Watching 30 Rock

I’m not really surprised that Alec Baldwin is a friend of the gays. He’s pretty liberal, he’s on a show 30 Rock that is pretty gay-positive, and he just seems like an awesome guy. But I was surprised to hear that his brother, Stephen Baldwin, is pretty anti-gay. Stephen! What the hell? You’re in show business (uh, sorta) for goodness sake. Stephen apparently called into the Howard Stern show with the following comments:

“I don’t believe that gay marriage is in line with God’s Word, which is found in the Bible. So, what I think doesn’t matter; what I believe is what’s in the Bible and the Bible says that gay marriage is not acceptable.”

And Alec has fired back with the following:

“Well, in the modern political world, people like that — whether or not I’m related to them — only help us raise money. They want to ban gay marriage because those people are incapable of having a biological family — that’s their only argument. You can ban gay marriage, but if you’re going to make it fair, then you have to ban marriage for everybody else who won’t produce children. But they just single out groups of people that they hate.”

Stephen Baldwin is currently a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. C’mon, Trump, isn’t it time to fire him?

Alec Baldwin, Stephen Baldwin, Donald Trump, Celebrity Apprentice

Yay! The Writer’s Strike is finally over and we all can get back to sitting on the couch watch our favorite shows as opposed to sitting on the couch watching crappy, hastily thrown together reality shows and weird stuff on cable. Hey, what was I supposed to do? Read? (Just kidding, in case any of my literature professors happen to be reading this.)

The New York Times is reporting that the first new show back on the air is likely to be Saturday Night Live which will return February 23rd, with our girl Tina Fey as host. Following on March 1st as host will be Juno star and Academy Award nominee, Ellen Page.

30 Rock will return on April 10th, with five additional episodes. Only five? I don’ want to be complainy, because I am happy to get anything at this point, but really, only five? Entertainment Weekly has some hints to spill about possible plots, apparently straight from an email from one Tina Fey: “Liz has a pregnancy scare” (Go Liz! Get some already!) and “Jack may be called to serve his country.”

There is some hope that more than five episodes may be shot, but Alec Baldwin is scheduled to begin work on a new movie at the beginning of March. The film is called My Sisters Keeper and costars Abigail Breslin and Cameron Freakin Diaz. Jeez, Alec Baldwin, isn’t NBC paying you enough? Why you doing a movie with Cameron “I Used to Do it With Justin Timberlake” Diaz? You know you’re going to have to put up with Drew Barrymore on the set every day and the fact that she and Cameron will constantly be raiding the craft services table with their daily attack of the munchies. Better hide some donuts in your trailer.

Sorry, got off track there. What I meant to say is that the strike is over, 30 Rock will be back on your TV soon, Tina Fey will be there even sooner, and Alec Baldwin is making a probably crappy movie. Back to business as usual!

30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Tina Fey, Ellen Page, Alec Baldwin

So tonight, Amy is liveblogging the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for our sister site, Trashy Celebs. And since our hero Tina Fey is presenting the first award (and showing off her bare right shoulder — pretty racy there, Tina Fey!) with Steve Carrell, I thought I’d pop over here and tell you about any of the 30 Rock angles to the event. Fey and Carrell are presenting Best Actor in a Drama Series, which must be a bit awkward because you know they will be making jokes and those serious, serious actors will just be all “shut up, so I can be pretentious!” Oh, James Gandolfini won! And he gave Tina Fey a peck on the cheek and totally did not order a hit on her. That’s a relief!

Other, more obvious 30 Rock connections to the SAG Awards:

Tina Fey, nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (along with Christina Applegate, America Ferrera, Mary-Louise Parker, and Vanessa Williams.) Guess what? TINA FEY WON HELLS YES! She thanked the SAG for “considering her an actor at all” and then she thanked Alec Baldwin, comparing doing scenes with him to “Fred Astaire dancing with a hat rack.” Funny and humble, even after winning. And thanking SAG for supporting the Writers Guild, because she is selfless and giving.

(See that NBC, you bitches? She won. WON! And I have been hearing too many rumors suggesting that with the writers strike and all, 30 Rock might get cancelled. DO NOT DO THAT YOU WILL BREAK MY HEART.)
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Well since production on 30 Rock is shut down for the flippin’ flargin’ flurgin’ writer’s strike, Alec Baldwin has had some free time on his hands. So what better way to kill and afternoon that to go down to the set of Celebrity Apprentice and give his little brother, Stephen Baldwin, a hard time? I know harassing my little sister is one of my favorite ways to spend my days off. (Love ya, B! You complete me!)

I love how he basically is saying that is brother is full of shit but he’s gonna come down there and support him anyway. In fact, I bet even if Alec was contractually obligated to go make an appearance on Celebrity Apprentice he wouldn’t have cared, because, who would pass up the opportunity to be sarcastic about another show on your network AND hang out with your brother AND probably smoke one of Donald Trump’s cigars and make fun of his weave behind his back. I mean, really!

One show I am fairly sure we won’t be seeing Alec Baldwin make a guest appearance on is Celebrity Rehab, featuring another Baldwin brother, Daniel. Daniel has the only slightly more humiliating position of airing all his dirty laundry to Dr. Drew on VH-1 along with other washed up has-beens and never-will-bes. (Seriously, they get bigger stars on Celebrity Fit Club - pun not intended.) I mean talking about your rock bottom moments with drug addiction and alcoholism MUST be more humiliating than being berated by Donald Trump on national television for charity, right?

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, Celebrity Apprentice, Donald Trump, Stephen Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Celebrity Rehab, VH-1

Thanks to someone on You tube, here’s the entire season of the fictional 10-second sitcom mentioned by Alec Baldwin in “Fireworks.”

I have a really short attention span especially when it comes to working. But this could be my in to network internet television. I could totally come up with a whole series arc for Makin’ it Happen all in the time it takes to order some thai food. But in the time it’s taken to think that I lost interest and decided to go play Wii.

Makin’ it Happen, Thai Food, Nintendo Wii, Alec Baldwin

Dear Tina Fey,

Congratulations, Tina Fey, on winning the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. You know how excited we are for you here at Watching 30 Rock both as bloggers who write a site about your show and also as big fans of both the show, you, and all your other work. We are so happy for you! Finally getting the recognition you deserve as an amazing comedic actress.

We were really, really bummed however, that the SHOW didn’t win the Golden Globe this year, losing to HBO’s Extras which I must admit I have never seen, even though I dig Ricky Gervais. Do you watch that show, Tina Fey? Do you watch any of the other shows nominated in your category? (Californication, Pushing Daisies, Entourage). If you do watch them, do you watch them because you like them or did you just start watching after the nominations so you could check out the competition? It’s okay, Tina Fey, you can tell me. We were also really bummed that Alec Baldwin didn’t win in his category, because he is just getting funnier and funnier with every episode, much like the show itself. And he did do an excellent job finishing his muffin. Please tell him that from us.

So I have another question for you, Tina Fey. Did you even bother watching the pseudo-Golden Globes broadcast tonight, with the douchey hosts from Access Hollywood just standing there telling us who won and offering their “commentary” like we even care what they think. What a joke. I mean, awards shows are always too long and have stupid jokes and boring moments and the occasional pompous speech, but dammit, that is why we watch them! To see who shows up in a stupid dress or drunk or who didn’t bother to comb their hair. I’m sure that is at least part of the reason you like to go too!

So congratulations, Tina Fey. We would totally like to see your Golden Globes some time and I totally don’t mean that in a dirty way.

Stay righteous, Tina Fey.

Lori

Tina Fey, 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Golden Globes

Or maybe Entertainment Weekly is just thinking back fondly to those innocent times when we were all to naive to think such a thing as a writer’s strike could happen. Ahh, mid September how we miss you so.

Anyway, EW has named 30 Rock the very best show of 2007, can’t say we disagree with ya there but we do love slumin’ with A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila (don’t tell our moms). Here’s what they say:

Tina Fey’s Emmy-winning sitcom earns every guffaw with its left-brain/right-brain zigzags. It’s incisive but squirrelly, satiric but joyfully goofy. In this second season, Fey feels genuine, bright, and occasionally nutty, but with enough sense to remark on her own madness. Tracy Morgan continues to perfect his blank-eyed craziness as an overindulged, posse-pampered comedian. And as purry, synergy-obsessed executive Jack Donaghy, Alec Baldwin is flawless, combining bone-deep insecurity with sky-high megalomania. Smart, playful, weird, and occasionally quite sweet, 30 Rock isn’t just the best comedy on TV this year, it’s simply the best TV.

There is a bit more to their love-fest but to read it we’d have to actually purchase Entertainment Weekly and we’re feeling a bit tight after blowing a bunch of cash on holiday essentials like more games where we can fake-murder stuff and Ugg boots for our pets.

So you may be thinking “wow that’s a whole lot of love that one mind-candy of a mag could be spraying on our little show”, but no, it doesn’t end there. They’ve also named Alec Baldwin in their 25 Greatest Performances of the Year article.

The episode that particularly caught their eye is from October 25th in the Rosemary’s Baby episode. As you may recall, this episode featured Carrie Fisher as a Liz Lemon’s strung out idol but what was a highlight was Jack reenacting Tracy’s childhood for a therapist in hopes of ridding him of his dog fighting dreams (and who doesn’t have those?)

Channeling Tracy’s dad via Redd Foxx, Jack explains why he left Tracy: ”I was young and confused, and your moms didn’t want me around no more. Now, pass me them damn collard greens!” Classic! The little act also featured a bit of Good Times, with a hint of Chico and the Man maybe? Something like that.

Anyway, we agree with all your 30 Rock praise EW. Maybe with a little love and a lot of other crappy shows on TV we can get people to tune in.

Chico and the Man, Alec Baldwin, Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock. Entertainment Weekly

The Golden Globe nominations were announced last week and to our great delight, 30 Rock received three nominations: for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy; Best Performance by an Actress In a Television Series, Musical or Comedy (Tina Fey, of course), and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy (Alec Baldwin, well duh.) Awese! And what did Tina Fey apparently say upon hearing about her nomination?

I am excited and very grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press, and I look forward to being the least glamorous person at the Golden Globe Awards.

Aw, Tina! You know your fans don’t expect you to be glamorous. I dare say that we might be a little disappointed if you went glamorous on us. We expect you to be funky and cool and funny and awesome and, yes, hot. Which you are, every time we see you on TV.

In other Golden Globe/30 Rock news, Alec Baldwin is offering to save the broadcast in the light of the current writer’s strike. See, as long as the writer’s strike is still in full swing, there is no one to write the oh so funny jokes we typically see in award show broadcasts. And with the writer’s strike, there is definitely no chance that someone will finally write some damn funny jokes for the first time in the history of awards shows. So this doesn’t leave much for the actual awards show television airing — just handing out the awards would get boring after a while, I guess. But Alec Baldwin is saving the day by offering to host the awards in his Manhattan apartment:

(From the Huffington Post)

Barring any imminent settlement of the WGA strike, the 2007 Golden Globe Awards will be held at my apartment on the Westside of Manhattan this year. I have cleared all of this with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The HFPA makes only one simple request and that is that you pre-order your meal selection NO LATER than Friday, January 4th, 2008.

The choices are as follows:

1) Tuna Salad, whitefish salad or egg salad (choice of one)

2) Ham, turkey, bologna, swiss cheese (choice of two)

3) Potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw (choice of two)

4) Pickles, relish, mustard, mayo, rye bread…all complimentary.

5) Beverages are as follows: Liter of red or white wine or 6 (six) cold bottles of Amstel (promotional) complimentary.

All other cocktails will be cash bar. (Sprite, Coke, Strawberry YooHoo and Diet Peach Snapple are complimentary)

Please e-mail your food order and e-mail your clip for the show to: TheglobesareatAlecs@AlecBaldwin.com

A quick Red Carpet, hosted by Radioman, will be held at the parking lot of Tavern on the Green before we are all shuttled to my apartment building. ‘Round…5:30-ish? Sound okay?

Looking forward to seeing you all on January 13th at my place.

What? A cash bar? Who would have thought Alec Baldwin would be so cheap. Although maybe celebrities are just as bad as college students when it comes to sucking up free liquor. (I remember my grad school days when a bunch of my fellow classmates got kicked out of a professor’s party after her husband caught them getting into his good vodka. I was never I vodka drinker.) But I will say that six cold bottles of Amstel Light sounds pretty good. I just hope the whole thing gets filmed for a Very Special Episode of MTV’s Cribs.

30 Rock, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Golden Globes

Dear Tina Fey,

How are you doing Tina Fey? Sorry we haven’t written in a while. Do you miss us, Tina Fey? Because we are writing to tell you how much we will miss you once the new episodes of 30 Rock have all been shown and there are no more to show because of the writers strike. We will miss you a lot, Tina Fey.

I know this must be a hard time for you, Tina Fey, with the strike and all. I’m sure you are torn between wanting what is best for your writers, yet also not wanting your show to be off the air too long. We know that November its sweeps month, so it’s important that good, funny, quality shows get aired and get good ratings. Yet I know how much you support your writers. We do to, Tina Fey! In fact, in a parallel universe, we like to believe that WE are a couple of your writers!
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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

Even casual viewers of Saturday Night Live know just how funny Alec Baldwin can be. (In fact, he is one of only two actors with a standing invitation to host SNL each season — the other being Christopher Walken.) His delivery of his lines and his sense of comic timing are part of what make the show so great. That and his terrific chemistry with most of the other actors on the show …. especially Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan.

NBC ever so kindly put together a video of some of Baldwin’s “greatest moments.” Personally, I don’t think this even comes close to some of the best, but it’s a good place to start if you are still trying to get a feel for the character and for Baldwin’s method of playing him. (Well, I can’t tell what his method really is, beyond: Be Funny.)

Those of us who follow 30 Rock news even during the show’s hiatus had a bit of a scare last spring when Baldwin apparently asked to be released from his contract with the show during a brief scandal when an angry voice mail he left for his daughter was released to the gossip site TMZ. He apparently asked to be released so his problem would not affect the show and so that he could “devote [him]self to the cause of parental alienation.” And while I certainly couldn’t begrudge him quitting if he wanted to spend more time with his daughter, I certainly can’t imagine the show without him as Jack Donaghy.

In a future entry, more about the character of Jack Donaghy, who always wears a tuxedo after 6pm, dated Condoleezza Rice, and named his fists after St. Patrick and St. Michael!

Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, Christopher Walken