The hilarious true story of the making of the cult classic hit show 30 Rock It’s hard to remember a time when Tina Fey wasn’t a star, but back in the early 2000s, she was an SNL writer who was far from a household name. It’s even harder to remember when Fey’s sitcom 30 Rock was tanking, but it was—it premiered in the fall of 2006, and by November, the New York Times wrote that 30 Rock was “perilously close to a flop.” But despite all expectations (including those of some of the cast and crew), Tina Fey’s eccentric buddy comedy lasted 138 episodes, spanning seven seasons. It resurrected the career of Alec Baldwin, survived an extended absence by Tracy Morgan, and permeated the culture— its breakneck pacing, oddball characters, and extremely rich joke writing are deeply beloved by millions of fans. Through more than fifty original interviews with cast, crew, critics, and more, culture writer Mike Roe brings to life the history of the gloriously goofy show that became an all-time classic. The 30 Rock Book has everything in it, from tales of the amazing music still stuck in our heads, to the iconic bit characters that make the show, to all the love and drama of the backstage crew . . . and the creative failures and successes along the way. So grab your night cheese and muffin tops, cuddle up with your slanket against your Japanese body pillow, and settle in for the story of one of the funniest shows in television history.

A fascinating exploration of the philosophy behind NBC’s hit TV series, 30 Rock With edgy writing and a great cast, 30 Rock is one of the funniest television shows on the air—and where hilarity ensues, philosophical questions abound: Are Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy ethical heroes? Kenneth redefines "goody two shoes", but what does it really mean to be good? Dr. Leo Spaceman routinely demonstrates that medicine is not a science, so what is the role of the incompetent professional in America today? In 30 Rock and Philosophy, Tina Fey and her fellow cast members are thrust onto the philosophical stage with Plato, Aristotle, Kantand other great thinkers to examine these key questions and many others that involve the characters and plotlines of 30 Rock and its fictional TGS with Tracy Jordan comedy show. Takes an entertaining, up-close look at the philosophical issues behind 30 Rock's characters and storylines, from post-feminist ideals to workaholism and the meaning of life Equips you with a new understanding of Liz Lemon, Jack Donaghy, Tracy Jordan, Jenna Maroney, Dr. Spaceman, and other characters Gives you deep and meaningful new reasons (who knew?) for watching Tina Fey and your other favorites on 30 Rock Ideal for both casual and diehard fans, this book is the essential companion for every 30 Rock-watcher.

Go behind the scenes of the laugh-out-loud sitcom that took us viewers behind the scenes: TV's 30 Rock. It's been over eight years the show since ended, but stellar writing (helmed by Tina Fey), incredible casting, and sheer quotability has meant that we're all still in love with 30 Rock. The sidesplitting sitcom is also an exploration of work-life balances, friendships, and love. This unofficial fan's guide celebrates the 30 Rock legacy, and is tailored to all you crab catchers out there--the superfans. Complete Liz Lemon's "Can I Have It All" flow chart. Use Jack Donaghy's patented method to rise from mail room worker to CEO of any company. Unwindulax and watch The Rural Juror with Jenna Maroney, and revel in Tracy Jordan's EGOT status. Get initiated into the NBC Page Program by Kenneth Parcell, and see how not to write comedy with the help of Lutz. Learn tips and tricks from Devon Banks to help get your newborn baby into an elite private preschool. As well as the absurd fan fiction-y elements above, this book includes 30 Rock season overviews, top episode guides, cast profiles and more.

A fascinating exploration of the philosophy behind NBC’s hit TV series, 30 Rock With edgy writing and a great cast, 30 Rock is one of the funniest television shows on the air—and where hilarity ensues, philosophical questions abound: Are Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy ethical heroes? Kenneth redefines "goody two shoes", but what does it really mean to be good? Dr. Leo Spaceman routinely demonstrates that medicine is not a science, so what is the role of the incompetent professional in America today? In 30 Rock and Philosophy, Tina Fey and her fellow cast members are thrust onto the philosophical stage with Plato, Aristotle, Kantand other great thinkers to examine these key questions and many others that involve the characters and plotlines of 30 Rock and its fictional TGS with Tracy Jordan comedy show. Takes an entertaining, up-close look at the philosophical issues behind 30 Rock's characters and storylines, from post-feminist ideals to workaholism and the meaning of life Equips you with a new understanding of Liz Lemon, Jack Donaghy, Tracy Jordan, Jenna Maroney, Dr. Spaceman, and other characters Gives you deep and meaningful new reasons (who knew?) for watching Tina Fey and your other favorites on 30 Rock Ideal for both casual and diehard fans, this book is the essential companion for every 30 Rock­-watcher.

ABOUT THE BOOK 30 Rock is an NBC television series that has ruled Thursday nights in a way no half-hour sitcom has since the days of Friends. Created by former Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update anchor Tina Fey, the show initially had trouble finding an audience. That changed practically overnight after Fey returned to SNL to play then-vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin with whom Fey shares a resemblance. The show, now in its sixth season, has won many awards and continued to dominate televisions comedy genre. After garnering critical and commercial success for her work on SNL, Tina Fey surprised many in the television world by leaving the venerable sketch comedy show show in May of 2006 to work on her own NBC sitcom called 30 Rock. The show was inspired by Tinas own experience working as a writer on SNL, with 30 Rock about the behind-the-scenes craziness of an NBC late night sketch comedy show. MEET THE AUTHOR Kent Page McGroarty is a freelance writer. She is a frequent lifestyle contributor to online magazine EDGE Publications and Demand Media sites LIVESTRONG.com, eHow Home and Garden and Local.com. Kent also works as a blogger and copywriter, including for her own site, A Natural Day.net. She has a B.A. in English from Saint Joseph's University. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK 30 Rock follows the life of 30-something Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), the head writer of The Girlie Show, a Saturday Night Live-type show filmed at NBCs 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. When the series begins, Liz has been informed of the death of her old boss and his subsequent replacement, the business-minded Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). Jack has little experience producing television shows as he has previously worked in GEs corporate offices only, though GE owns NBC. He is initially unconcerned with the show as he oversees numerous other projects, but realizes he needs to drastically change The Girlie Show if the show is to remain on the air. Jack therefore hires Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), a movie actor known for running through the streets of New York in his underwear among many other random acts of goofiness. Liz is against the hiring the minute Jack mentions the idea because she knows Tracy is insane, but Jack goes ahead and hires Tracy, anyway. Liz realizes the veins of Girlie Show star, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), will explode at the thought of another actor coming in to proverbially throw up all over her spotlight. But, Liz promises Jenna she will take care of it. Taking care of it doesnt go so well when Jack re-names the show TGS With Tracy Jordan. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on 30 Rock Season 6 + Introduction + About the Director and Producer + Overall Summary + Episode-By-Episode Summary and Commentary + ...and much more 30 Rock Season 6