Watching 30 Rock

Want a chance at stardom? A chance to meet some of the funniest and most cleverist people on television? A chance to stalk Alec Baldwin? A way to be a part of your favorite TV show? Or maybe just a trip to New York City? Well here is your chance!

CharityFolks.com is auctioning a walk-on role on 30 Rock! Included in the prize is two roundtrip tickets to New York City on JetBlue. Proceeds of the auction go to support the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Carol Baldwin, of course, is Alec Baldwin’s mother. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 and later underwent a double mastectomy. In 1996, she founded the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, which to date has funded 47 research grants totaling $2.3 million. Carol serves as Chairperson of the Board and frequently speaks publicly regarding the cause and raising funds to support research. She has been honored in East Setauket, NY when the Carol Baldwin Breast Care Center was named in her honor in 1996. She is also involved with the Onondaga Breast Cancer Mapping Project.

As of this writing, bidding on this auction was at $7,000, so if you have some extra cash in your pocket, why not make a bid? You could be on television AND support a worthy cause! I would be all up in bidding on this mofo, but alas, I work in the non-profit world myself, so I don’t really have an extra $7,000 to spare. But if one of y’all bid and win, hey, let me know, because I have a message or two to pass on to the cast. Starting of course, with our very best wishes to Carol Baldwin for all her good work for this cause.

You can read an interview with Carol and Alec Baldwin here: The Baldwins Take on Breast Cancer.

30 Rock, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Carol Baldwin, Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Onondaga Breast Cancer Mapping Project, charity auction, walk on role

The New York Post (which I usually just read for Page 6) has a whole lot of love for Alec Baldwin. On Sunday they ran a breezy article about Baldwin’s success on 30 Rock called Smart Alec.

With lines like “Alec Baldwin’s never had it so good - and neither have we.” And “Every episode is crammed with brilliant Baldwin moments, the kind that make Youtube so indispensable,” this article reads a little like every Kirk Cameron piece in Teen Beat circa 1987 (Teen Beat’s prime year minus shirtless pics of ultra-hairy Jon Bon Jovi).

But anyway, we’re always happy when 30 Rock pics up good press. Maybe that’ll remind people what quality television looks like (hint, it doesn’t look anything like new sitcoms on ABC. We’re talking to you Car Poolers).

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, Kirk Cameron, Car Poolers, Jon Bon Jovi

Want to have an amusing little ditty stuck in your head for the next, oh, MILLION YEARS OR SO? Check out the full length video at College Humor for “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah,” Tracy Jordan’s novelty song.

Are you inspired? If you are, why not try your hand and making your own music video? You can go to the 30 Rock site at NBC.com and download the song and shoot your own video. You can even go to the Werewolf Bar Mitzvah Group site at myNBC.com to upload and share your video. Just in time for Halloween!

Cold Opening. Jack enters the writer’s room to announce that Liz is the recipient of the G&E Fellowship award. No sorry, that’s Followship Award. It’s presented annually to the women, er person that best exemplifies a follower. Liz is none to thrilled about this cause she ain’t no follower. But the award comes with an oversized check for $10,000. Liz is honored. Jack gives a speech about how proud he is of Liz’s ability to follow. It contains the word “adverlingus” which I’m totally adding to my vocabulary.

Jack asks Liz if she’s going to put the cash in a 401k but alas she has none, just 12 grand in checking. I wish I had that. I could buy a Kia. But onto our next plotline.

Jenna approaches Kenneth and looky, she’s all of a sudden back to her normal size. “If I can’t be Mo’Nique fat, I have to be Terry Hatcher thin.” Jenna takes a bit of something and manages to splurg dip onto Kenneth’s page jacket. I sense hilarity ensuing. She says she’ll get the dip off but sets his jacket on a lit oven. Uh-Oh, I don’t think those page jackets are made of natural fibers because that mother goes up in flames faster than a copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves in Baptist library. Credits. Word of advice, try not to focus on the pictures flashing behind the casts head’s. I almost had a vertigo attack.

Commercials. Dan in Real Life looks like every scholocky family ensemble movie in the past 10 years. I’ll be there’s a quirky daughter or two. You’re better than that Steve Carell!

Pete and Liz are in line to meet Liz’s idol Rosemary Howard (Carrie Fisher). According to Liz she was the first female writer for Laugh-In, she wrote all the political stuff. Child Liz flashback! She’s watching Laugh-In, there’s a really bad Nixon joke about being pardoned involving a Goldie Hawn look-alike. Lil’ Liz states “It’s funny because it’s true.”

Back to the present. Liz approaches Rosemary and begins to yammer on about what a big fan she is and how she grew up wanting to be her. The yammering pays off and Rosemary informs Liz that she’ll let her take her to lunch so she can get it all out of her system. Pete is unhappy because Liz was suppose to take him hat shopping.
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Okay, so it’s not Princess Leia. But this is even better! Carrie Fisher is guest starring on tomorrow’s episode of 30 Rock as Liz Lemon’s idol.

When Liz meets her idol, Rosemary Howard, she invites her to be a guest writer on the show. However, Rosemary’s radical ideas that Liz grew up admiring are now too controversial for Liz’s NBC show. When Liz refuses to fire Rosemary, Jack pressures Liz, who promptly quits. Jack brings Tracy to a therapist to figure out why he must do the opposite that he is told. Meanwhile, after Jenna ruins Kenneth’s page jacket, Kenneth must compete in a page-off in order to keep his job.

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Tina Fey and Jane Krakowski are in a photo style layout sort of thing in this month’s Instyle magazine. The story called Are you an Introvert or are you an Extrovert has been thoughtfully scanned by a nice livejournal person.

According to the accompanying text, Tina is the introvert which totally comes through with this quote overlayed on a picture of her wearing a stunning white dress. “I like presenting myself, rather than presenting the clothes. If this dress spoke to me it would say ‘Don’t get too drunk. Try to stay as class as I am.’” Nice. What’s also really nice is this picture.

Now excuse me as I go photoshop my head on Jane’s body.

Tina Fey, Instyle, Jane Krakowski

Hello, Tina Fey. How are you doing? I want to apologize in advance if I am sort of grumpy today, Tina Fey. It’s been an aggravating day. Some douchebag smashed my car window and now I have to pay to have it replaced because my deductible is high. That sucks, Tina Fey. But I bet if something like that ever happened to you, you’d find a way to make it funny on 30 Rock. You take Liz Lemons and make Liz Lemonade! (See, that’s a pun! You can totally use that, I don’t mind!)

I have a question for you, Tina Fey, something I’ve wondered about for a while now. What’s on your Tivo, Tina Fey? What shows do you record? What do you have a season pass for? What gets a thumbs up or a thumbs down? Do you watch other NBC shows? How about The Office? Or maybe you are a fan of Ugly Betty or House? Do you Tivo your own show? It’s okay, you can tell me. Do you have a secret Tivo in the other room where you record all your guilty pleasure shows, like Cribs or My Super Sweet Sixteen or Flip that House? Because that is totally what Amy and I do. The cool shows are on the living room DVR and the embarrassing ones are on the Tivo in the bedroom. Oooh, do you watch Project Runway? The new season starts next month!

(BTW, when are YOU going to be on Cribs? We’d love to see what is in your fridge and I totally don’t mean that in a dirty way.)
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So while researching Scott Adsit, the actor who plays Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock, I discovered I’m a couple weeks older than him. Really? But he’s mostly bald and just seems older than me. Meh, I frequently forget my age that is until the music gets too loud and I seriously consider elastic waist jeans. But enough about me, on with Scott.

So Scott is another chap who’s roots are with Second City in Chicago. Hailing from Circle Pines, Minnesota, Scott joined the Second City main stage in 1994 and continued to work on productions there for most of the 90’s. This is also where he first worked with Tina Fey, a mighty fine connection to have.

But Scott isn’t entirelly a comedic actor. In 1996, he portrayed an alcoholic and drug-addicted father in the Hazleton Substance Abuse Clinic (Minnesota) short-subject production “Reflections From The Heart Of A Child”. According to Wikipedia, this 26-minute feature is required curriculum in most DWI Repeat Offender classes and substance abuse rehabilitation clinics nationwide to this day.

Scott gave a long-awaited quote to the media on this project to the lucky folks at gothmaist.com. Said Scott, “it was my first big roll in anything (also my last). If you ever find yourself watching this instructive, yet highly emotional film, then you have truly and irreparably screwed up your life. Your own misjudgment lead you to this fate and it’s the punishment you deserve. I feel sorry for you. It could very well be the movie itself that you need help recovering from.
Oh, no, sorry. I’m thinking of Mr. Woodcock, there (in which, according to IMDB he played a role credidted as “Cheesy Sales man). Reflections is a great teaching aid.

From the late nineties until he joined the cast of 30 Rock in 2006, Scott bounced around LA appearing in small roles in Friends, Mr. Show, as well as the cult favorite Moral Orel on Cartoon Network.

On 30 Rock, Pete is a producer for TGS with Tracy Jordan and works closely with head writer Liz Lemon (Fey). Liz tends to confide in Pete as he seems to be he only competent person who works there. After being featured in many episodes last season, Pete finally made an appearance this season last week in episode three called The Collection.

Apart from 30 Rock, Scott starred in a pilot for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim entitled Let’s Fish.

Scott Adsit, 30 Rock, Second City Chicago, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Let’s Fish, Moral Orel

I woke up this morning with the 30 Rock theme song going through my head. That can mean only one thing … it’s Thursday and there’s a new episode of the show!

Cold opening: Jack Donaghy and his assistant, Jonathan, are standing on the balcony outside Jack’s office, gazing at the New York lights. “One day sir,” Jonathan says, “this whole city will be yours.” It’s quite the romantic moment. Just then, Liz Lemon bursts around the corner, looking for Jack. “You always ruin everything,” spits Jonathan as he stomps out. Jealous much, Johnny?

Jack tells Liz not to worry about Jonathan. He’s been tense since they found out Jack is a candidate for the GE Chairmanship. That’s why Liz is here …. she had a call from the lawyers asking about Jack … and what animal best describes him. “An eagle with the head of a bear,” is what Liz told them. Jack is flattered. Personally, I would have gone with “a gorilla with the head of an angry squirrel.” Jack figures that GE is looking for skeletons in his closet … so he’s hired a private investigator to investigate … himself. That why he’ll know that GE might find before GE finds it. “I’ve done some things, Lemon.” Now I want an episode about THAT. Jack fakes a phone call (with the “call me” hand gesture) to get out of hearing about Liz’s latest therapy session. I want an episode about THAT too.

Credits. Bop-bop-a-doo.

We return and along with Liz find Tracy in his dressing room with his wife, Angie, played by Sherri Shepard. Liz finds out the deal that Tracy and Angie made last week …. she’ll take him back, but only if she is with him ALL THE TIME to prevent him from messing around on her again. Liz is a fan of this development, because it means Tracy is on time to work. Tracy himself is just surprised to discover that things like TV shows are food are available even in the morning.

Angie asks Liz to help her keep an eye on Tracy when she can’t be around, as long as Liz promises not to fall in love with him. Liz says that won’t be a problem. Angie even agrees to be Liz’s “sassy black friend.”
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So there’s not a whole lot of 30 Rock news to report for today. However there is a new episode on tonight and since we didn’t see a preview for this week’s episode, here’s what’s on tap tonight’s Episode called The Collection - from NBC.com

Jack hires his own private investigator to lead GE in the wrong direction so that they will not be able to find any dirt on him that might put him in a compromising position. However, when he is asked to give up his cookie jar collection, Jack finds the task too much of a challenge. Meanwhile, Angie announces that she will follow Tracy at all times to keep him in line, which Liz believes to be good until she covers for Tracy and gets on Angie’s bad side. Finally, Jenna starts to worry once she starts to lose all the weight she gained over the summer and her popularity begins to hang on the line.

30 Rock, episode 3

Page 6 has some rather uninteresting and unoriginal and somewhat vague reports of “trouble” on the set of 30 Rock from the ever-popular unnamed “spy.”

October 9, 2007 — “30 ROCK” star Tracy Morgan is starting to act like his spoiled character. Last Thursday, “Tracy didn’t know his lines, he wasn’t listening to the director and was arguing with cast members on-set,” a spy said. Morgan later skipped the second-season premiere party at Pastis, where castmates Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey were celebrating. An insider said that Morgan had issues that day but that “the cast and crew are being supportive.” A rep for the actor said Morgan was taping a VH1 award show that night and denied any on-set problems.

Come on. How big of a deal is this, really? Haven’t we all had days when we haven’t listened to our boss or have argued with our co-workers? And how many of us have avoided or just plain refused to go to office parties or functions? Sometimes we just have those days when we want to be done with work and we want to go home and sit on the couch to watch baseball or play Ninento Wii.

Nice try, Page 6. But hey, if it helps bring more viewers to the show, then go for it! Make up all the stupid crap you want!

Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock, Page 6, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Pastis

Everyone’s got their favorite t-shirt. It could be the one that’s four sizes too big and full of holes but damn is it comfy. Or it could be the one that .314 percent of the population gets but you fell superior wearing.

Anyway, my point is this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly is the “Photo Issue which includes a series of photos of TV and movie actors wearing their favorite t-shirts. Lo and behold, one page features 30 Rock cast members donning their faves. We’ve swiped the pics along with the descriptions below just so you don’t have to go out and spend your hard earned $3.95 on EW. Aren’t we sweet?

Tina Fey -”The shirt was my brother’s,” she says. ”We grew up right near the Tower Theater [outside Philadelphia] and saw a lot of great concerts there, and then we could walk home. I was never the most knowledgeable Who fan, but I’m a big fan of my brother.”

Jack McBrayer - ”That is the actual gym shirt that I wore in middle school in Macon, Georgia,” says the 30 Rock page. ”You can tell by its pristine condition that I wasn’t real into PE. Lots of sittin’ on the bench, helping the jocks with their math homework.”
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Still curious about actors from 30 Rock? Well here’s a little more info to store away in your brain for future trivia nights at your favorite bar. Someday you will get a question about Judah Friedlander and because you read this, you will know the answer and win the prize and the esteem of all your drinking buddies. Or perhaps Judah Friedlander IS one of your drinking buddies!

Friedlander was born in 1969 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. (I used to live near Gaithersburg, so I can tell you that the city is not a hotbed of comedy talent, so that makes Friedlander’s success even more impressive.) He is known for his big glasses and is collection of ugly trucker hats, which seem to have a new slogan with every appearance (and which are designed by Friedlander himself.) He also seems to be known posing with the “#1″ finger in a lot of pictures, such as the one above. That may have something to do with his stand-up comedy routines, where he claims to be “The World Champion of the World.”
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Cold opening on a yummy looking steak as an even yummier Liz Lemon knocks and opens a door…Sorry, did I say that out loud, I have no biases in terms of characters nor do I have an orientation that would make me attracted to Tina Fey in black stockings, or no stockings…I’m doing it again aren’t I? Dammit!

Anyway, Liz walks into Jack’s office where he informs her that on his desk is a $54 steak. Since having a heart attack Jack can no longer consume the meaty, scotchy meal of the white-collar boss man and wants Liz to eat it so he can watch. Kinky. Liz eagerly agrees and chows down as Jack goes into a speech about how this is a time of new beginnings for him. He asks Liz if she’s read the interview with Don Geiss who is the chief executive officer of General Electric and Jack’s “Corporate Crush” in this month’s Yachting Illustrated. Liz said she hasn’t as she subscribes to Giant Boats. heh.

From said article Jack extrapolates that Geiss might be retiring and says that his job is the most “coveted in the free world.” He decides he has to do something to get himself noticed. Zippy credits and music and commercials and we’re back with Jane Krakowski in a fat suit.

At least this isn’t like other shows where someone gets fat for a plot line then they’re all of a sudden skinny again. Apparently Jenna hasn’t quit her pizza habit. However Jenna has a plan to get back to her normal weight by Friday night’s show. She’s on a Japanese porn star diet where she eats nothing but paper, but all the paper she wants. Healthy.

Liz goes on about how maybe this is Jenna’s natural body shape and how she’s just as beautiful and talented as ever. However Jack is lurking in the corner and says no, she’s fat and she needs to see the doctor to get this taken care of. This sets Liz off and she pontificates about how America needs to get over its body image madness. Jack insists Liz should focus on herself more than causes, specifically her love life and getting rid of the wedding dress. He asks about the furniture for her home office, which leads to a hilarious shot of a bunch of Ikeaish boxes labeled blerg (two dots above the e).

Jack then spies his old nemesis Devon Banks (Will Arnett) and finds out he’s in town visiting his new fiancée. What? Isn’t Banks gayer then Perez Hilton dry-humping the Bravo network? Well yah, but it turns out his bride-to-be is Kathy Geiss, Don Geiss’s daughter. Oh you sneaky, sneaky pillow-biter. Banks knows that Geiss is planning to retire but really isn’t straight as his head is turned by the seductress Kenneth.

Tracy approaches Kenneth and goes off about his marital problems with his wife Angie. He says that Angie is in the past like Dracula and Broadcast television and that she should find someone new. Kenneth disagrees that Tracy wouldn’t be down if Angie was smokin’ some other pole (I added that part).
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Have you visited the 30 Rock site on NBC.com? No? Well why not? There is a convienent link right over there to the right.

“Lori, you Tina Fey freak,” you might be thinking. “Why do I want to go to the 30 Rock site on NBC.com?” Well because it’s a good place to hang out (besides here at Watching 30 Rock, of course) during the long week between episodes of your favorite show.

“Okay, I am intrigued,” you might be thinking. “But what can I do when I am there.” I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED, LIZ LEMON. Let me give you a rundown:

Did you, god forbid, miss an episode of the show? Did your cable go out? Satellite dish caught in a storm? DVR screw the pooch? Tivo get its priorities messed up? Or do you just want to rewatch a favorite episode while you are waiting at jury duty or all sneaky-like at work? Well you can go to nbc.com and watch episodes, both full length and two-minute replays.

Do you have a slower internet connection or do the moving pictures on your computer screen frighten you? Well go check out the photo galleries with pictures from both season one and season two!

NBC exclusives! Still bored at work? Have a good wireless connection in your office? Watch Kenneth the Page’s plea to “Leave Katie Alone!”, watch the writers play Marry, Boff, or Kill, get some words of wisdom from Jack Donaghy, or watch some behind the scenes video.

Shopping! Friend or loved one have a birthday coming up? Give the gift of 30 Rock! DVDs! Tshirts! And rumor has it, there will be a Kenneth the Page bobblehead doll sometime soon!

You won’t be surprised to hear that my and Amy’s favorite part of the NBC site is “Ask Tina.” When we aren’t fighting bitterly over who Tina would like more (Tina! Pick me! I make awesome guacamole!) we are watching her answer questions from viewers at the Ask Tina! site. Our favorite is the one where she says that Jack McBrayer is technically a dwarf.

So that’s just a bit of what you can find on the NBC 30 Rock site. Be sure to check it out today! But then be sure to come back here, for your daily dose of Tina Fey adoration!

The Office also has a great site on NBC.com!

30 Rock, Tina Fey, NBC, NBC.com, Jack McBrayer