Superhero Movie (2008) - Some light spots in subpar spoof

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Familiar spoof stars and a couple of new faces adjoin on this Scary Movie-franchise poster-modeled poster for Craig Mazin's Superhero Movie

Young Rick Riker is bitten during a high school trip by a dragonfly and attains superpowers, which he uses to attract the girl he is eyeing and fight the evil Hourglass Man!

Superhero Movie is written and directed by Craig Mazin (The Specials (2000)). It doesn't begin very well with some scenes in a school bus, and the ending is also pretty shabby.
A good deal of the spoof comedy's antics fall flat to the ground, and a good deal should simply have been funnier, - such as a scene with Tracy Morgan (Deep in the Valley (2009)) as X-Men's Dr. Xavier as well as Regina Hall (When the Bough Breaks (2016)) and Pamela Anderson (Home Improvement (1991-97)), which certainly had the potential.
Superhero Movie still has laughs for undiscriminating spoof lovers; they come from Leslie Nielsen (Day by Day (1988, TV-series)), Christopher McDonald (My Sexiest Year (2007)), who does well as the predictably ridiculous Hourglass Man villain, and from young Drake Bell (Jungle Shuffle (2014)) and Sara Paxton (Pepper Dennis (2006, TV-series)) as protagonist Riker and his blond flame Jill Johnson. Both are game and well-cast.
Superhero Movie's running time is buffed grotesquely with an extremely long gag reel and extra scene-crammed credit sequence.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 35 mil. $
Box office: 71.2 mil. $
= Flop (returned 2.03 times its cost)
[Superhero Movie premiered 27 March (Russia) and runs 86 minutes. David Zucker was originally supposed to have directed the film under the title Superhero!. Shooting took place around September 2007 in Vancouver, British Colombia, California and in Kansas City, Missouri, where the New York flyover transition shots were made. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release 21 and holdover hit Horton Hears a Who, to a 9.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and grossed 25.8 mil. $ (36.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 5.5 mil. $ (7.7 %) and the UK with 5.3 mil. $ (7.4 %). Mazin has left directing alone since the film and turned to writing several successful movies and miniseries Chernobyl (2019). Bell returned in College (2008); Paxton in Wizards of Waverly Place (2008, TV-series short) and theatrically in The Last House on the Left (2009); McDonald in Player 5150 (2008). Superhero Movie is rotten at 17 % with a 3.64/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Superhero Movie?

The Longest Yard (2005) - A few laughs register in shallow, overlong MTV-produced sports comedy remake

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Adam Sandler and co-stars lined up in prison football gear on this testosterone-booming poster for Peter Segal's The Longest Yard

An ex-football star lands himself an extended prison sentence, and incarcerated in a middle-of-nowhere facility the warden has an idea of a quality prisoner's football team. A game against the guards looms in the distance.

The Longest Yard is written by Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air (2009)), based on the same-titled 1974 major hit, which also starred Burt Reynolds (Tempted (2001)), and directed by Peter Segal (Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)).
It is an MTV production made during the TV station's prime, which results in a shallow, lowbrow concoction, peopled with stars to cover the most vital movie-going demographics in North America: whites and blacks, with most coming from the younger generations. In line with MTV's concept it also features loads of music, both original songs and hits from past and present, noise and annoying music video type flash editing.
The Longest Yard made me laugh a couple of times, - mostly in scenes featuring the 'giant', Dalip Singh (Get Smart (2008)), who is treated as a freak and even subtitled, - and it curiously has Tracy Morgan (Why Stop Now? (2012)) as a gay prison cheerleader. But the movie is overlong, and it culminates in a football match that feels as long as a real football match.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 82 mil. $
Box office: 190.3 mil. $
= Minor flop (returned 2.32 times its cost)
[The Longest Yard premiered 19 May (Hollywood, California) and runs 113 minutes. Shooting took place in New Mexico and in California, including Los Angeles in and around July 2004. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, to a 47.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weeks in the top 5 (#2-#4-#5) and grossed 158.1 mil. $ (83.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 8.2 mil. $ (4.3 %) and Australia with 8.1 mil. $ (4.3 %). The film almost certainly turned healthy profits later with home video sales and TV rights deals. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to two notches higher than this one. Segal returned with Get Smart (2008). Adam Sandler (Murder Mystery (2019)) returned with an uncredited cameo in Deuce Bigelow: European Vacation (2005) and starring in Click (2006); Reynolds in The Dukes of Hazzard (2005); Chris Rock (The Week Of (2018)) with a voice performance in Madagascar (2005), in Red Hot Chili Peppers music video Hump de Bump (2006) and physically in a movie in his own I Think I Love My Wife (2007). The Longest Yard is rotten at 31 % with a 4.78/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Longest Yard?

30 Rock - season 3 (2008) - Fey, Baldwin, Krakowski and Co. make comedy gold

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+ Best New York Title of the Year + Best Returning TV-series of the Year + Best Sitcom of the Year 

New York is a set on this vibrant, fun poster for the third season of Tina Fey's 30 Rock

30 Rock season 3 is a great satirical sitcom by creator Tina Fey (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (2015-19), creator/co-star), who also returns as its New York comedy TV sketch-showrunner protagonist Liz Lemon.

In the first episode, Liz's boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin (Andron (2015))) reacquires his job as NBC executive, following a stint in Washington DC, by employing soap opera tactics. Baldwin is spectacular throughout the season and bags many laughs with his manic energy and strong line deliveries.
Salma Hayek (Midaq Alley (1995))) is introduced as Jack's romantic interest in the season (in episode 7: Señor Macho Solo) as Jack's mother's nurse, while Liz fouls up as she dates a UN employee (Peter Dinklage (Saint John of Las Vegas (2009))). Jenna (Jane Krakowski (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008))), one of the stars of Liz's sketch show, is chasing a breakout project for herself through the season, a Janis Joplin biopic, and Krakowski's Jenna is one of the show's funniest characters in season 3. Her Joplin dream culminates tragically (episode 18: Jackie Jormp-Jomp).
Jon Hamm (Metalocalypse (2012), TV-series) is introduced as Lemon's love interest in season 3 (in funny/wacky episode 10: Generalissimo). The season has an episode (episode 16: Apollo, Apollo) wherein we see the world from Jack, series regular Southerner NBC page Kenneth (Jack McBrayer (Drive Share (2017), TV-series)) and Jenna's perspectives, - and witness the phone sex line ad that Liz made earlier in her career.
The season is rounded off (with episode 22: Kidney Now!) with NBC throwing a star-studded kidney-donation benefit TV concert (Elvis Costello, Moby, Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones and Cyndi Lauper are among the stars present), while Liz guests a black talkshow that respond approvingly to her 'dealbreaker' catchphrase.

30 Rock's third season is incredibly fun; it hits the spot very often and is only rarely a tooth too wacky.
Guest stars in the season include John McEnroe (Arli$$ (1996), TV-series), Bobb'e J. Thompson (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)), Steve Martin (Bowfinger (1999)), John Lithgow (Shrek (2001)) and many others.

Best episodes:

Episode 2: Believe in the Stars - Written by Robert Carlock (Joey (2004-06)); directed by Don Scardino (The Mindy Project (2013), TV-series)
Liz believes she meets Oprah on a flight out of town to avoid jury duty.

Episode 3: The One with the Cast of Night Court - Written by Jack Burditt (The Kicker (2016), TV movie); directed by Gail Mancuso (Ground Floor (2013-15))
Jennifer Aniston (Bruce Almighty (2003))) guest stars as a nymphomaniac, - and is hysterically funny.

Episode 6: Christmas Special - Written by Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)), Fey; directed by Scardino
Jack's mother (Elaine Stritch (Trapper John, M.D. (1983), TV-series)) returns, and Jack breaks both her hips by accidentally backing into her.

Episode 9: Retreat to Move Forward - Written by Tami Sagher (Orange Is the New Black (2018), TV-series); directed by Steve Buscemi (Portlandia (2015-17))
Chris Parnell (The Spoils Before Dying (2015), miniseries) as the recurring Dr. Leo Spaceman is hilarious, here in an episode in which Jenna also has an affair with one of the sketch show's writers, Frank (Judah Friedlander (The Proctor (2007), short)).

Episode 10: The Funcooker - Written by Donald Glover (Mystery Team (2009)), Tom Ceraulo (Jack Donaghy, Executive Superhero (2011), TV-series); directed by Ken Whittingham (Black-ish (2014-17))
Almost too crazy to explain, this episode concerns Jack's taking on naming a new pocket-microwave oven invention!

Episode 21: Mamma Mia - Written by Ron Weiner (Silicon Valley (2014-18)); directed by Scardino
Alan Alda (Same Time, Next Year (1978)) is hilarious, introduced as Jack's biological father, whom he finds and hugs with a great emotional outpouring and the line: "You don't know the half of it! - I need a kidney!

Related posts:

Tina Fey:  Admission (2013) - Despite messy script, Fey is hilarious in Weitz's romcom (starring actor)
Date Night (2010) - Carell and Fey bring out the big laugh guns (starring actor)
Megamind (2010) - Ferrell leads McGrath's hilarious animation superbly (voice actor)
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
30 Rock - season 4 (2009) - Fey, Baldwin & Co. return for long but often hilarious fourth season (creator/executive producer/co-writer/starring actor) 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess 
30 Rock - season 1 (2006) - NY showbiz satire on speed (creator/co-writer/starring actor)
Mean Girls (2004) - Lohan, Waters and Fey's high school satire triumph (writer/co-star)

Tina Fey talks about som favorite things of hers from the show here next to Krakowski and also very funny star Tracy Morgan (Totally Awesome (2006), TV movie)

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Unknown
[30 Rock season 3 originally ran on NBC from 30 October 2008 - 14 May 2009 and spans 22 episodes of an average 22 minutes, coming to about 484 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. The season premiere drew 8.7 mil. viewers in the US, the biggest premiere in the show's 7 season life. The season's average of 7.5 mil. $ viewers was also the biggest average 30 Rock achieved. The highest-rated show was episode 6: Christmas Special with 8.9 mil. viewers; lowest was the following episode 7: Señor Macho Solo with 5.4 mil.. The season was nominated for 22 Emmys, making it the most nominated show of the year, winning 3, and an additional 2 Creative Arts Emmys, 3/3 Golden Globe nominations and other honors. Fey kept extremely busy around the time of season 3: Besides writing, executive-producing and starring in the season, she had the following projects that year: Starring in Baby Mama (2008), giving a voice performance in Ponyo (2008), playing Governor Sarah Palin in an episode of Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Summer Edition (2008), starring in video Elmo and the Bookaneers (2009) and co-starring in The Invention of Lying (2009). 30 Rock returned with its season 4 in October 2009. 30 Rock season 3 is the highest-rated season of the show on Rotten Tomatoes; it is fresh at 89 % with a 8.46/10 critical average.]

What do you think of 30 Rock season 3?

30 Rock - season 4 (2009) - Fey, Baldwin & Co. return for long but often hilarious fourth season

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+ Best Sitcom of the Year

Our five entertaining New-Yorker media personality friends are back for the 4th season of Tina Fey's 30 Rock

The following season run-through contains SPOILERS:

Life and work remains full of hurdles for sketch show producer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey (The Invention of Lying (2009))) at NBC in New York: Actress Jenna (Jane Krakowski (Open Season (2006))) remains a whole lot of fun; as the season opens she is busy making a country-eschewed tennis promo, which is supposed to promote the sport in the South. And Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live (2007-17)) is still phenomenally funny in the show's best scenes as station chief Jack Donaghy.
Liz herself suffers stage fright ahead of beginning her Dealbreakers Talkshow, and her main show's diva man-child Tracy (Tracy Morgan (Top Five (2014))) decides to aim to join the exclusive EGOT club in the slightly disappointing episode 7. In really strange but also funny episode 9, Liz enjoys a visit from her gay cousin Randy, while Jenna dates James Franco (Spider-Man (2002)), who turns out to be in love with a Japanese pillow.
An ongoing plot strand concerns the network's getting bought following its owner Don Geiss' death.
Jack invents women's porn (handsome men who listen), and Liz keeps meeting Michael Sheen (Home Again (2017)), an annoying Brit she met at her dentist. Jack dates both his old Irish Bostonian Nancy(Julianne Moore (Still Alice (2014))) and new, snappy Avery (Elizabeth Banks (Power Rangers (2017))), and suffers under the pressure of his deceit. Meanwhile Jenna may have found happiness in a man who is also a drag performer who imitates her (Will Forte (Nebraska (2013))).
Liz undergoes some realizations and proposes to Sheen, while voice-performing in Garfield 3 makes Tracy remember his traumatic childhood.
In the season's cooky final episode, Liz falls for a pilot (Matt Damon (The Martian (2015))) and dumps Sheen, while Forte changes his drag act into half-Jenna/half-Cher. Jack decides to go with old flame Nancy, but then changes his mind for Avery, who is pregnant! Kenneth (Jack McBrayer (Conan (2013-16))) gets fired and gives a 'hard' slamming-the-door-on-his-way-out speech.

Season 4 of the beloved backstage satirical sitcom from creator-star Fey is fun and wacky but has too many episodes that only sometimes - though more often than not - do the trick of raising risible laughter.

Best episodes:

Episode 3: Stone Mountain - written by Fey, John Riggi (The Comeback (2005-14)), directed by Don Scardino (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (2017, TV-series)
Jack and Liz travel to Georgia to find a new cast member who represents 'middle America.' With Jimmy Fallon (Jem and the Holograms (2015)) and Betty White (Boston Legal (2005-08)).

Episode 10: Black Light Attack! - written by Fey, Steve Hely (Veep (2017, TV-series), directed by Scardino
A darkly funny highlight: Jenna faces her advancing age, while Jack and Liz vie for the same cast member's favor, and Tracy settles a clash in his entourage.

Episode 13: Anna Howard Shaw Day - written by Fey, Matt Hubbard (Joey (2005-06)), directed by Ken Whittingham (Black-ish (2014-17))
The funny Valentine's Day episode in which Liz has root canal surgery at very funny dentist James Rebhorn's (Homeland (2011-13)), and Jack meets business talk show host Avery.

Episode 20: The Moms - written by Fey, Kay Cannon (Girlboss (2017, TV-series), Robert Carlock (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)), directed by Riggi
Crazy-funny Mother's Day episode: Jack gets advice from his mother; Liz realizes that she has to settle, and Tracy casts a mother. With Buzz Aldrin (The Simpsons (1994, TV-series)) and Will Ferrell (Daddy's Home (2015)).

Related posts:

Tina Fey: Date Night (2010) - Carell and Fey bring out the big laugh guns
Megamind (2010) - Ferrell leads McGrath's hilarious animation superbly  

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
30 Rock - season 1 (2006) - NY showbiz satire on speed
Mean Girls (2004) - Lohan, Waters and Fey's high school satire triumph (writer)

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Hit - ratings high enough for another season
[30 Rock season 4 had its original release at NBC from 15 October 2009 - 20 May 2010, spanning 22 episodes of an average 22 minutes, totaling approximately 484 minutes. The season's ratings fell from the show's peak with season 3's 7.5 mil. average to a 5.9 mil. average. Baldwin won a Golden Globe for his work in the season, and the show was nominated for 15 Emmys but didn't win any. The show went on for another 3 seasons. 30 Rock S4 is the lowest rated on Rotten Tomatoes: It is nevertheless still fresh at 67 % with a 7.57/10 critical average.]

What do you think of 30 Rock season 4?

The Son of No One (2011) or, The Past Returns!

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Channing Tatum looks like he's hung over on the poster for Dito Montiel's The Son of No One

QUICK REVIEW:

John spends his childhood in the horrific Queensboro Projects in New York City, where he accidentally kills two scumbags, just as he is about to escape with his friend Vinnie. 16 years later, his past comes back to haunt him.

Son of No One starts really strong: Particularly compelling are the scenes of the young John and Vinnie, played by Jake Cherry (Hits (2014)) and Brian Gilbert (Last Night of the Year (2015)). Everything seems promising, but then it turns out that the script, by writer-director Dito Montiel (Boulevard (2014)), is loaded with problems, (and not the good kind):
Juliette Binoche (Godzilla (2014)) does well with a NY-accent, but the way she blurps out the title of the film in a line is a shame. SPOILER Later Al Pacino's (Heat (1995)) character's godson dies, who has done everything for him, yet Pacino just continues to scream plot-relevant lines to our lead Channing Tatum (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)). He acts for the third time in a Montiel picture here, following A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and Fighting (2009). Tracy Morgan (30 Rock (2006-13)) appears in a dramatic part SPOILER as a character who is both schizophrenic and carrying out an extremely determined vengeance campaign at the same time, - not very believable either.
- Add to this the uninspired typecasting of Ray Liotta (Goodfellas (1990)) and Katie Homes (Jack and Jill (2011)).
The Son of No One is a jumbled film that could have been so much better.

Related review:

Dito Montiel: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) or, Leaving Home

While Dito Montiel's The Son of No One is undoubtedly a dubious film, - it does have Channing Tatum in uniform going for it

Watch the trailer for the movie here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 1.3 mil. $
= Mega-flop
[The film, shot on location in New York, closed Sundance to a poor reception that resulted in a changed ending. It got generally bad reviews and made a stunning low of less than 30k $ in the US. Impressively, Montiel has been heading two big films since: Empire State (2013) and Boulevard (2014), and soon Man Down (2015), an apocalyptic film.]

What do you think of The Son of No One?

Cop Out (2010) or, A Couple of Dicks

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Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan are up for some sharp-shooting games in Kevin Smith's Cop Out

QUICK REVIEW:

An unlikely NYPD-partnership gets suspended after a scandalous street debacle, but they then get involved in another hairy situation with some Mexican thugs, as a valuable baseball card, which is to finance the older cop's daughter's marriage, gets stolen.

Tracy Morgan (Top Five (2014)) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard (1988)) have chemistry, and I laughed some to start out with. About 40 minutes into the film, (which is written by brothers Robb and Mark Cullen (Back in the Game (2013), TV-series)), a real, and pretty complicated, plot is attempted to be inserted into the preceding buddy cop tomfooleries, but the audience at that point has no interest in the rehash.
Cop Out has several scenes that are just plain stupid or dysfunctional, and the film grows tedious at some point, despite an atypical, cozy 80s-retro electro-hip-hop score, a throwback to the golden age for the relatively young buddy cop sub-genre, by Harold Faltermeyer (Beverly Hills Cop (1984)).
All in all, Cop Out is a pretty uncool film, clearly an uninvolved left-hand-job from director Kevin Smith (Tusk (2014)), who usually makes small, more or less personal indie flicks. - This was his first hired gig, which he didn't write himself, and it was obviously not a project he felt very enthusiastic about: He has stated that a reason for doing it was that it is the kind of movie his late father would have liked. During shooting, Smith was accused of being uninvolved and far away due to his marijuana-smoking while working. He, on the other hand, badmouthed Willis in a radio program after the production ... Smith was soon back with a much more relevant and dignified film, the great Red State (2011), which I recommend.

 Watch the trailer for the film, which puts it next to some modern classics and then reveals the low quality of Cop Out - ... as a way to get you to see it ... ?

Cost: 37 mil. $
Box office: 55.5 mil. $
= Flop
[Cop Out was first titled A Couple of Dicks, which didn't swing (he-he), then A Couple of Cops, (according to Willis, Cop Suckers was also in play ...), but then Smith thought Cop Out was fun, because it was what the title would be, (a cop out from something sexually suggestive.) You could say the whole film is a cop out. Especially the funny Morgan deserves better as a rising comedy star. The vulgarity was retained somewhat on the film's posters with the tagline ('Rock out with you Glock out'). Cop Out premiered #2 behind Shutter Island (2010) and made 44.8 mil. $ (81 % of its total gross) in the US.]

What do you think of Smith's Cop Out?
Other examples of original filmmakers stepping in it to get to that golden studio paycheck/recognition?

30 Rock - season 1 (2006) - NY showbiz satire on speed

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+ Best New TV-series of the Year + Best Sitcom of the Year

A nice promotion photo with the main stars of Tina Fey's 30 Rock

The New York address 30 Rockefeller holds the stage for NBC's comedy hit, the best Manhattan show since Sex and the City, Tina Fey's (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (2015-16)) 30 Rock.  

The entry point is the hiring of the new channel boss, Jack Donaghy, who has great experience from micro-oven-programming and thinks in dynamic corporate terms and buzz words. Another challenge for the lead in the show, sketch show writer Liz Lemon, is his demand to incorporate the popular but very difficult African-American comedian Tracy Jordan into her live comedy show as its main act. 

The meta/alter ego of Liz Lemon and comedian persona Fey, (who has based the character and plot on herself and her own experiences as the head writer for Saturday Night Life from 1997-06), the self criticisms and irony is thick in 30 Rock, (and you will benefit as a viewer from knowing a bit about the lead actors.) It's funny and often sharp and fresh, and it has the feel of a modern, frantic backstage musical, (though it is mostly without the music.)
Lemon's love life, or lack of one, also takes up a big chunk of the show; her relationship to 'beeper-king' Dennis, an inevitable flirt with boss Donaghy, and the flower-man, Floyd (Jason Sudeikis (We're the Millers (2013))). Donaghy, on the other hand, dates Condoleezza Rice (off-screen), gets engaged to Phoebe (Emily Mortimer (City Island (2009))), and has an ex in Isabella Rosselini (Blue Velvet (1986)). The show is also filled with surprising celebrity appearances from the likes of Ghostface Killah (When in Rome (2010)), John McEnroe (Jack & Jill (2011)), Whoopi Goldberg (The Associate (1996)), Rip Torn (Men in Black (1997)), LL Cool J (Deep Blue Sea (1999)), Will Arnett (The Lego Movie (2014)) and Sean Hayes (Sean Saves the World (2013-14)).
Alec Baldwin (The Departed (2006)) has, in my opinion, the funniest character as Jack Donaghy as well as the funniest lines, as when he shouts at wig-wearing show writer Pete (Scott Adsit (Fan Girl (2015))); "Who is this leader of men? - You handsome man!" Baldwin's dead-pan chops and comedic and acting width is utilized perfectly in his larger-than-life Donaghy character.
Generally the episodes that are written by Fey are the funniest. The liberal New York sassiness and enduring focus on race can be tiring, and it's not without its hypocritical aftertaste sometimes. Sometimes punch-lines fall totally through.
The Southern character Kenneth (Jack McBrayer (Cooties (2014))) is for me over-wrought and unfunny throughout. Fey, Tracy Morgan (Cop Out (2010)) and Jane Krakowski (Ally McBeal (1997-02)), on the other hand, are as most of the show very amusing.
30 Rock is a very funny sitcom with a crazed, new millennium-type pace.

Best episode:

17 : The Fighting Irish: written by Fey and Jack Burditt (The Mindy Project (2013-15)); directed by Dennie Gordon (White Collar (2009-11))

Donaghy's Irish ancestry is explored. With Nathan Lane (The Birdcage (1996)).

Related posts:

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

 

Watch a clip from the season here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV
= Unknown
[30 Rock S1 was first broadcast October 11 2006 - April 26 2007, and it spans 21 episodes, with 19 being 22 min. long and 2 being 26 min, coming to around 470 minutes total. Fey pitched the show in 2002 at NBC, but it took her a few years and a pregnancy before it was really in the making. Filming took place around in New York. The pilot premiered to 8.1 mil. viewers, which shrunk to 4.7 mil. by the finale, the season averaging 5.8 mil., which was considered to be not too strong, although it was likely a profitable production behind NBC's heavy curtains. The season was critically well-received, with a Metacritic score of 67 %. The season was nominated for 10 Emmys, one Golden Globe, which Baldwin won, and 6 Primetime Emmys, winning 2: For Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (Elaine Stritch (Small Time Crooks (2000))). Fey continued to write for SNL and also did cameos in Beer League and Man of the Year in 2006; Baldwin was busy in 2006, also starring in Mini's First Time, The Departed, Running with Scissors and The Good Shepherd; Morgan starred in Littleman, Mind of Mencia (TV-series), Where My Dogs At? (TV-series) and Totally Awesome (TV movie). 30 Rock S1 is fresh at 71 % with a 7.6 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What other showbiz satires are lots of laughs?
What do you think of 30 Rock's first season?