'30 Rock': 'The Cosby Show' was a lie!

Family values were front and center on this week's episode of "30 Rock," though probably not in a way that would please Newt Gingrich. This week, Jack and Tracy were brought together by their mutual desire for vasectomies. Warms your heart, doesn’t it?  Though their goal was similar, their motivations were different. Jack was freaked out by Don Geiss’ family struggles and decided he didn’t want to risk the same heartache. Plus he’s got everything he wants -- including a walk-in humidor -- so why would he possibly want kids? 

Meanwhile, Tracy was frustrated by the fact that he couldn’t share a filthy strip-club-related story with Jack, because Tracy Jr., at the TGS studio as part of Take Your Black Kid to Work Day, was in earshot. “ 'The Cosby Show' was a lie!” he yells in protest. Tracy consults with Dr. Spaceman and almost goes through with the procedure, but under anesthesia he has a hallucination. He’s Bll Cosby and Tracy Jr. is Theo, but their beautiful Brooklyn brownstone is an utter pigsty. Why? There’s no Rudy or Vanessa around. No, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but seeing Tracy Morgan in a Coogi sweater was all that mattered to this viewer. That, and hearing him say, “I need a baby girl. Don’t snip my vas deferens!"  It also reminded me a little bit of this episode, which will remain burned in my brain forever.

Has NBC produced a page-a-day calendar of Jack Donaghy quotes yet? Because if there isn’t one, there should be.  (Jeff Zucker, you can thank me later.) Case in point: Elsewhere in this episode, Liz was in a quandary about her apartment. With her building being converted to condos, she has to either buy her place or face huge rent increases. Jack, as he always does, provided some sage advice: “With Manhattan real estate, there are no rules. It’s like check-in at an Italian airport.” Too true, Jack, too true.

Liz takes the advice to heart, employing increasingly drastic measures to try to score the apartment of her dreams -- that of her upstairs neighbor, gay hipster cop Brian. First she decides to move in with him, then plots to drive him out of the apartment by acting crazy. The only problem? Brian is unbelievably tolerant.  He even has a “This is what a feminist looks like" T-shirt, and what’s more tolerant than that? So Liz’s antics leave him totally unfazed; in fact, he seems to thrive on them. As Jenna says, “Drama is like gay man Gatorade, it replenishes their electrolytes.” I am not a gay man (that I know of), but I for one did enjoy her smeared-mascara look. Liz eventually resorts to the lowest trick of all in order to run her roommate outta town. Following Frank’s lead, she pees in a vase (more on this later). She might not have her dignity, but Liz will have her duplex after all.

'30 Rock': When Jack met Padma

Are Liz and Jack the new Pam and Jim? The friendship between these two has always been platonic, but sometimes, I wonder (or maybe even dream about) what might happen if they drank a little too much eggnog at the NBC Christmas party. Cold as he may be, Jack is nothing if not devoted to his beloved Lemon. Over dinner, he even moved a candle out of Liz's way, knowing she'd dive into a piece of cake and set her sleeve on fire. It was reminiscent of the famous "Watch out for that glass" from "Say Anything" (or at least it was to me). This week, my curiosity was piqued even more: Even when Padma Lakshmi, almost every man's top "celebrity freebie" pick rolled into town, Jack only had eyes for Liz.

However, the same might not be said for Liz, whose loyalty to Jack is easily tested with a little push from Tracy and Jenna. With her book "Dealbreakers" a sort-of bestseller (Number 14 on the nonfiction list!), Liz wants to shop around for the best deal for a talk show. Jack won't take it lying down, and he claims the rights to the show, even offering a hosting gig to the luscious Ms. Lakshmi. I was looking forward to Padma's appearance on the show, but her scene fell a little flat. The running gag was that, being drop-dead gorgeous, she doesn't have to try too hard. But didn't they use this joke last season with Jon Hamm? Padma, keep Liz Lemon (and the rest of us) happy, and don't quit your day job.

'30 Rock': Don't let the bed bugs bite!

All is right with the world.  After the loathsome Jeff Dunham appeared on last week’s episode, I was a little worried about "30 Rock."  Metaphorically speaking, it had glassy eyes, clammy hands and a little bit of a fever.  But this week, my favorite show was back to its rosy-cheeked self. Instead of a possibly racist puppeteer, we had a guest appearance by Brian Williams, whom I believe might be the funniest network news anchor ever (take that, Connie Chung!) if his appearances on “The Daily Show” are any indication.

This week was relatively low on the meta-scale, which felt a little refreshing after a series of increasingly self-reflexive episodes.  The main plot concerned auditions for a new TGS cast member. Liz and Pete had their favorite, an actor with the hilariously boy band-ish name of Jayden Michael Tyler.  In order to ensure that he’d get the part, Liz and Pete applied what they call the “Horberger Method,” intentionally stacking the deck full of dreadful competition — my favorite being a female comic wearing a bolo tie — so that he looks even better by comparison. Meanwhile, Jenna and Tracy set out on their own journey to find a new cast member.  Miracle of miracles, Jenna even had a few very funny lines — like her reference to a “disaster” named Katrina, who turned out to be a terrible hair and makeup artist, or when she said that she’d been brought into auditions to make Kim Cattrall seem grounded and human.

While everyone else was on the lookout for new talent, Jack had his own mission: A quest for acceptance.  With a nasty case of bed bugs (otherwise known as "chew daddies" or "Mugabe's concubines"), Jack is rejected by everyone at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.  He’s even banned from riding his company car, and must resort to taking the subway.  We see him on board the subway (a real one, I might add), begging for mercy from strangers.  I only wish I had been on the F train that day.  Sigh.  By the end of the episode, he’s feeling so dejected that when a robot mime reaches out and shakes his hand, making him feel like a human again, Jack insists that Liz hire him for the show.  (Broadway nerds, help me out: Was the robot just Cheyenne Jackson in silver makeup?)  It was Jack's very own version of "A Christmas Carol," and dare I say it, it was almost touching.  On “30 Rock,” it’s all relative.

From 'General Hospital' to prime time: James Franco to guest star on '30 Rock'

Tuesday, we got our first look at James Franco on "General Hospital." His guest-starring stint -- specifics of the daytime role remain unknown -- hits the air Nov. 20.

Today, Entertainment Weekly reports that the "Pineapple Express" star will appear on "30 Rock" as himself in a story line involving a staged PR-baiting romance with Jane Krakowski's Jenna. 

He's no David Hasselhoff, but maybe Franco can get Germans, who apparently don't find Tina Fey too funny, to tune in.

Correction: A previous version of this post stated that the air date for Franco's appearance would be on the 30th. It has been corrected.

-- Meredith Blake

Photo: James Franco on "General Hospital." Credit: ABC

'30 Rock': Master of Puppets

There’s at least one positive thing I can say about last night’s “30 Rock”:  Larry the Cable Guy didn't show up. In this week's disappointing episode, Liz and Jack went on a road trip to Kenneth’s hometown—Stone Mountain, Ga.—to find out what “real Americans” find funny. They head to a local comedy club, where “Rick Wayne” (played by the real-life puppeteer and Comedy Central star Jeff Dunham) is performing.  His insult-slinging puppet quickly shatters all Jack’s illusions of the kindness and simplicity of middle America.

Now, before I continue, a confession: Even though he’s got the biggest video ever on YouTube, I had no idea who Jeff Dunham was until two weeks ago, when a (completely aghast) friend sent me a clip of his “Achmed the Dead Terrorist” bit from Jay Leno. Call me a coastal elite, but I was in shock that this guy was on national TV.  He’s offensive, to be sure, but what’s worse was that he just struck me as painfully unfunny.  I’ve always assumed that everyone hates clowns, mimes and puppets, but I guess not.  Maybe even more so than politics, evolution or "pop" versus "soda,"  there’s a divide in this country between what people think is funny.  What’s that all about?

So it was a bummer last night when he showed up on my beloved “30 Rock,” the least funny part of a sub-par episode. I couldn’t help but wonder if his inclusion was the result of pressure at NBC.  Did they force Dunham on the show for a momentary blip in the ratings? Or was this just another super self-aware joke about the state of the comedy world from the “30 Rock” writing team? In any case, it seems like all the jokes about the “real America” are getting a little tired. “30 Rock” should embrace what it is, and stop worrying about what it isn’t.

Elsewhere on last night’s episode, Tracy was in a panic, convinced that he would be the next celebrity to die after two others bite the bullet. They always die in threes, as everyone knows, so Tracy tries to kill (in his own hilarious, non-threatening way) Betty White and Jimmy Fallon.  Meanwhile, Jenna makes obvious attempts to ingratiate herself to the writing staff, who in turn are trying to find out where all the slutty, drunk girls hang out on Halloween.  The answer: with the gays.

All in all, I thought it was a letdown of an episode.  But on the bright side, it looks like everyone’s favorite “Top Chef” host and literary ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi , will be guest-starring in a few weeks.  It might just be enough to make me forget the whole Jeff Dunham thing.

What did you think of this episode?  Am I overreacting, or was it pretty lame? Do you think Jeff Dunham is funny?

Best Joke:  The first celebrity that Tracy tries to off is Betty White, but she’s wise to his scheming. “Is this a ‘rule of three’ call?”  She’s also reading Jimmy Carter.  Love her.

Nerdiest Reference:  I can’t be sure, but I think Cerie’s Halloween costume—“I’m a Italian senator”—was a Berlusconi joke.  Can someone please explain?

Most Meta Moment:  Kenneth says “He died doing what he loved: blogging on the Huffington Post.”  Alec Baldwin is a prolific blogger.

Meanest Thing Jack Said to Liz:  “Good god Lemon, your breath.  When did you find time to eat a diaper you found on the beach?”

--Meredith Blake

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Photo: Kenneth gets into the Halloween spirit, but keeps his tie on.

Credit: NBC

'30 Rock': The Odd Couple

To all those haters who say “30 Rock” is losing its touch, I say “poppycock!”  Thursday night’s episode was proof that the show is as zippy as ever.

This week, the men of New York City had a serious bone to pick with Liz Lemon.  Her new dating manual, “Dealbreakers,” just hit stores, advising women to dump men for any number of infractions — including working a job which requires a name tag, which provokes the ire of a Borders employee.  Of course, Liz’s mostly male colleagues are also affected by the book, none more so than Tracy, whose wife has kicked him out of the house as a result of his deal-breaking ways. In the episode’s best line, he complains, “A book hasn’t caused me this much trouble since ‘Where’s Waldo?’ went to that barber pole factory.” 

Tracy moves in with Liz, figuring she caused all his problems in the first place. Tracy shows up at her front door with a reef shark writhing in a garbage bag -- but even more frightening is his rage.  He’s determined to make Liz’s life a living hell, and he does a pretty good job of it, adopting a horde of puppies and running up Liz’s cable bill with his “predilection for erotica.” I wouldn’t mind seeing a whole season with these two as roommates.  Or how about a spinoff — a revamped “Odd Couple”?  (Speaking of odd couples, I urge all you Tracy Morgan fans to listen to this tear-filled interview with NPR’s Terry Gross. You will not be sorry.)

'30 Rock': It's back!

At last!  After a far-too-long hiatus, “30 Rock” finally returned last night. And if the season premiere wasn’t the funniest episode ever, it was nevertheless solid.

There seems to be a mini-backlash brewing against the three-time Emmy winner, with people saying the show is too insider-y for its own good.  Personally, I think the criticism is a little off.  Sure, "30 Rock" is a show about showbiz, but I’ve always thought of it more as a live-action “Simpsons,” with its cartoonish characters, comic asides and relentless nerdy allusions. 

Back to tonight’s episode....  In the opening minutes, Jack Donaghy threw down the gauntlet to Tracy, Jenna and Liz.  Struggling in the ratings, "TGS" would have to make some serious efforts to appeal to the “real America.”  Of course, Liz is skeptical of this very concept, but Jack helps clarify things: “We’ll trick those race car-loving wideloads into loving your, watching your lefty homoerotic propaganda hour yet.” 

Ouch.

Jenna is all too happy to comply and decides to "go country," recording a cheesy anthem for NBC Sports.  It’s kind of funny, but Jenna has never been my favorite part of the show. Jane Krakowski strikes me as too actress-y, even for an actress playing a very actress-y actress.  Meanwhile, Liz and Pete are secretly on the hunt for a new cast member, one who might widen the show’s limited appeal to anyone outside New York City.  (Will Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson take this role, as rumors suggest?)  With his jokes about eating lobster in St. Bart’s falling flat, Tracy decides he needs to get back to his roots. To that end, he tries to befriend a maintenance guy who lives in Brooklyn, but it goes wrong when he asks “My dear friend Moby just opened a tea house in Park Slope.  Do you know him?” It’s hilarious, but I have to admit it’s not exactly a joke that everyone will get — or think is funny. (But can't we all celebrate the fact that Tracy Morgan has finally joined Twitter?)  Finally, good old Kenneth Parcell decides to go on strike when he finds out that Jack is collecting a fat bonus while denying overtime to the pages. Jack quickly realizes that the company can’t run without the pages, and he agrees to Kenneth’s extremely modest demands — writing “I am a big old liar” on a piece of paper.

Even for “30 Rock,” this episode was very meta, which seems to be comedy’s default setting these days — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has taken the self-reflexive trick to mind-bending levels this season. Sometimes it feels like these shows are in danger of eating their own tails, but to me, that’s part of the fun. Comedians are a self-conscious lot, and they always tend to make shows about themselves — hello, “Everybody Loves Raymond” — it’s just a matter of what kind of comedy you prefer. Do you want your comedians pretending to be an average Joe, or do you prefer a fictionalized themselves, in all their neurotic glory, a la Larry David or Liz Lemon?  I know what I prefer.

One last thing — did anyone else catch the weird “Responsibility Project” ad with Jack McBrayer?  Did anyone else think he was in character the whole time?

What did you think?  Is "30 Rock" really too insider-y? And should that even matter as long as it's funny? 

-- Meredith Blake

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Photo: Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) sticks it to the man, politely 

Credit: Ali Goldstein

'Curb Your Enthusiasm': Getting rid of Loretta

Question: What sort of man would try to leave his girlfriend before she receives news of a cancer diagnosis? 

Answer: Larry David. 

In the Season 7 opener of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Larry attempted to do just that, dashing across town in a literal drag race with a doctor who had some life-changing news for Larry’s girlfriend, Loretta Black (Vivica A. Fox).  

It was a fittingly selfish moment for Larry, one that was as hysterical as it was self-absorbed. His fear is that, if Loretta does have cancer, it will be even harder to break up with her, as only an inhuman monster would dump someone stricken with a major illness. 

But, ahem, he’s not above dumping Loretta seconds before she receives such a diagnosis. His rationale: As bad as things are now (having to make her soup and keep the house at a balmy 82 degrees), they’ll only be worse if she has cancer.  

But first, there was the dinner party from hell.

Body dysmorphic disorder, '30 Rock' style

One of the greatest puzzles of "30 Rock" is the fact that Tina Fey plays a frumpy, unattractive character on the show. After all, Fey is glamorous and petite in real life, not to mention impossibly successful; an ideal role model for any young woman. She is, as they say, the whole package; or, as Jack Donaghy might say, "the one."

And yet so often on the show, Fey's character, Liz Lemon, is shot down by the people around her; laughed at even. And nowhere this season have the tongue lashings been quite as brutal as they were in Thursday's episode. It starts in the jewelry showroom, where Jack is picking out an engagement ring for sexy Salma Hayek's character, Elisa. The jeweler, mistaking Liz for Jack's fiancee, announces, "she's very spirited. Like a show horse." Jack quickly -- urgently even -- clears up the misconception by showing the jeweler a photo of Elisa. The jeweler is relieved: "Please follow me to the real showroom," he says. Thus, in the opening minutes of the show, Liz is deemed unfit to have a "real" engagement ring, the assumed symbol of feminine worth in a man's world.

Liz's worth as a female is called into question again in a scene with Elisa. Elisa confesses she has a secret, and Liz guesses that she is really a man. "Really? That's your guess? A man?" Presses Elisa: "You want to see me naked?"

"Sort of," replies Liz, in awe of Elisa's voluptuous body. Liz's curiosity in this moment is not necessarily sexual, but rather the prepubescent curiosity of a girl who is not yet a woman, in awe of one who is.

Things go to the next level when Elisa kisses Liz full on the mouth, and Liz acknowledges that she can see why Jack likes Elisa.  In this exchange, Liz has gone from admiring Elisa's beauty to admiring her sexual prowess. And being at least mildly aroused by it.  

'30 Rock': The unstressed life is not worth living

There were three very funny plot lines crisscrossing on Thursday's episode of "30 Rock," but by far the most poignant was the Liz Lemon line, which raised the complex and provocative question, "Does work make life worthwhile?"

After a misunderstanding landed Liz in sexual harassment training last week, she was forced to stay away from the TGS offices this week, until she had completed the seminar. Away from the studio for the first time in years, Liz finds herself wholly at a loss for what to do next. And so, she lurks in her apartment lobby, bothering the doormen.

That's when she meets her neighbor, Emily, who informs Liz that their building has a gym, and even better, a vending machine! Slowly, a whole world opens up to Liz; the world outside TGS. Throughout the series, Liz's lack of friends has been a running joke -- remember when the cab driver who held Liz's phone hostage revealed that all her contacts were coworkers? -- but in this episode, Liz finally gets to make her first group of female friends. Women she actually sees socially, for -- ya know -- girl activities. And it's exhilarating.