One of the better 30 Rock sight gags is Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy holding a pie chart with NBC’s “programming priorities breakdown,” about 70 percent of which is The Biggest Loser. The much smaller slices: “Everything Else” and “Make It 1997 Again Through Science or Magic.” Would you settle for 2009
The casts of NBC standouts Community and Parks and Recreation virtually reunited to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts, while you can’t go with two days without someone from The Office doing something with someone else from The Office. Now it’s 30 Rock‘s turn.
On Tuesday, NBC announced that the 30 Rock cast, including Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer, among others, will reprise their characters from the Emmy-winning comedy for an upfront special. “The hourlong special will air at 8 p.m. July 16 and be ad-free and focus on stories and talent featured in NBCUniversal’s 2020-21 season,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. “The pre-recorded scripted special will be rebroadcast across USA, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, Syfy, and CNBC, as well as available to stream on Peacock on July 17 at 9 p.m.” If “Tracy Morgan on Peacock” sounds like a 30 Rock joke come to life, that’s because it kinda is.
Looking at NBC’s 2020-2021 schedule, you could replace “The Biggest Loser” with “shows beginning with Chicago,” and otherwise keep the pie chart as is. It’ll be nice to see my friend Liz Lemon again, but I’m mostly looking forward the oral history of the special, where Tina Fey reveals all the Law & Order jokes she wasn’t able to tell.