30 Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

THE MOVIE — 4.0/5

Series Synopsis: 30 Rock centers on young Liz Lemon (TINA FEY), currently head writer for a live sketch-comedy show in New York. Complications follow when the network’s new president, Jack  orders Liz to hire mentally unstable movie star Tracy Jordan to join the cast, throwing neurotic leading lady (and Liz’s best friend) Jenna Maroney into a tizzy. Liz tries to juggle all the egos around her while trying to chase her own dream.

Quick Hit Review: 30 Rock wasn’t a series that I ever watched, not a single second. There’s no reason in particular, just didn’t watch many shows live or via DVR outside of the occasional Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins and Ghost Hunters (judge me all you want). In any case, this was my first time watching and I can see how it received the hype and awards over the course of its seven seasons. It might not be to the level of a Seinfeld but pretty darn close, and Tina Fey proves to easily be the funniest person working today (and that Mean Girls was not some fluke).

Beyond Fey, this is fantastic ensemble cast. Alec Baldwin may be a jerk and grade A a-hole, but he’s pitch-perfect as network exec Jack Donahghy, a character who has a similar personality, though far more likeable and Tracy Morgan is a lot of fun playing an uber-crazy superstar. Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer both are wonderful in more supporting roles, the latter especially stands out as a loveable goof.

Looking it over, 30 Rock received a ton of award nominations and wins between the Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes, most notable Fey and Baldwin who certainly are the two consistent standouts over the course of the seven seasons (nominated for all in the Outstanding Comedy Series, winning three). And based on what I watched in this short time, well deserving in all respects.

Not entirely sure 30 Rock is the best comedy series I’ve seen as I would rank Seinfeld and Frasier ahead, as this does make for a fun, light-hearted viewing, perfect for these times we’re living in, the ability to dive into any random episode.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 5.0/5

Mill Creek hits it out of the park once again with these complete series releases. This massive 20-disc set are housed in two HD keep cases with discs 1-10 in the first, and 11-20 in the second and each season are on 3-discs save for one season being on two. Additionally, all bonus material from the DVD releases have been ported over.

SEASON ONE:
Episode Commentaries — ‘Tracy Does Conan’ (Actor Tracy Morgan), ‘Black Tie’ (Actress/Creator Tina Fey), ‘Hard Ball’ (Executive Producer Lorne Michaels and son Henry Michaels), ‘Fireworks’ (Actor Jack McBrayer), ‘Hiatus’ (Actor Alec Baldwin

Deleted Scenes — ‘Pilot’, ‘Blind Date’, ‘Tracy Does Conan’, ‘The Break-Up’, ‘The Head and the Hair’, ‘Up All Night’, ‘The C Word’, ‘The Fighting Irish’ and ‘Hiatus’

Other Features: The Wrap Party, An Evening with Kenneth, Behind-the-Scenes and Makin’ It Happen

SEASON TWO:
Episode Commentaries — ‘Jack Gets in the Game’ (Actor Will Arnett), ‘The Collection’ (Actress Jane Krakowski and Actor Jack McBrayer), ‘Somebody to Love’ (Actor Fred Armison), ‘Cougars’ (Actor Judah Friedlander), ‘Episode 201’ (Tina Fey and Composer Jeff Richmond), ‘MILF Island’ (Actor Scott Adsit), ‘Subway Hero’ (Actors Tim Conway and Jack McBrayer), ‘Succession’ (Executive Producer Robert Carlock and Co-Executive Producer John Riggi), ‘Sandwich Day’ (Tina Fey), ‘Cooter’ (Krakowski and McBrayer)

Deleted Scenes — ‘SeinfeldVision’, ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, ‘Cougars’, ‘MILF Island’, ‘Sandwich Day’

Other Features: ‘Cooter’ Table Read, 30 Rock Live at the UCB Theater, Tina Hosts SNL, Academy of Arts and Science Presents: An Evening with 30 Rock

SEASON THREE:
Episode Commentaries — ‘The Bubble’ (McBrayer and Jon Hamm), ‘Apollo, Apollo’ (Executive Producers Robert Carlock and Jack Burditt), ‘The Ones’ (Krakowski and McBrayer), ‘Mamma Mia’ (Actor Alan Alda), ‘Kidney Now!’ (Fey and Richmond)

Deleted Scenes — ‘Do-Over’, ‘The One with the Cast of Night Court’, ‘Gavin Volure’, ‘St. Valentine’s Day’, ‘Cutbacks’, ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Kidney Now!’

Other Features: Behind the Scenes with The Muppets, 1-900-OKFACE, ‘Kidney Now!’ Table Read, The Making of ‘Kidney Now!’, Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery, Alec Baldwin’s SNL Monologue, Tracy Jordan’s Rant, Award Acceptance Speeches

Note: The bonus menu shows there are commentaries for ‘Flu Shot’ and ‘Goodbye, My Friend’, however there were none. From my research, these episodes featured Tina Fey, Jeff Richmond, Judah Friedlander and John Lutz.

SEASON FOUR:
Episode Commentaries — ‘The Mountain’ (Actors Donald Glover and Gillian Jacobs), ‘Audition Day’ (Baldwin and L. Michaels), ‘The Problem Solvers’ (Krakowski and McBrayer), ‘Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001’ (Adsit and Director Don Scardino), ‘Black Light Attack!’ (Actors Lutz and Sue Galloway), ‘Verna’ (Fey), ‘Anna Howard Shaw Day’ (Krakowski and McBrayer), ‘Don Geiss, America, and Hope’ (Writers Tracey Wigfield and Tom Ceraulo), ‘Argus’ (Fey and Richmond) and ‘Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land’ (McBrayer and Hamm)

Deleted Scenes — ‘Season 4’, ‘Sun Tea’, ‘Secret Santa’, ‘Verna’, ‘Floyd’ and ‘Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land’

Other Features: Behind the Scenes of ‘The Moms’, Behind the Scenes of ‘I Do Do’, Tennis Night in America, Food Network’s Ace of Cakes: 30 Rock (and Roll), Photo Gallery

SEASON FIVE:
Episode Commentaries — ‘Live Show’ (West Coast Version) (Fey and Director Beth McCarthy-Miller), ‘Brooklyn Without Limits’ (Morgan and Producer Jerry Kupfer), ‘Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish’ (Jack McBrayer, Betty McBrayer and Jim McBrayer), ‘Christmas Attack Zone’ (Actors Forte and Val Kilmer), ‘Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning’ (Lutz and Galloway), ‘It’s Never Too Late for Now’ (Friedlander), ‘Queen of Jordan’ (Ceraulo and Wigfield), ‘Plan B’ (Fey and Richmond), ‘100’ (Scardino and Aaron Sorkin) and ‘Respawn’ (McBrayer and Hamm)

Deleted Scenes — ‘The Fabian Strategy’, ‘When It Rains, It Pours’, ‘Let’s Stay Together’, ‘Reaganing’, ‘Gentleman’s Intermission’, ‘College’, ‘Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish’, ‘Christmas Attack Zone’, ‘Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning’, ‘Double-Edged Sword’, ‘TGS Hates Women’, ‘Queen of Jordan’, ‘Plan B’ and ‘Everything Sunny All the Time Always’

Other Features: ‘Live Show (West Coast Version’, Behind the Scenes of ‘Live Show’, Jack Donaghy’s Executive Superhero and Jenna’s Obituary Song

SEASON SIX:
Episode Commentaries — ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Watching’ (Ceraulo and Wigfield), ‘Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky’ (Friedlander), ‘Standards and Practices’ (Jack McBrayer and Billy McBrayer), ‘Live from Studio 6H’ (Krakowski and Richmond)

Deleted Scenes — ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Watching’, ‘Idiots Are People Three’, ‘The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell’, ‘The Tuxedo Begins’, ‘Leap Day’, ‘Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky’, ‘Standards and Practices’, ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, ‘Meet the Woggels’, ‘Queen of Jordan 2’, ‘The Return of Avery Jessup’, ‘What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?’

Other Features: ‘Live from Studio 6H’ (West Coast Version), Behind the Scenes of ‘Live from Studio 6H’, Cheyenne Jackson & Jane Krakowski: ‘Live from Studio 6H’ Warm Up

SEASON SEVEN:
Episode Commentaries — ‘Mazel Tov, Dummies’ (Ceraulo and Wigfield), ‘My Whole Life is Thunder’ (Damian Holbrook and Writer/Producer Colleen McGuiness), ‘A Goon’s Deed in a Weary World’ (Krakowski and Richmond), ‘Hogcock/Last Lunch (Fey and Carlock)

Deleted Scenes — ‘Governor Dunston’, ‘Stride of Pride’, ‘Unwindulax’, ‘Aunt Phatso vs. Jack Donaghy’, ‘Game Over’, ‘Florida’ and ‘Hogcock/Last Lunch’

Other Features: The Donaghy Files and Tina Fey Studio Tour

VIDEO – 4.5/5

AUDIO – 4.25/5

OVERALL – 4.5/5

30 Rock is a hilarious show, probably the funniest one I’ve come across since Seinfeld and Frasier. The ensemble was pitch-perfectly cast headlined by Tina Fey and even Alec Baldwin, along with Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan. This Complete Series set from Mill Creek is a home run with an immersive amount of bonus content with 40+ audio commentaries and the video and audio transfers were both excellent.