David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place. “America, which I invented…”
Given “30 Rock’s” disappointing ratings, its writers seem to believe the writing may be on the wall, so they’re throwing any old thing up against said wall. Thing is, a lot of it, while random, is pretty funny.
On Thursday’s episode (a super-sized affair starting at an odd time, 8:40 p.m.), Jack (Alex Baldwin) fears the new oily West-Coast network executive (Will Arnett) is after his job. And why not – the guy is responsible for the “10-second online sitcom” (the sample we’re shown is hilarious, a perfect Old Media castigation of New Media, as is the line about “celebrity-snuff reality content for your mobile phone”), so of course he’s the sort of forward-thinking guy necessary to bring down a network. Additionally, he’s gay, and in Jack’s feverish mind the TV industry treats Gay like the New White Male, so of course they’re gonna bounce Jack, who nonetheless boldly tells Arnett, “I’m straighter than you are gay and I pass particles of guys like you in my wind.” (Cribbing from an old “SNL” Sinatra sketch, but still.)
But Jack’s not going down without a fight, and dispatches Kenneth the Page (Jack McBrayer) to scope out his competition. This, of course, does not go well. Kenneth asks Jack, tremulously, “You used me?”
“For Television,” Jack responds, as if he believes he has performed the most noble act in the history of humanity. “I humiliated you for television.”
Also, Liz (Tina Fey) fakes being an alcoholic to get closer to a guy she’s sweet on, and Tracy (Tracy Morgan) discovers he’s a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, leading to an inspired dream sequence in which Baldwin – as if he hasn’t done enough for this series – plays Jefferson as a pompous twit whose speech contains the sentence fragment: “America, which I invented…”
If “30 Rock” doesn’t return, all involved can at least know that they gave it their best shot. Perhaps Fey should start thinking about a sitcom set anywhere but in the world of show business.
* UPDATE: Good news: NBC announced that "30 Rock" will indeed be back for a second season.
- “30 Rock:” 8:40 p.m. Thursday, NBC (Channel 4 in L.A.).
Comments
30 Rock was renewed today! Hail Sarnoff! Hail Philo!
Posted by: MoroccoMole | April 4, 2007 4:57 PM