I'm liking this one as well although I don't know if I'd like it half as much if Alec Baldwin wasn't there. All of his scenes are golden.

That was my favorite part

I am not bashing the Baldwin, but I don't understand y'all's fascination with him. This goes beyond '30 Rock', as I understand the general consensus is that he's the man. I'd just like a little more insight into it...he seems to be the same character in all his movies, IMO, and I just don't feel like I ever see anything different.

I will say tho, I do like him in '30 Rock' more and more.

Also, this show would be much much better with a laugh track like the show that follows it.

He does what he does, and he does it well. And if you like what he does, then he's always "on" and delivering the goods.

so what he "does" is usually some type of boss/jackass type guy? it seems so. lol

I guess you don't watch SNL.

...or never saw Glengarry Glen Ross.

Baldwin's delivery and timing is just ... perfect.

He makes people around him better. This show would be nothing without him.

They were smart to downsize Dratch's presence but agree that Krakowski is the weak link. Also, Katie Bowden looks like an attractive Olsen twin.

Ugh, if it was up to me, no show on TV would ever have a laugh track. It always seems like the show is telling you when to laugh. Can't stand them. That maybe because really horrible shows abuse the laugh track more than decent shows with them.

I was just kidding about the laugh track. When "20 Good Years" started I wasn't expecting one at all...then it was there, it sounded so weird. Out of place. Probably cause I haven't heard one in forever.

Not really liking this much. I'll keep watching for a few more weeks, but based on ratings, it's not finding (or keeping) an audience.

Question: If 30 ROCK fails, do you think Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch should go back to Saturday Night Live?

Even if they wanted to go back, there's no room in the budget for them.

No one ever really goes back to SNL, not to rejoin the cast anyway. Once you leave, you're gone. No matter how badly your career tanks.

You're right about the budget issue....I'm just trying to think of cases where a cast member was either fired or left and came back a significant time later.


HARRY SHEARER comes to mind. He was in the 1979-1980 final Lorne Michaels year, and he came back in the Dick Ebersol 1984-1985 era.

CHRIS PARNELL also.....He was fired but Kattan and Ferrell campaigned to have him come back and he rejoined the cast.

They may come back to host, like Norm did, but I can't see either Tina or Dratch rejoining the cast ever again. It's like admitting defeat.

There is absolutely no chance of either of them going back to SNL.

I could see Fey slink back to write (and only write) SNL if her career tanks to the point she can't even get a $5 million budget film she has written made. I find it really unlikely that would ever happen, though. It does seem like she was making SNL better when she was there based on the episodes that have aired so far this season.

ok, back to Baldwin...just saw him in "The Departed" and I am now a fan. Count me in. He stole the show, if thats possible with that amazing cast, IMO.

Yes Baldwin was great in the departed.

I think Tina Fey has a career at this point, so she's outgrown SNL, and whether its producing stuff, or acting, she won't need SNL. Dratch is limited for sure in her career, in the same way Horation Sainz is.

I loved that. As much as I dreaded the thought of this show, I have to say it's impressed me. Perhaps Tina Fey is just a much better writer when she actually has lead time and can work out the kinks, as opposed to rushing stuff out on a week-to-week basis like on SNL. I liked Mean Girls, so...

I really liked this episode, much better then the pilot.

I just got to see the episode.

Wow. That was a huge improvement on the pilot. The show is gold whenever Baldwin and/or Morgan are on screen doing something. There were a couple of real clunkers that were also just really broad and didn't ring true, but I'd say it was about 10 minutes of funny, about 10 minutes of setting up funny, and about 2 minutes that didn't work. That's not bad. I hate that the show isn't doing well in the ratings and hope that NBC keeps it long enough to try pairing the show with Scrubs before axing it.

I'm on the fence with Krakowski. I like her, but the character is a bit underwritten considering she's the headliner of a comedy show and hasn't said a single line that is intentionally funny. She reminds me of Harriet on Studio 60 in that respect, except even Harriet has had a few good lines.* They both seem like generic leading lady actresses, not comedic talents.

*I gave up on S60 an episode or two ago, so this may have changed.

Just saw this on the NBC website. (Thumbs up to NBC for the Rewind feature that lets you watch entire shows)

I agree. I thought it was another funny episode. I totally saw the "it's not his yacht" plot coming, but it was still funny.