Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The 30 Rock Book

Inside the Iconic Show, From Blerg to EGOT

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The hilarious true story of the making of the cult classic hit show 30 Rock 

Itâs hard to remember a time when Tina Fey wasnât a star, but back in the early 2000s, she was an SNL writer who was far from a household name. Itâs even harder to remember when Feyâs sitcom 30 Rock was tanking, but it wasâit premiered in the fall of 2006, and by November, the New York Times wrote that 30 Rock was âperilously close to a flop.â

But despite all expectations (including those of some of the cast and crew), Tina Feyâs eccentric buddy comedy lasted 138 episodes, spanning seven seasons. It resurrected the career of Alec Baldwin, survived an extended absence by Tracy Morgan, and permeated the cultureâ its breakneck pacing, oddball characters, and extremely rich joke writing are deeply beloved by millions of fans. 

Through more than fifty original interviews with cast, crew, critics, and more, culture writer Mike Roe brings to life the history of the gloriously goofy show that became an all-time classic. The 30 Rock Book has everything in it, from tales of the amazing music still stuck in our heads, to the iconic bit characters that make the show, to all the love and drama of the backstage crew . . . and the creative failures and successes along the way. So grab your night cheese and muffin tops, cuddle up with your slanket against your Japanese body pillow, and settle in for the story of one of the funniest shows in television history. 

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      September 15, 2021
      A wide-ranging tour through a landmark TV comedy. Few sitcoms can compete with 30 Rock in a jokes-per-minute contest. That alone makes this lovingly researched unpacking of every episode in the Tina Fey series worthwhile for fans. But Roe, an arts and entertainment editor, comedy writer, and producer, provides a broader context for the show's success. Sure, the author explains where the show's catchphrases--e.g., "I want to go to there" and "blerg!"--originated and how its most memorable moments (remember "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah"?) came together. Roe goes deep on the ratings-challenged show's struggle to stay on the air, even with a star-studded cast, including Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan, and the support of powerful Saturday Night Live honcho Lorne Michaels. The author also meticulously chronicles the show's influences and, through interviews, takes readers into the writers room to get a sense of the craftsmanship. However, his research has limits. His quotes from Fey, Baldwin, and Morgan come from DVD commentaries and other interviews. That leaves questions like why Fey replaced her friend Rachel Dratch with Krakowski unanswered--though Roe offers educated guesses, including that "test audiences didn't respond to Dratch." Roe fares far better when he takes the show to task for its actors' use of blackface and questionable jokes at the expense of minorities. "That really hurt," the show's prop master Kevin Ladson told Roe, explaining how he felt when he saw Krakowski on stage in blackface portraying football player Lynn Swann. "And I said, 'I really want to know how this gets a pass.' " Calling out the show's issues makes the overwhelming praise throughout the book that much more believable. Roe's studious examination effectively details the brilliance--and blemishes--of an entertainment gem.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      October 15, 2021
      Entertainment journalist Roe offers up a loving tribute to 30 Rock, the whip-smart NBC comedy which ran from 2006 to 2013, taking a deep dive into the series via interviews with the actors, writers, and crew. 30 Rock was developed in the shadow of Aaron Sorkin's much anticipated follow up to The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which, like 30 Rock, lifted the curtain on the inner workings of a sketch show (both modeled after Saturday Night Live). Studio 60 ran just one season, while underdog 30 Rock ran seven, charming critics and racking up Emmys while boasting such big-name guest stars as Matt Damon, Elizabeth Banks, Margaret Cho, and even Oprah. The writers prided themselves on the show's characters and their rapid-fire rapport and tongue-in-cheek inside jokes. Roe acknowledges the series' flaws, including its lack of diversity in the writers' room and its use of blackface in several episodes, while paying tribute to what made it so iconic, if not quite a hit in terms of ratings. A must-read for fans and television-history buffs.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading