Tag: 30 Rock (31-40 of 255)

Oct 4 2012 02:32 PM ET

Every awful 'TGS' sketch on '30 Rock,' all in one handy supercut -- VIDEO

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“Gaybraham Lincoln.”  “Who Wants to Eat a Dictionary.” A Blaffair to Rememblack, technically a movie starring Tracy Jordan but so funny we’ll let it slide. These are the hacky, wacky sketches that have populated TGS with Tracy Jordan — also know as 30 Rock‘s show-within-a-show — for the past six seasons.

Part of 30 Rock‘s genius is how rarely it shows us the sketch series that’s ostensibly at its center. Very early on, creator Tina Fey realized that watching an actual five-minute “Fart Doctor” sketch would be torture. Hearing a character mention “Fart Doctor” before quickly moving on to something else is a much better strategy; this way, Fey and her writers don’t have to worry about trying to pen both side-splitting sketches and a side-splitting workplace comedy. (If only Aaron Sorkin had done the same thing.)

TGS itself isn’t nearly as funny as the antics of TGS‘s cast and creative team — in fact, judged solely by the following supercut, TGS might be one of the dumbest comedy shows ever created. But in small doses, there’s an idiotic brilliance to it. See for yourself with this video, courtesy of Jest — and don’t forget to tune in for the show’s last season premiere tonight on NBC.

READ FULL STORY »

Sep 30 2012 03:53 PM ET

PopWatch Planner: 'Homeland' is back! Plus '30 Rock,' 'Steel Magnolias,' and more

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The opening days of fall TV season are always exciting — catching up with our favorites from last season and discovering new must-see gems. If last week was any indication, our DVRs are going to be overloaded for the next few months. This week brings new episodes of the Showtime hit Homeland, a music fest to rock out to in your living room, a groundbreaking PBS documentary, James Bond himself on SNL, and the well-cast all-black rendition of Steel Magnolias on Lifetime. Have a great week!

SUNDAY
Homeland, Showtime 10 p.m.

FINALLY. If you’re as excited as we are about the return of the freshly Emmy-crowned Homeland, get ready for tonight’s premiere. We left off with Brody, the POW-turned-traitor/vigilante nearly blowing up the vice president and Carrie seeking electric-shock treatment for bipolar disorder. Will Carrie’s suspicions about Brody be proven in season 2?

MONDAY
iHeartRadio music festival, CW, 8 p.m.

The Las Vegas pop-music fest to end all pop-music fests, which was held in Sin City Sept. 21-22, will be broadcast as the CW’s kickoff to the fall TV season. The concert featured antics from guitar-smashing by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong to Flavor Flav mixing up Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani, plus performances by No Doubt, Usher, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and many more.

TUESDAY
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide , PBS, 9 p.m.

The second half of PBS’ groundbreaking four-hour documentary follows the authors of Half the Sky, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn, around the world exploring women and oppression through stories of hope and success. Hollywood stars including Meg Ryan, America Ferrera, Diane Lane, and Eva Mendes joined the authors on their journey and the result is this film, accompanied by a social-media effort and educational programs.

WEDNESDAY
First Presidential Debate, all major networks, 9 p.m.

President Barack Obama will face off against Republican candidate Mitt Romney at the University of Denver. PBS’ Jim Lehrer will moderate, asking questions that will focus on domestic policy. Expect more than a few zingers from both sides on hot-button issues like healthcare and immigration.

THURSDAY
30 Rock season premiere, NBC, 8 p.m.

30 Rock’s bittersweet seventh and final season starts with an episode titled “The Beginning of the End,” but don’t get nostalgic just yet — Liz and Jack haven’t lost an ounce of chemistry. Check out an exclusive clip from this week’s episode.

FRIDAY
Paperboy, Frankenweenie open in theaters

With this weekend’s success of Looper at the box office and a number of Oscar buzz-worthy movies on their way in the next month or so, things finally seem to be picking up for the studios. This week, check out the wacky, talked-about-for-one-certain-scene effort from Lee Daniels, Paperboy, starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. For the kids (and grown up ones), Tim Burton’s animated Frankenweenie also opens Friday.

SATURDAY
Saturday Night Live, NBC, 11:35 p.m.

Bond, James Bond is hosting SNL this week, so shake yourself a martini and settle in for a late night full of Brits, with Daniel Craig and musical guest Muse. Hot off their Olympics song and with a new album out this week, Muse is sure to rock the SNL set and Craig is only a little over a month away from the latest Bond release, Skyfall.

SUNDAY
Steel Magnolias, Lifetime, 9 p.m.

The 1989 weepie, which starred Julia Roberts, Sally Field, and Dolly Parton, among others, about the intertwining lives of six female friends in Louisiana gets a makeover on Lifetime this weekend with an all-African American cast, including Queen Latifa and Phylisha Rashad. The made-for-TV reboot is produced by Oscar broadcast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and directed by Kenny Leon.

Read more:
‘Homeland: Why Brody needs to be caught or killed in season 2
‘Paperboy’ trailer

Sep 26 2012 04:00 PM ET

Tina Fey: What's her best 'Saturday Night Live' moment?

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Image Credit: Dana Edelson/Getty Images

I know, I know, it’s almost an impossible question to answer. But we’re going to pose it anyway, in honor of EW’s latest cover girl. For simplicity’s sake, let’s limit the debate to skits and moments in which Tina Fey — who served as head writer on Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006 — starred.

One easy pick is “Mom Jeans,” a fake commercial lampooning that most beguiling element of female fashion. Aired in 2003, the skit brings in key ladies from Fey’s SNL cohort — Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Rachel Dratch — who proudly demonstrate the brand’s empowering message: ”I’m not a woman anymore — I’m a mom.”

“I saw ‘Mom Jeans’ recently — I passed it on VH1,” Fey tells EW before joking: ” The padding that I wore in ‘Mom Jeans’ has now come to life.” Take a look at the skit below: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 26 2012 02:00 PM ET

This Week's Cover: Tina Fey on her career in comedy and saying goodbye to '30 Rock'

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After seven seasons, 10 Emmys, and countless catchphrases — Blerg! I want to go to there! High-fiving a million angels! — 30 Rock will wrap up its illustrious and delightfully bizarre run early next year. To help us cope with the loss, we sat down with Rock‘s creator and star, Tina Fey, for a wide-ranging EW Interview. (Click here to buy the issue.) We arrived on set just in time to witness a scene from the third episode of the final season (which premieres October 4 at 8 p.m. on NBC), in which Fey’s Liz Lemon is appalled to learn a shocking secret about Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). Explains Fey, “I discover that Tracy Jordan has tweeted, “I agree @theRealStephenHawking. Women are just not funny — never have been, never will be. #plotpoint.” (We won’t ruin the outcome for you, but suffice it to say that the resolution involves Lemon dressed in a lab coat and declaring, “Don’t thank me — thank Roe v. Wade!”) READ FULL STORY »

Sep 13 2012 04:31 PM ET

Thursday night TV: 'Big Bang' or '30 Rock'?

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Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC

Thursday, traditionally primetime’s biggest night, won’t really get interesting until Oct. 4. By then, every network — minus The CW — will have premiered new episodes of its fall Thursday shows. As of tonight, though, only Fox is airing shiny new autumnal TV: CBS has comedy repeats and a new Big Brother, ABC’s showing summer series Wipeout and an old ep of Grey‘s, and NBC’s entire night has been turned over to the season finale of America’s Got Talent.

But in early October? By then, we’ll be four episodes into the fourth season of Glee, and all of NBC’s comedies will have returned. Meredith Grey will be sobbing all new sobs on ABC, and Lucy Liu will be steaming up screens as a sexy Dr. Watson on CBS’s Elementary. ‘Twill be a glorious time, my friends. A glorious time indeed.

So let’s fudge tonight’s TV Timeslot Wars poll by pretending that frabjous day is already upon us. When October rolls around, comedy lovers will be faced with a tough choice at 8 pm: The Big Bang Theory‘s nerds or 30 Rock‘s nerds? If you like one, there’s a good chance you also like the other — though you could always ditch both for extra Britney on The X Factor‘s results show.

Here’s the moment of truth — which show will you watch live? Let us know in the poll below.

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Aug 28 2012 04:00 PM ET

'30 Rock' tease: Is this Liz Lemon's plant -- er, baby? Five theories

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Did 30 Rock executive producer Jeff Burditt just give us our first glance at Planty in the flesh? We won’t know for sure until after 30 Rock‘s seventh season premieres in October — but this picture Burditt tweeted today seems to indicate that Liz Lemon and Criss Chros have procreated.

But knowing 30 Rock, there could be all sorts of other explanations for why Liz Lemon is holding a baby. Such as:

1. It’s a callback to Season 1′s ninth episode, “The Baby Show,” in which Liz accidentally steals a coworker’s bundle of joy.

2. Liz rescued the kid from Jenna, who was jealous of its soft skin.

READ FULL STORY »

Aug 28 2012 02:00 PM ET

Tracy Morgan on 'Centerstage': Drunken comic 'pooped in the kitty litter'

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Image Credit: Aby Baker/Getty Images

“Pooped in the kitty litter” sounds like a fun phrase that should mean something more than literally crapping in a box. Like, “Oh, man, Friday night was insane! Sully really pooped in the kitty litter at O’Grady’s!”

But when it comes to Tracy Morgan, “pooped in the kitty litter” is exactly what it sounds like. In a new episode of Centerstage on the YES Network that will air tomorrow night at 10 p.m. ET, he tells host Michael Kay that a particular night of hardcore partying in Hollywood reduced him to imitating the family feline and contributed to the breakup of his marriage. “One night, I came home and I was so drunk, I pooped in the kitty litter,” said Morgan, who has struggled with sobriety. “We had a cat named Snowball, [his ex-wife] said, ‘Who did this?!’ And I said, ‘Snowball! She did it!’ She said, ‘Snowball must be a mountain lion!’ And that was that, you know.” READ FULL STORY »

Aug 24 2012 06:00 PM ET

PopWatch Confessional: What's your ringtone?

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We’ve come a long way from the days of candybar phones pre-programmed with monophonic versions of “The Entertainer.” These days, anything can be a ringtone — which comes in handy when you’re as pop culture-obsessed as EW’s staff.

Assistant News Director Denise Warner has her phone play the Downton Abbey theme song whenever she gets a call; before that, her cell rang to the tune of Warren G’s “Regulate.” EW.com producer Nika Vagner uses Ryan Gosling reading “Hey girl” memes aloud as her ringtone. (And you can too!) My own ringtone isn’t particularly pop culture-y — it’s a snippet from a Guster song I’ve been using since I was 19 — but my mom programmed her own so that when I call her, it plays “Mambo” from West Side Story. This explains why I turned out the way I did.

So, what’s your own custom ringtone? Read how other EW staffers answered this question, then add your response in the comments. Bonus points for anyone who uses a Stefon quote; points deducted for anything including the word “trampire.”

READ FULL STORY »

Aug 23 2012 01:13 PM ET

Jonathan's coming back to '30 Rock'! Who else should return for the final season?

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Image Credit: NBC

Jack Donaghy’s office hasn’t been the same since Maulik Pancholy, the actor who played his sycophantic assistant Jonathan, left for supposedly greener pastures — i.e. a co-starring role on NBC’s Whitney. Thankfully, Whitney‘s retooling and 30 Rock‘s imminent final season have created a perfect storm: TV Guide says Pancholy is ditching Whitney Cummings in favor of Tina Fey, as anyone given a choice between the two would. Let’s celebrate by talking about ourselves all the time!

I’m not prepared to deal with the fact that 30 Rock will end in 2013. But the news about Jonathan also got me pondering which other supporting characters I’d like to see pop up again during the show’s last year. Popular recurring faces like Will Arnett’s devious Devon Banks, Chris Parnell’s loopy Dr. Spaceman, and Dean Winters’ skeevy Dennis Duffy are basically guaranteed to reappear — but what about the folks who make a big impact without being marquee names? Here’s who I’m talking about:

READ FULL STORY »

Jun 29 2012 09:00 AM ET

Love cover star Louis C.K.? Check out these up-and-coming comics

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Image Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/Getty Images

This week’s cover star Louis C.K. is often referred to as a comedian’s comedian, the kind of guy who considers the stand-up form sacred and takes his form and craft very seriously. In carving out his own personal area of the comedy world (one worth millions of dollars), he has not only cast himself as a singularity but also paved the way for a new wave of dynamic stand-ups who have thrived in today’s multi-platform environment mostly by tapping into their purest selves — just like Louis did.

So take a look at these five comics, all of whom seem ready to break out at a moment’s notice. You may not know them now… but you will. READ FULL STORY »

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