending that it was the real thing. Sadly, the other guest didn’t quite deliver the goods, but that doesn’t ruin the episode by a long shot. Take a look at our review to see how we felt…

The Players:

Cast: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Elizabeth Banks, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski

Episode Title: “Everything Sunny All the Time Always”

Upon realizing that she could improve her life if she only devoted as much attention to herself as she does to her TV show, Liz embarks on a mission to clean up her apartment, dress nice, and perhaps even be happy. However, a plastic bag caught in a tree outside her window threatens to ruin her self-improvement project. In the meantime, Jack learns that Avery has been kidnapped by Kim Jong-il, and Tracy is upset to learn that his entourage has an inside joke that he’s unfamiliar with.

The Good:

Kim Jong-il: As a show that often tackles the absurdity of modern life, “30 Rock” is nearly peerless. However, while it tends to focus its satire on elements of pop culture, it is also tremendously effective when it tackes on politics. Thus, its interpretation of crazy dictator Kim Jong-il is brilliant, primarily because it barely seems different from the real thing. His insistence that North Korea is abundant in food, sunshine, and all things any growing country needs is eerily similar to the real man’s own misinformation. Kudos, Margaret Cho.
Talking Bag: Speaking of absurdity, Liz has an interesting conversation this week with a plastic bag. While in theory that sounds too ridiculous to work, it is actually pretty humorous. “I’ll still be up here when they take you out in my cousin: a body bag.” There is no reason why that should be funny, but somehow, it is.
Jack’s politics: Casting Alec Baldwin as an extreme conservative has always been genius, and we are reminded of that in this episode when he is fine with the fact that Avery has endured extreme physical torture at the hands of her captors, but horrified that she claims to have rejected capitalism. Baldwin pulls off the reaction perfectly.

The So-So:

Smooth move, Ferguson: Tracy’s unrelenting efforts to recreate the events that led up to his entourage creating an inside joke without him comes off as only slightly funny. It’s hard for anything involving Tracy to ever be unfunny, but this subplot feels like something that the writer threw in to fill up space, not exactly knowing where it would go. When it reaches its conclusion, we’re left a little bored.

The Bad:

Condoleeza Rice: Nabbing Condoleeza Rice for a guest appearance seems like it should be instant comedy gold, but the sad truth is that she lacks the acting skill to keep us entertained. She can’t deliver a line believably, and when paired against Alec Baldwin, who can bring the funny like nobody’s business, this becomes even more painfully apparent. It was a great idea, but in practice, it just didn’t work out.

Overall:

Hey, it’s no classic episode, but it was certainly funny, thanks primarily to the hilarious antics of Kim Jong-il. We’re not used to seeing “30 Rock” tackle the subject of crazy dictators, but given the way the show pulled it off this week, we’d love to see them revisit this territory. Thankfully, it looks like we aren’t through with the North Korean ruler just yet. Tune in to see what else has has in store.

Rating: 8/10

“30 Rock” airs every thursday on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

What did you think of last night’s episode? Tell us in the comments!

30 Rock: Season 5 Episode 19: I Heart Connecticut – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:30:28 +0000

“30 Rock” is so attractive to fans of comedy because the writing is extremely sharp, reminding viewers that what goes on behind the camera is just as important as what goes on in front of it. Luckily, this week, both elements were pretty strong, and while there were a few missteps along the way, it generally made for a good half hour of entertainment.

The Players:

Cast: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, Jack McBrayer

Episode Title: “I Heart Connecticut”

Upon realizing that Tracy is not in Africa but is indeed in NYC, Liz enlists the aid of Kenneth to seek out the “TGS” star and save the show. In the meantime, Jenna spends her free time playing a victim in a torture-porn movie, but the project is low on funding. Back at the “TGS” office, Pete discovers an ability he never knew he had. Or, at least, so he thinks.

The Good:

Rob Riggle: Rob Riggle may never be the leading man, but he always makes anything he is involved in slightly funnier. He never plays clever characters, but he is good at portraying the loud, obnoxious and antagonistic types. His constant jokes about Pete’s wife aren’t funny in spite of their immature nature; rather, they make us laugh precisely because Riggle is so good at playing immature characters.
Torture Porn: The Saw ripoff which Jenna appears in feels eerily like the real thing. In an alternate universe, we could see ourselves heading to the theatre to check this one out. (Ok, no we couldn’t, but that’s only because these movies suck. If we liked them, we’d like this, though.)
Clever Writing: “30 Rock” always sports some commendable comedy writing, but tonight’s episode stood out in particular, with line’s referring to the “Bastille” of Bastille Day as a stripper and Jack commenting on the fact that “NBC has produced more failed pilots than the French Air Force.” Clever stuff.

The So-So:

Searching for Tracy: The quest to find Tracy brings a few laughs this episode, but overall, it doesn’t quite work. The scene at the pizzeria should have been a moment of midly absurd comedy, but instead it felt awkward and forced. The final confrontation between “Clemon” and Tracy is reasonably entertaining, but there aren’t any moments that had us really laughing out loud.
Corporate Interests: When Jenna’s torture porn movie fails to acquire sufficient funding, it seeks it out in unconventional places, and while this leads to a slightly clever commentary on the nature of corporate interference in Hollywood, it comes on a little too obvious. The jokes forecast themselves so that we know what’s coming. Good comedy involves being surprised, and this gag wasn’t all that surprising.

The Bad:

Pete’s fantasy: The show plays a major fake-out on us when we learn that an entire subplot occurred strictly within the imagination of Pete. This is definitely an example in which the writer was trying to gain some comedy out of the element of surprise, but sadly, this is a surprise which did not work at all, leaving us more baffled than amused.

Overall:

A very clever episode with a few weak spots, but certainly nothing noticeable enough to qualify it as a disappointment. The parts that worked did so very strongly, and those that didn’t work were still more or less admirable in theory. And of course, we’re just happy that Tracy is coming back.

Rating: 7/10

“30 Rock” airs every thursday night on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

What did you think of last night’s episode? Tell us in the comments!

Alec Baldwin Comes Under Fire For Claiming That ’30 Rock’ Is Ending

Travis Woods — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:18:59 +0000

Yesterday, we reported that Alec Baldwin had announced that 30 Rock will be ending next year due to contract expirations. And today, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the 30 Rock star has come under fire for making the announcement, and is scrambling to backtrack.

The actor quickly laid down a blog at The Huffington Post to backpedal:

“I want to take the opportunity to state that although my days on network TV may be numbered, I hope 30 Rock goes on forever. Or at least as long as everyone involved desires…Next year hopefully won’t be the last… Kenneth can run the network. Jenna will get her own talk show. Tracy will become Mayor of New York. Then resign to go raise exotic reptiles. And Lemon will go do…. just about anything she sets her mind to. Here’s to five more seasons.”

It all sounds like standard-issue Hollywood backtracking, as sources close to THR state that there are no plans of 30 Rock to go off the air.

This isn’t the first time that Baldwin has stuck his foot in his mouth or declared the end of something—in 2009 he declared that he was quitting acting, and in 2010 he stated that he would not renew his 30 Rock contract in 2012. Now, only time will tell.

What do you think of the Baldwin news?

Alec Baldwin Claims ’30 Rock’ Will End Next Year

Travis Woods — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:05:01 +0000

Well, fans of excellent television might have a reason or two to lament 2012 (aside from it being the end of the world, according to all the billboards I’ve been seeing lately)—according to Alec Baldwin, the next season of 30 Rock will be (brace yourselves) the last!

According to Coming Soon, Alec Baldwin was at the National Dance Institute’s annual fund-raising gala last night, where he dropped the following nugget reporters:

“I will tell you one thing… And that is our show next year is our last year of the show.”

“Our contracts are expired [in 2012], and Tina is gonna have a big career directing films and writing. She’s going to be the next Elaine May. She’ll be great.”

Both NBC and Tina Fey have yet to comment on the story, but I have a pretty good one: this sucks.

That said, maybe it’s a good thing for 30 Rock to come to an end while it’s still excellent, instead of just going on and on and on and on and grinding to a desperately unfunny lull for about ten years or so (I’m looking at you, Saturday Night Live).

What do you think of the 30 Rock news? Will you be sad to see it go?

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