30 Rockis one of the funniest shows in the history of television, so why haven’t more people seen it?The 2000s were a golden age for the sitcom. There were still great multi-camera shows, likeHow I Met Your Mother, while single-camera shows likeArrested DevelopmentandCurb Your Enthusiasmcompletely changed the game.
The Office,Parks and Recreation, andModern Familyare all still widely adored to this day. Butthere were so many great sitcoms in the oughts that some of the very best remain underrated.My Name is Earltaught audiences an important lesson about karma.Malcolm in the Middlehad TV’s most realistic portrayal of a working-class family.
30 Rockran for seven seasons, during which it was one of the most acclaimed comedies on television. But its popularity hasn’t endured in the years since it ended, and that baffles me because it was a hilarious show.
30 Rock Never Became As Big As Other High-Profile Sitcoms
It’s A Classic, But Never Matched The International Success Of Parks & Rec Or Modern Family
30 Rockwas a very successful show. It had a nice, long run, it was universally praised by critics, andit won 16 Emmys out of a whopping 103 nominations. But it never achieved the kind of blockbuster success or international appeal as contemporarysitcoms likeThe Office,Parks and Recreation,Modern Family, andBrooklyn Nine-Nine.
30 Rockis streaming on Hulu and Peacock.
It’s a classic, frequently included on lists of the greatest TV shows ever made, but it doesn’t seem to have found new viewers in the streaming age the way thatCommunityandIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiadid. Butit’s just as funny as any of those other shows, and its characters are just as lovable.
What Made 30 Rock Different From Sitcoms Like The Office
30 Rock Was Much Heavier On Jokes Than Sentimentality
The problem with30 Rockmight’ve been that it was a bit too “inside baseball” for mainstream audiences. Tina Fey created the series based on her experiences working as the head writer ofSaturday Night Live. It takes place in NBC’s New York headquarters, where Fey’s Liz Lemon struggles to keep her hit sketch show afloat.
The problem with 30 Rock might’ve been that it was a bit too “inside baseball” for mainstream audiences.
30 Rockis a spot-on satire of the absurdity of the television industry, but not everyone is in the know about the television industry. Critics ate it up, because they understand that world (and, in some cases, inhabit it), butthe average TV viewer might not be as privy to TV production.
Everyone understands the mundanity of a fluorescent-lit office or the chaos of a police precinct or the dysfunctions of a modern family, but30 Rocktook aim at a much more specific satirical target. Still,it’s as densely packed with jokes asArrested Developmentor golden-ageSimpsonsepisodes, and they’re not all about the TV business.
