Jerry Seinfeld To Guest On 30 Rock Tonight.

[Stuck In The '70's]

http://nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070716000000-televisionsuperstar.html

TELEVISION SUPERSTAR JERRY SEINFELD RETURNS TO NBC TO GUEST-STAR AS HIMSELF IN NBC'S '30 ROCK' DURING COMEDY'S SECOND-SEASON PREMIERE OCTOBER 4
Published: July 16, 2007






BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – July 16, 2007 - Jerry Seinfeld returns to NBC in a rare guest-star turn when he appears as himself in the second-season premiere of NBC's critically acclaimed comedy "30 Rock" on October 4 (Thursday, 8:30-9 p.m. ET), it was announced today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

"Thursday night is a powerful comedy line up for NBC. To have Jerry join '30 Rock' for its second season launch is impressive, to have him return even for one night in his old Thursday night turf -- is just classic," said Silverman.

"I was thrilled to be asked to guest star on NBC's hit comedy '30 Rock'. I think it's going to be so refreshing for me to be playing myself in a show that has nothing to do with neurotic, dysfunctional New York characters," said Jerry Seinfeld.

"We're very excited to have Jerry on '30 Rock'. Finally, my parents have an excuse to watch the show," added Tina Fey, star/creator/executive producer of "30 Rock."

Although Golden Globe winner Seinfeld will play himself in the episode, viewers can tune-in to see how he shakes things up with the abrasive network executive Jack Donaghy (Baldwin). He joins an impressive array of actors and personalities who have appeared on "30 Rock," including Paul Reubens, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, John McEnroe, Maury Povich, Ghostface Killah, Elaine Stritch, Sean Hayes, Nathan Lane, Molly Shannon, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell, Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis.

Seinfeld's return to his NBC roots will include not only his guest role on "30 Rock," but he will also create and star in 20 unique live-action comedy "minisodes" (as previously announced), inspired by his experiences creating the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature film "Bee Movie," in theaters November 2. NBC Universal will also have the exclusive U.S. broadcast and cable network rights to the film, which features Seinfeld as the voice of Barry B. Benson, a disillusioned bee. Produced by Seinfeld and DreamWorks, the 20 comedy shorts will give viewers a glimpse at Seinfeld's behind-the-scenes antics during production of the movie. The minisodes will run on NBC's primetime schedule this fall, as well as on NBC.com, on designated days before and after the release of the film.

"30 Rock"– billed by Entertainment Weekly as "…clever but not too cool, daffy but not slapstick, NBC's 30 Rock...the funniest sitcom on TV" - is told through the comedic voice of Fey (as Liz Lemon) and features Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy) as a top network executive and Tracy Morgan (Tracy Jordan) as the unpredictable star of Lemon's hit variety show, "TGS with Tracy Jordan." Lemon had her hands full this past season, juggling corporate interference from Donaghy and off-the-handle star antics from Jordan, all while attempting to salvage her own personal life.

Also rounding out the cast in the half-hour comedy are: Jane Krakowski (Jenna Maroney) as the deposed star of "TGS," struggling to reclaim her top billing on the show; Scott Adsit (Pete Hornberger) as the variety show's producer whose marriage is seemingly always on the mend; Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the Page) as the over-eager and effortlessly endearing NBC page; Judah Friedlander (Frank) as the sardonic slacker on the writing staff, and Katrina Bowden (Cerie), as the show's clueless but beautiful receptionist.

Born in Brooklyn, NewYork, Seinfeld attended Oswego College and transferred to Queens College in New York City. His career took off after a successful spot on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in May 1981, at age 27. He followed the break with appearances on "Late Night with David Letterman" and "The Merv Griffin Show." In 1989, Seinfeld teamed with one-time stand-up colleague Larry David to create "The Seinfeld Chronicles," which eventually turned into the long-running and Emmy Award-winning NBC comedy hit "Seinfeld."

"30 Rock" is from Broadway Video & Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios. The executive producers are Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live"), Fey, JoAnn Alfano ("Sons & Daughters"), Marci Klein ("Saturday Night Live"), David Miner ("The Tracy Morgan Show") and Robert Carlock ("Friends").

[catlover79]

I can see Jerry on a show like this. My best to him.

[TJL]

Cool! I can't wait to see Jerry and Alec together!

[Stuck In The '70's]

http://blog.nj.com/alltv/2007/10/sepinwall_on_tv_seinfeld_makes.html

Sepinwall on TV: Seinfeld makes a detour to '30 Rock'
Posted by Alan Sepinwall October 04, 2007 4:55AM
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"What's happened to this network?" an incredulous Jerry Seinfeld asks NBC executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) in tonight's "30 Rock" season premiere.

What's happened? That's an easy one: Jerry left. He left to count his millions and make brilliant AmEx commercials and cut off his mullet, and NBC slowly but surely went into the toilet, much like Kristin Davis' toothbrush in that "Seinfeld" episode where she played his girlfriend.

And now he's back, trying to help the network out -- and plug his movie -- by guest-starring on "30 Rock," the reigning Emmy winner for best comedy and arguably the funniest show NBC's aired since "Seinfeld" ended.

Seinfeld plays himself in a plotline that has Jack using CGI effects to insert Jerry's image into episodes of current NBC series for a promotion called "Seinfeld-Vision." He becomes a contestant on "Deal or No Deal," a perp on "SVU," and the guy on "Heroes" who awkwardly shouts, "Save the cheerleader, save the world!"

So now can Seinfeld save the low-rated "30 Rock" and, by extension, the network?

Based on the last time Seinfeld tried to lend his celebrity to a good but struggling NBC comedy, probably not -- but it's fun to watch him try.

Ten years ago, when "Seinfeld" was at its peak, Jerry agreed to guest on an episode of "NewsRadio" as a favor to that show's director, Tom Cherones, who directed most of the early "Seinfelds." "NewsRadio" had limped through the better part of three seasons, bouncing from timeslot to timeslot and rarely drawing ratings that reflected how good it was, and Seinfeld's appearance wasn't enough to make people start paying attention. The show stuck around two more years, always as one of the lesser lights on NBC's schedule at the time.

I don't expect Seinfeld's "30 Rock" appearance to do much better. People tune in for shows, not stars, or else there wouldn't have been all that stupid talk of a "Seinfeld" Curse after his second bananas each flopped with new sitcoms.

Still, it's a funny episode, even though it (and next week's show) don't represent "30 Rock" at its absolute peak.

Seinfeld's an admittedly terrible actor, even playing himself. The self-conscious hamminess works in the "Seinfeld-Vision" gags, but it's more awkward when he's working opposite the brilliant Baldwin -- or even creator/star Tina Fey, who's become an assured, likable actress in short order. (She also does a pretty good Seinfeld impression.)

One of the strengths of "30 Rock" has been the way it balances the show biz satire with more pointed observations about people and relationships. There can be throwaway jokes like Jack boasting of a summer reality schedule that included shows like "America's Next Top Pirate" and "Are You Stronger Than a Dog?," but also a flashback to Fey's Liz Lemon as a little girl, when even her romantic fantasies had lowered expectations. We see young Liz holding up two teddy bears and explaining, "This is my husband Saul Rosenbear, and this is his son Richard from a previous marriage."

The funniest ongoing storyline of the new season oddly spotlights vapid actress Jenna (Jane Krakowski), a character who was little more than deadweight last year. Now she's dealing with a different kind of weight, as she spent her hiatus starring in "Mystic Pizza: The Musical!" and had to eat four slices of pizza in every show. She's not fat, per se, but she's sure not actress thin, either.

Jack takes one look at her jiggly new midsection and declares, "She needs to lose 30 pounds or gain 60. Anything in between has no place on television."

Fat jokes in general are about as tired as mother-in-law jokes, but Fey always manages to find a new spin on very familiar material, in a way that makes you laugh even as you're nodding and thinking, "Yeah, that's about right."

"30 Rock" had one of the highest joke-per-minute rates you'll ever see on a sitcom, and when Fey promised over the summer that she wanted to let the jokes breathe more, I worried that she was going to destroy one of the best things about the show. If there's a little more space between punchlines now, it's only just enough so people with DVRs won't have to keep hitting the instant replay button to catch them all. The gags still come fast, and they still come strange, particularly when NBC page Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) or Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), the deranged star of the show-within-the-show, are involved.

The premiere establishes that Tracy's been kicked out by his wife, Angie ("The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd), for a long list of grievances, notably the fact that, as Tracy admits, "I like to minister to transvestite prostitutes." (And by "minister," he means he tries to enroll them in computer school.)

He moves into his dressing room and appoints the chipper Kenneth as his "office wife," larding him with more complaints about Angie, like the fact that she kept his "Sharper Image White Noise Aromatherapy Machine" because "she knows I can't sleep without the sound of the ocean and the smell of bacon."

As the Angie/office wife storyline moves along, Tracy tries to keep a stiff upper lip, telling Kenneth, "Angie is in the past, like Dracula and broadcast television."

Broadcast TV in general and NBC in particularly aren't nearly as powerful as they were back in the "Seinfeld" glory days, but "30 Rock" is a strong reminder that the networks still have some great shows to offer.

30 Rock (Tonight at 8:30 on Channel 4) Jerry Seinfeld guest stars on the season premiere of the comedy about life backstage at an NBC sketch comedy show. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star.

[TJL]

Outstanding episode! Jerry was hysterical.

Great season premiere all around. I am glad 30 Rock is back.

[HugeTVFan]

Now all we have to see is how it did ratings-wise. Was it big or was it small? Did the return of Jerry Seinfeld to Thursday nights a ratings knockout or was it a flop? Whenever the overnight stuff is announced, we will find all of the answers.

[Cactus Jack]

It was HILARIOUS

[AB]

I don't usually watch the show but I tuned in for Jerry.

[Tish]

Alec & Jerry. I was in heaven. :happyface

[Stuck In The '70's]

I've only seen a handful of episodes but I am starting to warm up to this show.

[Schmoopie]

I don't usually watch the show but I tuned in for Jerry.

Me too, and it was hilarious! I loved it! I had no idea he had done a spot on News Radio. I might have to check that out!:wave:

Andrea