30 Rock Rocks
By Chris Glazier

With the final episode of the hit comedy 30 Rock coming up this week, we thought it would be a good time to look at the show

If you haven't seen an episode, 30 Rock stars actor-creator Tina Fey, who basically plays a version of herself as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a fictional variety show (Fey used to be the head writer for Saturday Night Live). The show revolves around Liz's efforts to keep her crazy co-workers under control. The ensemble cast features Alec Baldwin in a brilliant role as executive producer Jack Donaghy, Tracy Morgan as the ridiculous superstar comedian Tracy Jordan, Jane Krakowski as desperate and aging star Jenna Maroney, and Jack McBrayer in a breakout role as simple and hilarious Kenneth Parcell, the page boy (get it?).

30 Rock has a zanier, lighter tone than a lot of the current comedies on television. Shows like Friends and The Office have moved toward a more realistic feel with ongoing dramatic arcs. 30 Rock ditches this style in favor of the freedom to make ridiculous plots that rarely have repercussions, because they only last one episode. This freedom both hurts and helps the show, as each episode can vary in quality. In addition, the lack of almost any dramatic weight can make you feel less connected to the characters. You're never going to love these characters the way you love the characters from The Office, but you're not supposed to. You're supposed to laugh.

And laugh you will. When firing on all cylinders, 30 Rock's outrageous and quick-hitting humor can make it the funniest show on TV by a wide margin. Tina Fey doesn't miss a single pop culture tidbit to make fun of (Snuggies, anyone?), and her constant self-deprecating humor is the most consistent humor on the show. Baldwin's delivery and timing as Jack are impeccable. I'm shocked that he has never done much comedy before, because he truly has a gift for it. Plus, seeing him play a Republican character after his years of public abuse to the party is a riot. The rest of the characters tend to be more hit-or-miss depending on the quality of their particular plot, but the Tracy Jordan and Kenneth characters in particular can make you roll on the floor on the right evening.

The critics have given a lot of love to 30 Rock between reviews and awards. For such an inconsistent show, their adoration says more about the current sad state of TV comedies than anything else. This show is no Arrested Development, but if you're looking for something to laugh at, it's a great choice.

Content Watch: The language isn't too bad, although you will hear some bleeped words here and there. There's definitely a lot of innuendo on this show, so be careful with that. In addition, you'll hear occasional cracks about Christians and faith, but it's not too bad. On the whole it tends to ignore spirituality, which is probably good considering how satirical 30 Rock is.