‘30 Rock’… Rocks!

One of the best TV comedies of the past decade, 30 Rock is now available On Demand on Virgin TV.

An anarchic blend of the old and the new, 30 Rock is hip and satirical, but also takes influence from classic sitcoms of the past century. It’s a cocktail of silly slapstick, big performances, and witty, timely jabs at TV, show business and the modern workplace.

Tina Fey created the show and stars as Liz Lemon, the harried, stressed but hilarious head writer on the comedy sketch show TGS. It’s a world familiar to Fey, who previously worked as head writer on Saturday Night Live.

While managing a weekly live comedy she has to deal with her two diva stars: increasingly desperate actress Jenna Moroney (Jane Krakowski) and spoiled comedy superstar Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). Then there’s her lazy, weird writing crew, her string of bad boyfriends, and her boss.

Alec Baldwin revived his career as Jack Donaghy, the smooth-talking Republican who has life by the tail. Baldwin had appeared on Saturday Night Live a few times before 30 Rock, but he didn’t become a comedy star until this show. Donaghy is a man who likes the finer things, who doesn’t sleep on planes in case he gets “incepted” and who says that he manages life with “sex and awesomeness”.

Baldwin fit the role like a glove, and his velvet voice was a perfect match for his best lines: “The Italians have a saying, Lemon. ‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.’ And though they’ve never won a war, or mass produced a decent car, in this area, they are correct.”

Through its run, 30 Rock was nominated for 145 major awards and won 39, including Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row, six Golden Globes and a slew of awards from the TV Critics Association and the Writers Guild of America (among others).

As well as its perfectly chosen cast, 30 Rock enjoyed hosting a parade of famous guest stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, David Schwimmer, Oprah Winfrey, James Franco (in love with a pillow!), Matt Damon, Carrie Fisher and Al Gore (“Quiet! A whale is in trouble. I have to go.”)

We love 30 Rock. It is silly and clever, fast-paced and jam-packed, and a completely unique, endlessly hilarious show. 30 Rock rocks!