Take a break from your Lincoln contemplation tonight to tune into what promises to be a tremendous episode of 30Rock entitled St. Valentine's Day, especially tremendous if you're a big fan of Jon Hamm, as we are.
In a continuation of last week's story, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) hooks up with her new neighbor Dr. Drew, played by Mad Men's versatile Jon Hamm. Despite accidentally dosing him with roofies, stealing his mail and faking a lost dog, they go out on their first date, only Liz doesn't realize it's Valentine's Day. Sounds embarrassing and wonderful, doesn't it?
Don't miss it! Tonight on NBC, 9:30pm, right after The Office!
P.S.: For you romantic 30Rock fans out there, be sure to check out the ecards that you can send out!
It was a delight from start to finish, with idiotic ex-Wall Street investment guys running wild as Liz Lemon's new interns, wearing out Tracy Jordan and passing out roofies; Jack Donaghy meeting his double, a Mexican soap opera actor; and most of all, Liz getting all stalky over her new neighbor, played to perfection by Jon Hamm.
"He looks like a cartoon pilot."
"And I then will put my mouth on his mouth!"
Even as we love Liz, it's hilarious and horrifying to see what lengths she will go to in order to get next to her pediatrican-philanthropist-dog lover-Netflix customer-all the pay movie channels subscriber-baker-golfer possible ideal man.
As we predicted, Fey and Hamm were attractive and credible together. Hamm's around for two more episodes, so we'll have more of their sexy-silly antics. I'm convinced that Hamm can do anything acting-wise, and with such grace and charm that he's got to be the perfect example of the ideal 21st Century leading man. (At the movies he didn't get nearly enough screen time in the recent remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still, but he was brave and stalwart there, too.)
Alec Baldwin was terrific in his double-role homage which nicely referenced The Patty Duke Show, and they got the ambience of Mexican telenovelas down to a T.
Okay, here's finally some footage to post. Still can't find a proper promo!
And by the way, I really hate how YouTube videos now have a huge ugly title on them. Ick! Not helpful and certainly not attractive! At least change the font, huh?
But on a more pleasant note, here's a link to a site with several really adorable stills from tonight's episode guest-starring Jon Hamm. I'm just telling you -- Fey and Hamm are perfect together onscreen! Be sure you enlarge the stills to get a good look at them!
I can't seem to post the promo yet, but there's a nice interview with Flaming Nose favorite Jon Hamm available on YouTube, on the occasion of his guest role on 30 Rock tomorrow night. I was wondering if anything had come of the talk about him guesting as a love interest for Tina Fey's Liz Lemon, and now it's almost here!
At the risk of sounding like a crazy fan, oohhh...they're gonna look so cute together!
Last week's episode guest-starring the droll Peter Dinklage was wonderful, and we loved the introduction of Salma Hayek as Jack's mother's straight-talking Puerto Rican practical nurse. Salma as Elisa turned up in last night's hilarious episode Flu Shot, and the passionate, dramatic and often absurd circumstances of the budding romance between she and Jack were adorable. One of my major favorite moments was when Jack (Alec Baldwin) offered one of the coveted flu shots to Jack McBrayer's Kenneth the page, who bravely refused, explaining "It would be an honor to die at my post and be given the traditional burial of a Parcell man – wrapped in the Confederate flag, fried and fed to dogs." Made me laugh out loud, as did so much of this episode. Could Tina Fey be any more delightfully unique? Her little flu shot dance for the creepy company doc was unforgettable.
Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and the entire 30 Rock cast and crew are on an insane roll, and this is a great time to recommend the show to anyone you know who hasn't caught onto it yet. There is something for everybody in the show, from broad slapstick to witty dialogue, all performed by an ensemble company that's obviously thriving under the increased attention the show is getting these days.
What a show! Spread the word! 30 Rock on NBC is the best comedy on television -- pass it on!
(I hope you've noticed the Hulu widget on our sidebar here with 30 Rock clips! Good place to go for a quick fix!)
Here's something guaranteed to relieve post-Mad Men depression, pre-election jitters and the fact that it is sadly not Friday yet. After what seemed like an obscenely long wait, the brilliant and hilarious 30 Rock returns, tonight on NBC at 9:30. Always a critical favorite, but never a ratings star, it will be interesting to see if any of the publicity from Tina Fey's SNL Sarah Palin impersonation translates into a wider audience for 30 Rock. Couple that with Alec Baldwin's Emmy win for playing Jack Donaghy, the world's most lovable self-absorbed TV honcho, and this show has the best chance ever to increase its numbers.
Not since The Dick Van Dyke show has a TV program about the making of a TV program been so wildly entertaining. Tune in tonight for the continuing adventures of Liz Lemmon, Jack Donaghy and (my personal favorite) Kenneth the page (Jack McBrayer) who's bunny rabbit demeanor obscures a fierce ambition to make it in the TV world!
Best of all, 30 Rock is coupled with The Office at 9pm, so we will have a solid hour of laughs again on Thursday nights!
If you love Jon Hamm as Mad Men's Don Draper as much as we do here at The Flaming Nose, you won't want to miss his guest hosting appearance tonight on NBC's Saturday Night Live.
Couldn't come at a better time to get some nice exposure for Mr. Hamm and Mad Men, of course. SNL is on a roll these days, parlaying some daffy political satire, an uncannily incisive impersonation of a certain VP candidate by SNL-alum Tina Fey, and whatever else put the fire back in their belly -- and let's not forget NBC's opportune scheduling of several extra primetime SNL specials to coincide with election campaign events -- to propel them to ratings records.
Let's hope a little of Saturday Night Live's current magic rubs off on Jon Hamm and Mad Men, the best show out there on TV that most people aren't watching yet.
Adding to my 2008-09 fall season premiere blog (2 or 3 posts below), time to give Saturday Night Live some attention, having just watched last night's show. A definite sign of my age: watching "Saturday Night Live" on Sunday morning!
I won't say Tina Fey single-handedly saved Saturday Night Live, but she may be the person most responsible for resurrecting the NBC institution. Her dead-on (and hilarious) impersonation of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin drew me, and perhaps hundreds of thousands of other formerly-devoted SNL viewers, to the season premiere two weeks ago. After taking a week off, Fey drew me back again last night and what I experienced was perhaps the best SNL show in a decade. I can't really make that judgement accurately because I have only tuned in sporadically over the past 10 years. The show just didn't seem that funny anymore. The season premiere 2 weeks ago was good, but host Michael Phelps really didn't add much. In fact, I think he detracted.
Last night, all the stars lined up. The writing was superb, the performances were great, and the show's rhythm was nearly perfect. Anna Faris did a fantastic job as host, and musical guest Duffy was a delight (I'm already a big fan of hers). The writing was crisp, funny and sharp. None of the skits seemed to run too long. Even on SNL's best shows, in its best years, there were always those one or two skits that kind of bombed. Last night even the worst skit wasn't bad at all. And Weekend Update was a gem. Get that DVR rewind button ready - Kristen Wiigs' Judy Grimes character must be watched repeatedly. I'm not sure if Wiig deserves an Emmy, or an Olympic gold medal because her "just kidding" routine is as much vocally athletic as it is comic. Here's a clip:
If last night's show is any indication of what kind of season we're in for, I think SNL could be heading to a new golden age. I'm going to stay with it through the midpoint of the season (unless it turns unwatchable several weeks in a row). The cast seems smaller right now than in past seasons, and that will help those of us who've been away for a while get to know these comedians more quickly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Wow. If it was as painful for the attendees as it was for those of us watching at home, our condolences. Other than a few bright spots, this was a dull-as-dishwater Emmy telecast, a curiously bland affair which gave lipservice to the idea of the 60th anniversary of the awards but did nothing to evoke any emotional response to the notion.
I'm sure those who advocated for the new Reality Host category were tickled pink, but to repeatedly hand over precious minutes of the telecast to the wincingly unfunny blathering from the five-headed do and know-nothings was a crucial mistake and sunk the awards. What was up with the timing of the show, anyway? Some people were hurried on, some winners hurried off, as if preserving those awkward host bits were job one. More of those hosts rather than something from Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris? I don't think so.
There were a few bright spots -- Ricky Gervais, who unfortunately didn't take home any awards from his superb nominated Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale, was droll and unexpected, a bit confrontational and fascinatingly so.
And every time Tina Fey was on, she was a delight. Boy, if she isn't a terrific role model for smart girls everywhere! I also liked the interaction between Fey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus during her Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy acceptance speech, when Fey joked that her husband had told her to act like J L-D, and that it was working out for her really well. To which Julia did a hilarious thumbs-up.
As our correspondent Scott noted, the Josh Groban TV theme song medley was pretty good, not exactly a sentimental walk down memory lane, but an interesting pastiche of eras.
In terms of the awards themselves, biggest disappointment for us was Stephen Dillane not getting the Emmy for his Thomas Jefferson in John Adams, and that Tom Wilkinson got it for his Benjamin Franklin. It was that beaver hat, I tell ya. They went for the flashier performance, not that Wilkinson wasn't excellent, but hmmm...still think Dillane should have gotten it. And we also desperately wanted Ashley Jensen to get hers for her supporting role in the Extras finale.
Nice showing for John Adams overall, excellent wins for Mad Men, both well-deserved. And when that Mad Men cast went up on stage -- what a stunning ensemble. It's a really different looking group, not blandly glamorous, but so very interesting to look at. Let's get more people hooked on this tremendous show!
What were your Emmy impressions? Loved the Awards, hated the show? We did.
Bryan Cranston Wins for Lead Actor in Drama Series for his work in Breaking Bad.
So happy to see this wonderful win for Cranston! Very heartfelt and obviously he was surprised. Nice shout out to his wife, his sister and his daughter. So happy about this one!
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series -- Tina Fey for 30 Rock! Good win, nice gal, she's such a hilarious combination of gorgeousness and wit. Gotta love her.
Jimmy Kimmel giving award for Outstanding Reality Host -- they are making a big deal out of this first-time category. Mostly they are annoying, but these five folks probably are watched more than anybody in any of the other categories. Holding the winner until after the break as a funny touch...
We turn from the our dark side -- the abject worship of Dexter -- to one of The Flaming Nose's other favorite things, the delightful Tina Fey's delightful sitcom 30 Rock on NBC. There's a new episode tonight at 9pm, after an hour-long The Office, so don't miss either one!
I just read a nice article on the CBC website about Tina Fey, and you might also enjoy taking a look at it here. She's certainly hilarious and adorable and smart, and we also can't say enough great things about Alec Baldwin as her boss Jack on 30 Rock. He's in a tie here at The Flaming Nose for most attractive and irresistible older man on TV -- tied with Keith Carradine as Special Agent Lundy on Dexter -- and we desperately love them both.
Why aren't more people watching this show? Do you think they're mistakenly confusing it with the old 3rd Rock from the Sun? (I'm only half-joking; that might be enough to put anybody off.)
If you haven't warmed to 30 Rock yet, cuddle up with your remote and start tonight, then go online and catch up with episodes and recaps and all sorts of other resources to put you in the know. You know how important laughter is -- it heals, for heaven's sake! -- so get yourself a dose!
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Take a break from your Lincoln contemplation tonight to tune into what promises to be a tremendous episode of 30Rock entitled St. Valentine's Day, especially tremendous if you're a big fan of Jon Hamm, as we are.
