NBC Sitcom Pilot Review: 30 Rock - Premieres October 11th; Mini-DVD Review: Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Fourth Season (Oct. 17)

Saturday, October 07, 2006

NBC Sitcom Pilot Review: 30 Rock - Premieres October 11th; Mini-DVD Review: Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Fourth Season (Oct. 17)

30 Rock - Wednesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres October 11th at 8:00PM ET/PT

Emmy Award winner Tina Fey (NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," "Mean Girls") writes, executive-produces and stars as Liz Lemon in NBC’s "30 Rock," a workplace comedy where the workplace exists behind-the-scenes of a live variety show. The show is told through the comedic voice of Fey and features Alec Baldwin ("The Aviator,” “The Cooler” ) as Jack Donaghy, the brash new network executive who has turned the show upside down with his meddling ways.

The single Lemon is living every comedy writer's dream - head writer on a demanding, live TV program in New York City. Her life is jolted when Donaghy interferes with her show, and bullies Lemon into convincing Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan, "Saturday Night Live," "The Longest Yard") -- a wild and unpredictable movie star -- to join the cast. Now Lemon must manage the unmanageable so that the show -- and her dream -- can go on.

Also rounding out the cast in the half hour comedy are: Jane Krakowski ("Ally McBeal" as Jenna Maroney), Scott Adsit (“Kicking and Screaming” as Pete Hornberger,) the variety show’s producer, Jack McBrayer (“Arrested Development” as Kenneth the Page,) the over-eager NBC Page -- a highly sought-after entry level position with the network, and Rachel Dratch (“Saturday Night Live” in multiple roles).

"30 Rock" is executive produced by Lorne Michaels.

Cast: Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, Scott Adsit as Pete Hornberger, Jack McBrayer as Kenneth the Page, Rachel Dratch (various roles)

Read our review of the pilot episode here.

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

30 Rock Photo Gallery

Look for our review of the other new NBC sitcom, Twenty Good Years, on Monday.

And welcome to another edition of Saturday mini-DVD reviews! Today we take a look at Sony Picture Home Entertainment's Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Fourth Season. The classic '70s series comes to an end on DVD in this final season. See skees53's mini-DVD review of Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Fourth Season.

Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Fourth Season (Sony, $49.95) contains all 22 episodes of the final season of the classic detective action-drama on a five disc set. Starsky and Hutch were the two coolest detectives of the 1970s cruising around their fictional city (Was it Los Angeles? We'll never know!) in their ever-so-famous Ford Gran Torino getting the scum off of the street, one episode at a time. The fourth season includes the duo getting involved in cases of rape, moonshiners, contract killers, counterfeiting (by Starsky's own brother???), and possibly even the duo going into voluntary retirement. And for the loyal fans of Starsky & Hutch, the season also includes what may be the most infamous episode of the show: "Dandruff," where Starsky and Hutch go undercover as hairdressers to catch a diamond thief. Clearly the writers were running out of stories! Sadly, Sony has skimped on the special features once again for this season, but it should come as a relief to consumers that the episodes in the set all appear to be unedited and that the video and audio quality is superb, perhaps even better than the quality from previous releases. The set is packaged in a very thick five-panel digipak with five episodes on each disc, except for Disc 5 which contains only two episodes. Even though this was obviously not the best season of Starsky & Hutch, this is still a great DVD set with some good episodes!
-- Reviewed by skees53

(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Starsky & Hutch TV.com Page

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, December 26

Happy's Place - "Promises, Promises" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Emmett continues his nightly check-ins with Bobbie to ensure her safety, Isabella pays the price as she's kept up by their loud late-night chats, prompting her to tell Bobbie to advance their relationship or at least take it out of the house.

Stumble - "Media Day" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Courteney decides to use media day as a way to recruit new cheerleaders and to push her team to get right back on that mat; DiMarcus proves that not all Buttons are meant to be pushed.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Friday, December 26

Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Watch Mila on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Zooey appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Laura is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Kaler (My Boys) - Jamie is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show/The New Dick Van Dyke Show/The Van Dyke Show) - Dick discusses his new book with ABC News' Chris Connelly on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti cooks on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey talks about Loist in Paradise on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Ryan appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil appears on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Mo'Nique (The Parkers) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE with Mo'Nique about her weight-loss journey and the launch of her new fitness brand, Mo'Niques Movement, as well as the emotional moment with her husband that changed it all, so check your local listings.
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today has Cocktails and Mocktails with Neil and David Burtka on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Mario tells Sherri about his new holiday film The Christmas Spark on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Woody Harrelson (Cheers), Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb), Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) and Ariana Greenblatt (Stuck in the Middle) - The Now You See Me: Now You Don't cast including Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher Jesse Eisenberg, Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith and Dominic Sessa join Drew to dish all about the third installment of the hit franchise on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.