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| The Laura Bush look |
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.
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