30 Rock: The C Word

30 Rock: The C Word
NBC
February 15, 2007
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I'm not crazy about either of the two main threads here, but it is interesting to see the introduction of Rip Torn as Jack's boss, Don Geiss, here with grandchildren.  (I'm not sure if that would end up being canonical, but we'll get to that later.)  Jack goes to a diabetes fundraiser golf tournament thrown by Geiss, and he brings Tracy along, but Tracy gets mad when he realizes that Jack brought him there to entertain people.  But in the end Tracy tells a moving story about his nonexistent daughter who was diagnosed with diabetes.  In the other thread, Lutz calls Liz a not-actually-said-but-implied "cunt," apparently based on a real incident that happened to Fey, who wrote this episode, although Liz decides it's a sign she should be nicer.  (But then wouldn't she be called a pussy?)  Even Kevin's "romance" with another page doesn't really go anywhere, as he literally shoves her aside when Geiss asks for his coat.

Frank Conello is again an onscreen member of the Production Staff.  Rachel Hamilton is again Rachel, while Rachel Dratch is again Greta the cat wrangler.  Teresa Yenque is Teresa here and would later play Concepcion.  Tom Treadwell is Landis here and would be Executive #3.  Jenna is absent, although again it would be interesting to get her perspective on the Liz plot.

30 Rock: Blind Date

30 Rock: Blind Date
NBC
October 25, 2006
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Jack interferes with Liz's personal life, not for the last time, by fixing her up with his friend "Thomas," as in Gretchen Thomas, a lesbian.  Liz does hit it off with Gretchen and keeps seeing her platonically.  Of course the irony is that we'll later find out that Liz has a lot of hang-ups about sex with men.  Note that her ex-boyfriend Dennis is referred to but not yet seen.  The other plot thread is that Jack beats everyone at poker, until he faces the unreadable Kenneth.  And it's funny to hear Kenneth referred to as "a kid," when we'll gradually find out he's much, much older than he seems.

Teddy Coluca is again the Stage Manager.  Bartender Marcus Collins would later play The Hair.  Jenna is absent this episode, but it would've been interesting to see her reaction to the lesbian plot.  This episode was written by John Riggi, who played a Manager on Ellen and who would write nine more episodes, as well as direct some.

30 Rock: The Aftermath

30 Rock: The Aftermath
NBC
October 18, 2006
Sitcom
DVD
B-

As the title suggests, Liz has to deal with Tracy's addition to what was formerly known as The Girlie Show but from here on out will be TGS.  Tracy's solution is to throw a party on "his" yacht.  The writing is a bit sharper here, even if some of the pop-cultural references-- Ziggy, Theo Huxtable-- aren't exactly timely.  And the theme is in place, in fact serving as most of the incidental music, too, although that would get more varied.

Tom Broecker and Teddy Coluca return as respectively Lee and the Stage Manager.  This time Rachel Dratch plays Maria the frightened maid.

30 Rock: Pilot

The Laura Bush look

30 Rock: Pilot
NBC
October 11, 2006
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I seldom watched TV in the Oughts, so we'll skip right over '05 and move on to the year one of my new favorite shows (which I started watching this year) premiered.

The regulars, not all of whom are identified and/or given a chance to speak just yet:

• Scott Adsit as Pete Hornberger
• Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy
• Katrina Bowden as Cerie
• Kevin Brown as Dot Com
• Grizz Chapman as Grizz
• Tina Fey as Liz Lemon
• Judah Friedlander as Frank Rossitano
• Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney
• John Lutz as J.D. Lutz
• Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Parcell
• Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan
• Maulik Pancholy as Jonathan
• Keith Powell as Toofer
• Lonny Ross as Josh Girard

Also, Tom Broecker would be Lee twice more; Teddy Coluca would be the Stage Manager in eight more episodes; and Crew Guy Eric Gurian would have two later roles.  Furthermore, Rachel Dratch, who's Greta Johanssen the cat trainer here, would have several other offbeat roles, especially this first season.

Casting my mind back eleven years, I remember being aware of Tina Fey because of the movie Mean Girls, where she acted and wrote, as she does here.  But I was oblivious to most of current TV and this was never a ratings success.  I think the only reason I finally got around to watching it (and I haven't yet made it past the middle of Season Five) is that I was curious to see a Sarah Palin impersonator interact with a Donald Trump impersonator.  I was soon impressed, but not by this pilot, where the rhythm and energy are somewhat off, and the characters mostly not yet well defined.  That the incredibly catchy opening theme (written by Fey's husband) only appears as incidental music towards the end is telling.  We'll see how long it takes them to get their act together.  But it is an intriguing premise: a behind-the-scenes look at a show not unlike Saturday Night Live, where Fey had paid her dues.

Adam Bernstein, who directed the B-52s videos for "Roam" and "Love Shack," would direct five more first season episodes.

B-52s: Roam

Not that this wasn't WTF at the time.

B-52s: Roam
Song released December 1989
Music Video
VHS
B-

I don't think this has aged as well as "Sowing the Seeds of Love," or for that matter "Love Shack."  It's still a catchy song but what some would now call "cultural appropriation" makes the shenanigans look more embarrassing even than intended.

B-52s: Love Shack

B-52s: Love Shack
VH1
Song released June 20, 1989
Music Video
VHS
B

The band performing as a band in the title building, with a prehistoric appearance by RuPaul.  Not a lot to this, but the song remains catchy and joyous, and it's fun to see "You're what???"/"Tin roof.  Rusted!" acted out.