Think Progress’ Alyssa Rosenberg looks at the similarities between Liz Lemon and Leslie Knope, and what their choice in husbands says about them.
Much like Parks and Rec does every week, this article brought a huge smile to my face.
About an hour ago, I learned that I was accepted into the upper level writing program at The Second City. In four months, I will have co-written a show appearing on one of the student stages of Piper’s Alley. I am extremely grateful for and excited about this opportunity.
And with this development, I am one step closer to writing for TGS With Tracey Jordan… wait, NBC canceled TGS! DAMN YOU HANK HOOPER!
Some Foods of 30 Rock (by Tyler Feder)
With Netflix getting into the original content market, they have decided to use a new kind of television distribution model: making an entire season available all at once. Although we’ve had TV-on-DVD and streaming options for more than a decade, those options only existed after the season had aired over the course of several months. Now, people are free to watch a season at their own pace without the option to view it “collectively” at a scheduled time with other viewers.
The A.V. Club’s Todd VanDerWerff examines what this new distribution model could mean for the future of TV. It in many ways affects the very nature of the medium, transforming an episodic art form into one similar to film.*
TV has often used real time passing to reflect time passing in-series. 30 Rock this year followed the election cycle. Buffy and Community take place over the course of a school year. Of course, not every show does this (LOST’s passage of time required viewers to pay very close attention), but the weekly passage of real time allowed viewers to discuss the show together in the time between episodes. VanDerWerff looks at these behaviors and wonders how an instantaneous distribution will affect how TV shows are made and watched.
*Interestingly enough, I’ve complained about how some people are trying to change the film medium to be more like television. For a prime example of a film-trying-to-be-a-TV-show, check out Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Or better yet, don’t. Very little in that movie made sense, and the filmmakers promised that we’d get the continued story in the sequel.
30 Rock’s final title card, with Alice and Penelope (not shown on the East Coast airing due to a technical error).
30 Rock, you will be missed more than I ever thought possible.
30 Rock, sadly, is over, and it will be sorely missed. How much of Liz Lemon remains in your consciousness?
(I got 16. Beat that, nerds! …I bet most people who follow me could be that.)
What the what?!? We’re very excited to announce our newest flavor in honor of NBC’s 30 Rock: Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt! A Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt with a Blueberry Lavender Swirl, coming this spring!
I want to go to there.
Newly released clips from the unaired 30 Rock pilot, featuring Rachel Dratch as Jenna (and probably more spoken references to “The Girlie Show” than have been featured on the actual show).
Yeah, I have used this phrase many times…
Last night, I did a guest voice on the ChicagoNow TV Tandem podcast, starring Julie Hammerle and Andy Daglas. We talk about the awful new NBC show Are You There, Chelsea (we watched so you don’t have to), Work It, and The Firm, then moved on to shows we actually like. We discussed returning shows, including 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Justified, then gave some of our “TV Resolutions,” explaining what we wish shows would do in the new year.
This morning, the nominations for the SAG Awards were announced. I learned this because my Twitter feed, composed mainly of critics who believe that awards shows prove very little, was going crazy with complaints about some of the nominations. This article by HitFix’s Alan Sepinwall sums up the outrage well: Award shows are often have silly nominations, but a few of the noms here are just so crazy that they deserve mention.
The two big ones involve the cast of Dexter being nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series and an actor from Suits being nominated for Best Actor in a Drama. Having never seen Suits (the premise looks dumb and most of USA’s shows do not interest me at all) I can’t speak on the man’s talent, but I was surprised that none of the actors Sepinwall mentions didn’t get nominated (especially Aaron Paul). But for Dexter to receive a nomination based on its cast is mind-boggling; I haven’t truly liked it since its second season, and even then, the only two truly worthwhile actors were Michael C. Hall and Erik King (whose character died in Season 2, thus leaving the show).
Sepinwall goes into greater detail about the poor manner in which the SAG Awards treat television.
Ok, so here is the website for Jon Defreest, the guy who makes all the fake Ben and Jerry’s flavors. He also has other great works, most of which lampoon pop culture. I especially like the Occupy Sesame Street photos.
