A new 30 Rock thread because I can't find the old one

in the first season I found myself fast-forwarding through many of the scenes that didn’t involve Alec Baldwin or Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth

This could be more concisely expressed as "I have horrible taste."

Kelefa on "Fringe" and "The Mentalist" was really, really great, with only one flaw (identifying Robin Tunney with The Craft and Empire Records, which is kinda shorthand for "I'm in my 30s and don't actually watch enough TV to have noticed she was in a popular current show.")

k, imdb

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2008/11/24/081124crte_television_sanneh

It turned out that the F.B.I. had noticed a pattern of strange events (known, rather disappointingly, as “the Pattern”) that seemed to be connected to something called Massive Dynamic, which is a sinister multinational corporation—not, despite what you may have guessed, a jam band.

Ha, that's not that IMDB -- I mean, god knows I've never watched an episode of Prison Break either, but it's kinda funny/charming to be a top-tier television critic and just go "oh that's that chick from The Craft"

well max i certainly hope youll take yr responsibilities more seriously than this sanneh fellow

You're weird

bro not only do i know that robin tunney is on prison break i also know this celeb tidbit which i would no doubt work charmingly into my review, perhaps as a cold open that i would then weave into a larger metaphor about her acting on the show:

Within the film industry Tunney has acquired the nickname "Rubbin' Tummy" for her habit of absentmindedly rubbing her stomach while conferring with the director and other actors.

nabisco fyi sanneh is like a "good writer" and stuff but if u stand in the way of my netroots campaign to become editor of television at the new yorker i will crush u like a bug

haha what nabisco im just playin truly i have no idea what were even talking abt at this point

There's nothing to be scared of, it's just a Japanese sex doll in daddy's bed.

STOP PATRICIDING

Good job, sex doll.

yeah nabisco seriously, who gives a fuck if someone knows Tunney better for her semi-successful film roles than for her 1-season arc on boring-ass Prison Break? that's not a shortcoming.

i don't know who this tunney person is but that rubbin tummy business sounds adorable

haha john. i think i've posted my franklin hate to at least 5 ilx threads.

Dude the point was that Sanneh is new to being a television writer, as charmingly evidenced by that point; someone who'd been covering TV stuff for a while and was writing about "The Mentalist" would likely have identified her differently

^ This was not a major point, just something I found funny about Sanneh moving over to the TV critic space

thread needs to go back to people talking in quotes:

"i cant believe you are out of the game. thats like picasso not painting or bruce willis not combining action with rock harmonica, don't you miss it?"

I find 30 Rock fairly amusing, generally, but cleverly scripted jokes like that are precisely why I don't like it as much as The Office.

yeah...sharp comedy writers coming with one with cleverly scripted jokes one after another just can't hold a candle to actors improvising a purposefully bad joke, and then staring sullenly at the camera while the other people in the scene respond with awkward silence.

would you like some ketchup with those onion ZINGs?

bro not only do i know that robin tunney is on prison break i also know this celeb tidbit which i would no doubt work charmingly into my review, perhaps as a cold open that i would then weave into a larger metaphor about her acting on the show:

Reviews have cold opens now? MORE SOULLESS CORPORATISM AT WORK???

30 Rock needs to forget those cleverly scripted jokes and get back to mainlining non-sequiturs.

I fells the Human Macarena line last week was a little too clever. I still laughed like a drain though, so who cares?

The scripted nature of this is precisely why I like it more than The Office, so I guess that just saying something about preferences -- I enjoy dialog that's transparently "written," I don't really understand the whole TV/film attachment to "naturalism" on this front, and I like the breezy way this show tosses away that attachment and lets itself be arch and artificial at times. (Overall I suspect that not enough television allows itself to do this, not just with dialog but with so many other things!)

The Office is probably the second-best show on NBC, and yet I could even imagine watching it regularly. I find the "story" elements completely boring, and its dramatic moments unearned. Which is too bad, because the peripheral characters are hilarious, and Pam is cute.

yet I couldn't, rather.

One of the things I've laughed hardest at on 30 Rock was Tracy in therapy -- and the highlight of that scene, Jack's rapid-fire parade of voices, was definitely very scripted. But it was also something that felt very situational and in character. I think most of the jokes that don't work for me are Tracy or Kenneth delivering these Bruce Vilanch-style verbosely witty one-liners that seem at odds with the naivete of their characters. (Maybe that contradiction is why it's supposed to be funny, I dunno.)

Bruce Vilanch????????

I think most of the jokes that don't work for me are Tracy or Kenneth delivering these Bruce Vilanch-style verbosely witty one-liners that seem at odds with the naivete of their characters. (Maybe that contradiction is why it's supposed to be funny, I dunno.)

One of the things I've laughed hardest at on 30 Rock was Tracy in therapy -- and the highlight of that scene, Jack's rapid-fire parade of voices, was definitely very scripted. But it was also something that felt very situational and in character.

― jaymc, Monday, December 1, 2008 8:31 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

thats it right there - the show is super scripted but still glows cause it employs such GREAT ACTORS - a big chunk of the cast can just completely act their asses off

watch kenneth work just watch him work he isnt just standing around waiting to deliver a line guy is always reacting

office doesn't feel any less scripted to me!!

Max you know ilu but you sir are no kelefa.

Ftr, I would only recognize craft girl from craft or empire records. This is why k&i are meant to be together. Well, one of the reasons.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20243538,00.html?cnn=yes

the scar story is pretty fucked up

that's crazy

"She was quite round," Richmond says of his wife's pre-fame days in Chicago, But "in a lovely, turn-of-the-century kind of round – that beautiful, Rubenesque kind of beauty."

But after a makeover and going on Weight Watchers during her SNL period, Fey, who is half-Russian and half-Greek, knows what her greatest assets are.

"Because of the Greek-girl thing, I have, like, boobs and butt," she says. As a result, she adds, "I only have two speeds – either matronly or a little too slutty. I have to be steered away from cheetah print."

would love to see liz lemon wearing cheetah print

"I only have two speeds – either matronly or a little too slutty."

Ha, she knows what her key demo are after.

So this morning I walked past an actor I had almost entirely forgotten was even on this show -- remember Josh the impressionist, from the first season? Poor dude was sent packing with such finality that it took me a second to recognize him. (Also, due to this show, my first thought was "hey, it's Jimmy Fallon, except not.")

Haha wait a second:

P.S. I had actually forgotten there was even a character named "Josh" until he reappeared here. Him and Twofer = screwed lately

― nabisco, Friday, November 9, 2007 12:46 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark

^^ so maybe this just happens yearly, I dunno

ya what the hey, he always had some funny lines... gaybraham lincoln ("fourscore and seven beers ago")... the tracy impression... the ep where he renegoshes his contract

Yeah why'd they get rid of him? The worm vs the crab was one of the best episodes. Everybody who's saying the regular cast is getting shortchanged is right.

maybe he is still on the show, or in denial
When OK! saw hilarious rookie actor Lonny Ross, who plays the goofy comic Josh Girard, at the premiere of Soul Men in New York, we wanted to know what it was like working with stars like Jennifer Aniston.

"She's a sitcom veteran," said Lonny, "so she gets the (long) hours and how much work goes into a show like that. It's great when you get to work with someone like that," he said.

Cool! So you got to do some scenes with her?

"No," said Lonny. But added, "I heard she was great."

How about Oprah then? Any scenes with her?

"No.

"They keep us away," he confessed, referring to the novice stars, like Lonny, Keith Powell, aka Toofer, and Katrina Bowden, who plays Cerie.

"They don't want us bothering her."

So were there any guests at all you were excited about this season?

"Yes – Steve Martin," he beamed. "I mean, Steve Martin – that's the best there is.

"Another guy I didn't get to meet."

That is sad.

haha yeah imdb doesn't list him for any episodes since the end of season 2, wtf.

and it's not like Frank and Toof are on much either

trucker hat moron is still on too much

but he's still technically on the show, right? maybe hanging around in the writers' room scenes, without any lines?

I don't think he has many lines any more but they usually incorporate his hats into a gag here and there.

He kinda sucks but it was great when he wore the fancier hat earlier this season.

yeah that was a good joke