When comedian Tina Fey and writer-producer Robert Carlock decided to develop a television show, they ended up striking comedic gold.
This is not surprising, considering both Fey and Carlock’s backgrounds in “Saturday Night Live.” The treasure in question became “30 Rock,” an NBC sitcom named after the building it is produced in, 30 Rockefeller Plaza. With a whopping 22 Emmy nominations, as well as Golden Globe and SAG awards, “30 Rock” is a bona fide hit, entertaining audiences of all ages.
The show centers around Liz Lemon (Fey), head writer of a sketch comedy show called “TGS with Tracy Jordan” (Tracy Morgan). Everyday is something new for Lemon, whether it be dealing with her right-wing boss, Jack Donaghy (played by Alec Baldwin), or enduring the peppy page, Kenneth (played by Jack McBrayer). Life in show business is fast-paced, and audiences watch while Lemon tries to keep her personal life intact and her professional life successful.
“There’s actually very little improv on the show, because the writers are so good at what they do,” actor Jack McBrayer said in an interview with The Eagle. “Even if you have no comedic timing, these guys will make you look good.”
“And we do!” Carlock chimed in.
For those who watch the show and wonder if Jack McBrayer is anything like the loveable Kenneth, dispel your worries. He is — right down to the authentic Southern accent.
“I’m really similar to him,” McBrayer said. “We’re both people-pleasers, we both want to do well at our job. I guess the hardest part though is being so extremely peppy at the crazy filming hours! I have to have a lot of caffeine to be that peppy. Sometimes, I’m just like, ‘Wow, daddy needs a nap!’”
As a result of the show’s success, McBrayer has become something of a hero to actual NBC pages.
“I’m not gonna lie, I do get some special attention at the Rockefeller Center,” McBrayer said. “One of the pages even showed me that in their handbook, there’s a section called ‘Tips from Kenneth.’”
For Carlock, “30 Rock” also reflects a lot of his own life.
“In a way, I’m definitely similar to Liz Lemon,” Carlock said. “I’ve done the writing thing for ‘SNL’ and ‘Friends,’ so I know what it’s like. The shows are so different, but ‘Friends’ really helped prepare me for this show.”
Unfortunately, though, the writing experience as shown on “30 Rock” is nothing like the process in real life.
“I mean, we spend so many hours with these people, writing,” Carlock said. “We always try to incorporate the actor’s personal qualities into their character. Sometimes though, we do get distracted. One time, someone found these like punching pad things and some Star Wars marbles ... they made up this game where you had to hit the marbles or something, I think we called it ‘Paddly Marblies.”
With the long television filming process, different things fuel the players of “30 Rock” for their strenuous days.
“Diet Mountain Dew and a bowl of cereal,” McBrayer said cheerfully. “Then you can throw in a little bran, and it fills you up.”
Both McBrayer and Carlock are excited about the upcoming season of “30 Rock” and what audiences can expect.
“Kenneth is just up to his usual hi-jinks, but there’s going to be an episode where Liz Lemon and Donaghy go to Kenneth’s hometown, where pretty much everyone is like him,” McBrayer said. “That should be a funny one.”
Carlock also thought fans had especially funny shows to look forward to.
“We have this great upcoming Halloween episode,” Carlock said. “Tracy Jordan starts to get really paranoid that he’s gonna die and so he freaks out and sees who he can get to die, before himself ... Oh, Halloween is a magical night for drunk girls in strange costumes.”
Four seasons in, “30 Rock” has proven itself a comedy favorite. With kooky characters and hilarious dialogue, it is as relatable as it is entertaining. If you haven’t checked it out yet, just let the awards speak for themselves. “30 Rock” is infectious and will have you wishing you had these characters in your own life.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
