30 Rock

This half-hour program, created by and starring SNL alum Tina Fey, pokes fun at the NBC, the network on which it airs Thursday nights. Debuting side-by-side with other patently NBC comedies, such as The Office and My Name is Earl, 30 Rock is aimed at the 16-30 age bracket, who are most familiar with the TV/Movie industries and the celebrities they produce. The sitcom revolves around the staff, crew and stars of "The Tracy Jordan Show," led by off-beat manager Liz Lemon (Fey). But this comedy is not about the making of a television show, it merely uses the fictitious program as a means to tie each character's personal story together. Lemon regularly has to contend with the attitudes and egos of TGS stars Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Moroney (Jane Krakowski). The show is a critique of the modern celebrity in many ways, as recent episodes have been driven by the the problems these two actos cause, ranging from contract disputes to disastrous TV appearances to on-set rivalries. Jenna especially reminds us of the female startlet/bimbo types who dominate tabloid covers and celebrity gossip. 30 Rock is a counter to this culture, pointing out flaws in the cult of celebrity and self-obsession. Time and time again, Lemon is depicted as a heroine, the only character in the show who bothers to share with and care for others, two virtues that Hollywood has lost in the past.