STUDIO: Universal
RELEASE DATE: October 7, 2008
STARRING: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander
CREATED BY: Tina Fey
FEATURES: Audio Commentaries
Deleted Scenes
"Cooter" table read
30 Rock live at the UCB Theater
Tina Hosts SNL
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Presents: An Evening with 30 Rock

If you ask any television executive, show runner, or writer how difficult it is to create a pilot and get a potential series off the ground and onto the network airwaves they’ll probably tell you it’s almost as tough as trying to convince Madonna to support Sarah Palin. After making the leap from Saturday Night Live to her first creative series endeavor with 30 Rock in 2006, Tina Fey already knew the behind-the-scenes ropes of TV but she had a hard time selling a show about it to the public. Although it’s easy to think 30 Rock was a widely viewed hit straight out of the network starting block, it wasn’t. After garnering low ratings during its first season, the future of 30 Rock was in serious question. And it’s a wonder it didn’t get canceled since it was among the bottom tier of low rated shows for 2006-2007. But when the show came back, word-of-mouth and positive reviews had amassed enough goodwill that 30 Rock quickly found its audience and got better and more hilarious with each episode, becoming not only a critical success but a fan favorite as well.

Although the writers’ strike took the wind out 30 Rock’s sails in Season 2, fans still got to see the cast hit their stride. Given how hard it is to keep a show going while continuing to produce the type of quirky high quality comedy that 30 Rock delivers, plus the questions surrounding the first season and the writers’ strike, Tina Fey hasn’t had an easy go of it. You can safely say that the recent Emmy wins by both Fey and Alec Baldwin for best actress and actor in a comedy series and the win for Outstanding Comedy Series were well deserved.

As for 30 Rock: Season 2 on DVD, Universal makes good on all 15 episodes of the strike shortened season, which certainly increased Alec Baldwin’s chances at winning the best actor Emmy. While much of the season revolves around Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy, his professional plans have a ripple effect throughout the lives of the rest of the characters as they deal with their own personal dilemmas. As Jack pursues a chair among the GE elite, he devises a variety of harebrained schemes to keep the company off balance and make himself look good, including a plan to digitally insert Jerry Seinfeld into NBC’s current shows that angers the real comedian (who guests in the first episode), hiring a private eye to prevent GE from getting dirt on him, creating an environmentally friendly mascot (David Schwimmer) with an accidental overbearing message, attending a cocktail party where he falls for Democratic Congresswoman C.C. (Edie Falco), and hiring an old 50s TV star (Tim Conway) for a John McCain fundraiser instead of a hip and cool young celeb.

As for Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon, her character arc takes her from adjusting to life without her ex-flame Floyd to a hilarious meeting between her family (Andy Richter, Buck Henry, Anita Gilette) and Jack’s mother (Elaine Stritch) to getting a call from Floyd later in the season. While Jack’s focused on GE, Liz deals with the aftermath of Floyd. As for Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer, there’s a lot of supporting antics and crazy situations.

To make up for the lack of a full season, Universal packs the Season 2 DVD with a lot of great extras. If you love episode shop talk, you’ll be keen on the Season 2 extras, as 10 of the 15 episodes include commentaries - "Jack Gets in the Game", "The Collection", "Somebody to Love", "Cougars", "Episode 210", "MILF Island", "Subway Hero", "Succession", "Sandwich Day" and "Cooter" – with the likes of Will Arnett, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer, Fred Armisen, Tina Fey and husband Jeff Richmond, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Robert Carlock, and the legendary Tim Conway on the episode "Subway Hero". What separates 30 Rock from other TV to DVD seasons is the fact that they were able to get their guest stars to do commentaries. That’s pretty incredible. The inclusion of Tim Conway is brilliantly awesome.

The remainder of the extras consist of a handful of deleted scenes, a lengthy table read with the cast for the “Cooter” episode, two awesome 30-45 minute featurettes from the cast’s candid 30 Rock discussion at the Upright Citizens Brigade and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' "Evening with 30 Rock”, and an amazing (but way too brief) behind-the-scenes segment that follows Tina Fey around the halls of the actual 30 Rock when she hosted Saturday Night Live. After seeing table readings, rehearsal footage, pre-tapes, and a lot of candid hilarity, it’s too bad the SNL clip wasn’t as long as the others.

I can’t saying anything more than 30 Rock: Season 2 matches (and is some instances surpasses) the quality of the show. If you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s your best chance. Don’t think about it, be like that old guy named Mike and just do it.

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