Defamer: 30 rock

Blergh: The New York Times is as fed up with ...

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:22:42 PDT

Blergh: The New York Times is as fed up with the lack of 30 Rock as we are, noting that Tina Fey "is about the hottest star in show business at the moment" thanks to those Emmy wins, American Express commercials, and Sarah Palin guest spots, and yet the third season of the rating-challenged sitcom still hasn't yet premiered to take advantage of Fey's heat. Embattled NBC head Ben Silverman takes the blame: "If we knew then what we know today about how hot Tina was going to be, would we do it differently? Maybe." The "business juice"-quaffing Silverman then announced plans to incorporate Fey into several of his struggling new series; expect a new, Palin-like voice for KITT on Knight Rider and a Kath & Kim & Liz Lemon crossover to thrill audiences before 30 Rock's season premiere sometime in the year 2011. [NY Times]

Tina Fey Plans Potential Move to Outer Space In Case of Sarah Palin Victory

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:40:41 PDT

Though playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live has given a huge boost to Tina Fey's already percolating profile, Fey herself is not so keen on the added workload. Already, she has implored the Emmy press room to help vote an end her portrayal on November 5, and now Fey is telling TV Guide that if Palin wins the vice presidency, 30 Rock will have to find brand-new ways to shoot in low-oxygen environments:

The "SNL" veteran who has come back to play the Republican Vice Presidential candidate (and whose own show, "30 Rock," is still nowhere to be seen), said, "We're gonna take it week by week. If she wins, I'm done. I can't do that for four years. And by 'I'm done,' I mean I'm leaving Earth."

Fey also said it's a busy but exciting time for "SNL."

"Election time is always good for [SNL] and this is a bonkers election," she said. "And that lady is a media star. She is a fascinating person, she's very likeable. She's fun to play, and the two bits with Amy [Poehler], that was super fun," Fey says.

Is Fey merely one-upping her costar Alec Baldwin's notorious rumored claim that he would leave the country if George W. Bush was elected, or should 30 Rock begin looking for contingency plans that offer it some new, interstellar tax credits? Sure, Tracy Morgan already has experience in outer space, but we fear the move would slash the sitcom's impressive guest star list considerably. Heads up, Tina: Oprah does not do the rings of Saturn, OK?

Tina Fey On Sarah Palin: "If She Wins...I'm Leaving Earth" [HuffPo]

Alec Baldwin Also Not a Fan of Dane Cook's Vagina-Like Face

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:35:57 PDT

Back in August, comedian Dane Cook assailed the marketing job for his upcoming movie My Best Friend's Girl, claiming that it was the "best / funniest film" he'd ever made but that its quality was overshadowed by a photoshopped poster that left his face looking like "Brittany Spears' [sic] vagina." Then, the film actually came out, and critics treated Cook's vulva-tastic mug like it was the least of the rom-com's problems. Now, co-star Alec Baldwin is leaping into the fray, admitting on his official website that he'd rather watch My Name is Earl than have to sit through My Best Friend's Girl again:

Recently, someone posted here a rather harsh criticism of the movie MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL and laid into me, with a vigorous and stinging tone, suggesting that the film was beneath me and that they were severely disappointed in me for participating in it.

They were right.

The movie is not very good at all.

The only thing I offer you is an explanation. Not an excuse.

In the movie business, few people, if any, set out to make a bad or even mediocre film. The script, director, cast and production values lead one to believe that there is an opportunity to be had there. Whether that opportunity is for a low-brow, yet funny, comedy or for a soaring drama, for an action film experience unlike any other or an unforgettable love story, movie people arrive at work with high hopes. They work hard to try to serve good material or elevate that material that may have a few "holes" in it.

But not every movie is THE GODFATHER or FORREST GUMP or ANNIE HALL.

Yes, I have made some pretty awful films. But, like most film and TV actors I have known, I would have gone to any lengths to make them better.

Filmmaking is a highly risky endeavor, more so today than ever.

For you. And for me.

Points for honesty, Alec, though we're beginning to get a little concerned about your new habit of diminishing every role you've ever taken, whether it's fluff like My Best Friend's Girl or a masterpiece like 30 Rock. Sir, you've got a well-earned Emmy — go rest on your laurels before you start disavowing your "In the Year 2000" guest stint on Conan O'Brien.

[Photo Credit: AP]

Guestbook [AlecBaldwin.com]

Finally, NBC Gives a Grateful Nation New '30 Rock' Footage

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:50:53 PDT

Though her multiple SNL appearances as Sarah Palin have certainly boosted Tina Fey's cultural cachet, true Fey nerds can have their thirst quenched by only one thing: new 30 Rock! NBC has cruelly delayed the third season premiere until November 6 (correction: November 6 is actually the date of the network-teased Oprah episode — October 30 will see the somewhat less-buzzworthy, Megan Mullally-guesting premiere), but the network parceled out a thirty-second morsel of the new season last night.

Naturally, the blurb went heavy on guest stars like Jennifer Aniston and Steve Martin (gotta shore up those ratings!) but any new footage of the Emmy-honored Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy sets our mindgrapes a-racin', no matter how brief. In a cold, show-vanquishing fall landscape dotted with shows like Knight Rider and Kath & Kim, can 30 Rock possibly come fast enough? Save us, Liz Lemon! You're our only hope! [NBC]

Peter Dinklage Seeks Palin Impression Advice From The Master

Douglas Reinhardt — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:27 PDT

Boomp3.com

Hunky indie film star Peter Dinklage approached the Jedi master of Sarah Palin impressions, Tina Fey for a few helpful tips on how to nail down Palin’s legendary wink. Fey said that there was nothing special about the wink, other than simply winking. Fey demonstrated her wink, which floored Dinklage. After watching Fey wink a few times, Dinklage developed enough courage to perform his own Palin wink. Fey winced slightly as Dinklage’s eyelid shut tightly and quickly reopened. Dinklage asked for some feedback and Fey said that he was going to need a lot of practice.

[Photo Credit: Splash Pics]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

Does Alec Baldwin Have His Own Sarah Palin Impression? You Betcha

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:52 PDT

Tina Fey had better watch her back — if she continues with her cutting Sarah Palin impressions on Saturday Night Live, she might find herself fired (or sniped from above thanks to a far-afield Alaskan helicopter). Fortunately, her 30 Rock costar Alec Baldwin will be available to step into the breach: he unveiled his own Sarah Palin impression on Friday's edition of Real Time with Bill Maher. While the vocal mimicry isn't quite up to par with Fey's (or Baldwin's own tour-de-force 30 Rock therapy scene), we have to breathe a sigh of relief that Baldwin didn't call the candidate a "lipsticked, vile little pig." Thank goodness for small favors! [Real Time with Bill Maher via HuffPo]

Doggone It, Sarah Palin Wants an 'SNL' Cameo Of Her Own

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:20:21 PDT

Appearing in the flesh on Saturday Night Live is a time-honored ritual for many political names, including the three biggest of this past election cycle: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have both put in cold opening cameos, while John McCain actually hosted SNL in 2002. Still, for all the mileage that the show has wrung out of Sarah Palin's vice presidential candidacy, Palin herself has yet to appear on the show — though according to the Chicago Sun Times, that may change very soon. In fact, sources in the McCain camp say that they have a very specific idea in mind to help Palin avenge herself upon the fired, lifeless body of her nemesis, Tina Fey:

Some key McCain staffers are content with Palin joking about the "SNL" routines on the campaign trail — as when she scribbled "I'm not Tina Fey" on a supporter's cell phone and said she'd dressed as Fey on Halloween. But others — including the governor herself — think a return punch on the NBC airwaves is what's needed.

I'm hearing some sort of Palin tweak of Fey's American Express commercials is in the works.

While next weekend's ''Saturday Night Live'' will be a rerun, it is possible Palin could appear Thursday on the first of NBC's ''Weekend Update'' specials in prime time.

Otherwise, the next orginal "SNL'' show will be broadcast Oct. 18, a little more than two weeks before the election.

While we're skeptical that Martin Scorsese would return to spoof the famous American Express commercials he made with Fey, at least we know that Palin would be receptive to his pitch for a Boca time share (after all, her two greatest loves are Jews and Cuban food). Perhaps David Zucker is available as a fill-in? Oh, who are we kidding — after this weekend, of course he is!

[Photo Credit: AP]

Take that, Tina: Palin wants to spoof her spoofer [Chicago Sun-Times]

'SNL' Will Have Its Reward In Heaven After This Sarah Palin Debate Skit

Kyle Buchanan — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:26:53 PDT

With less than a month left to go in this presidential election, Saturday Night Live expands its resurgent political brand into special Thursday episodes starting this week, though it's hard to see how they could possibly outdo the trilogy of Tina Fey-as-Sarah Palin appearances that continued into last night's episode. Spoofing the mega-rated vice presidential debate, Fey joined Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden and the previously-rumored Queen Latifah as moderator Gwen Ifill for a blockbuster, near-twelve minute sketch that left no participant unscathed. Still, despite the skit's jabs at Biden and Ifill, this was, as ever, Fey's moment, and she delivered her most cutting performance yet. Do we have video of the sketch after the jump? Doggone it, you betcha:

Saturday Night Live [NBC]

How 'SNL' Plans to Cover Last Night's Debate (Without Having to Actually Hire a Black Woman)

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:50:00 PDT

Though pundits like Time's Mark Halperin are claiming that last night's vice presidential debate left Saturday Night Live little to parody (really?), it's hard to imagine that SNL would leave its ratings on the table by ignoring what was perhaps the most-anticipated Sarah Palin event of the entire election year. Now, according to EW's Michael Ausiello, SNL does indeed plan to cover the debate, which leaves it with one problem: the moderator, Gwen Ifill, was a black woman, and SNL still has none in its cast. It's the same problem the variety show has run into when covering Michelle Obama, and just as rumors flew that Lorne Michaels had approached Maya Rudolph about that role, SNL has its sights set on a very specific Ifill impersonator who's not a member of the actual cast:

On the off chance this weekend's SNL features a spoof of tonight's vice presidential slugfest, I can tell you who will be playing PBS moderator Gwen Ifill: Queen Latifah. A well-placed source confirms to me exclusively that SNL has gone ahead and secured Latifah's services for Saturday's show. The insider cautions, however, that the debate sketch isn't 100 percent locked — and a final decision might not come down until Saturday. There's also no official word as to whether Tina Fey would be back as Palin.

With Palin herself now appropriating Fey touches like goofy, stalling winks, one would hope Fey would return to cap off what may be a trilogy of SNL appearances spoofing the candidate. Again, though, we have to ask: can't SNL just add a black comedienne to its cast? The show has been on for thirty-six seasons and has only managed to add a handful of black women to its roster of performers. To quote from the parlance of our times, is that change we can believe in, or is it more of the same?

[Photo Credit: AP]

Casting Scoops: 'SNL,' 'Grey's,' 'Housewives,' 'Damages,' 'Old Christine,' and More! [EW]

After 'Late Night' Cameo, Tina Fey Nearing Goal Of Appearing On Every NBC Show

Mark Graham — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:45:00 PDT

After the landmark ratings success that was the 2008 Summer Olympics, NBC was anxious to capitalize on the momentum they had built leading into the fall. However, despite all that promotional exposure, Beijing Ben and the NBC team haven't yet been able to convert in the ratings department: Knight Rider tanked, Chuck and Life both saw their ratings dip from their 2007 premieres and The Office could only muster a third-place finish in its lovey dovey season premiere last week. However, there is a bright spot; the network has gotten big bumps in both the awareness and ratings department thanks to the white-hot star power of homegrown talent Tina Fey. While fans will have to wait until the end of the month for 30 Rock to return to the air, NBC has been satiating America's desire to see its new Emmy sweetheart by repeatedly trotting her out during its late night lineup. She has appeared as Sarah Palin on SNL not once but twice and, last night, she made a cameo appearance along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a bit that can only be described as the ying to Ricky Gervais' and Steve Carell's faux Emmy duel yang. Watch NBC's clear cut MVP hitting another one out of the park after the jump.

Late Night With Conan O'Brien [NBC]

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, Take Two

Kyle Buchanan — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:14:33 PDT

Though Tina Fey has publicly voiced a desire to stop playing Sarah Palin in November, Lorne Michaels issued the Emmy winner the comedy equivalent of a stop-loss last night, conscripting Fey for a second tour of duty as Palin on Saturday Night Live. This time around, Fey and Amy Poehler spoofed the vice-presidential candidate's bungled sit-down with Katie Couric, and though the sketch will forever live in the shadow of the instant classic original (and we would rather have seen Kristen Wiig play Couric than the hugely pregnant Poehler), there were still some worthwhile bits. Our favorite? Fey-as-Palin's talking points meltdown (at 2:50 in the video).

The sketch, after the jump:

Alec Baldwin Stops By Conan Just For Shits and Giggles

Nick Malis — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:20:00 PDT

We were so wrapped up in all that Letterman/McCain business, we almost forgot about this nice little surprise from last night’s Conan. Fresh off his best actor Emmy win for 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin stopped by the Late Night set unannounced for a brief round of “In The Year 2000.” It seems like Alec’s been rocking those Buddy Holly glasses even more these days, which is always fun. Plus, he actually gets off a couple of decent jokes. Check in after the jump to hear his zinger about li’l Bristol Palin (with a bonus Kirstie Alley-is-fat chestnut by Conan thrown in for good measure). [Late Night With Conan O'Brien]

Blow Up Your TV: Defamer Liveblogs the 2008 Emmy Awards

STV — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:06:00 PDT

Sunday greetings from Defamer HQ, where television's! Biggest! Night! has us shaking off our hangovers for live coverage of the 60th annual Emmy Awards. That's right — we're doing this live, bypassing that silly West Coast tape delay for the straight dirt as it happens on the red carpet, inside the Nokia Theater and wherever else history and fools are being made on this historic evening. You know the subplots to watch for over the long night ahead, so read along and join the party. And heads up: Spoilers (and a few advance clips) follow for anyone who can't bear to know Heidi Klum's hosting benchmarks or how much ass Mad Men is kicking before watching for themselves in primetime. That said, we've already filled you in this year's heroes in comedy and drama; what more is there to know? After the jump, join us on the express elevator into the heart of Emmy hell!

10:56 We've never been happier to see Tom Selleck; he's presenting Outstanding Drama to... MAD MEN. Our thoughts exactly! Not a bad way to go out, and not a minute too soon — we're Emmyed out, we think. Thanks for joining us — where's the bar?

10:54 Mary Tyler Moore and Betty White present 30 ROCK with the Outstanding Comedy Emmy.

10:45 Kimmel cuts to commercial before revealing the Best Reality Host award-winner. Clever! We'll take advantage of it: The Yankees are up 5-3 in the sixth inning of the final game at Yankee Stadium. And ... they're back, and the world seems a little lesser place knowing JEFF PROBST is an Emmy winner.

10:37 Look what Rickles hath wrought: Now Kiefer's not even allowed to walk to the podium out of a commercial break; he just materializes Kieferishly to present Best Actor in a drama... who is... BRYAN CRANSTON for Breaking Bad? What? We'll have to come back to this; Craig Ferguson and Brooke Shields are sprinting on to present Best Actress in a comedy... who is... TINA FEY for 30 Rock. Bryan Cranston. Huh.

10:32 This In Memoriam montage is kind of bracing. Charlton Heston, Isaac Hayes, Sydney Pollack... and George Carlin apparently died twice.

10:26 Candice Bergen hands off Best actor in a comedy to ALEC BALDWIN for 30 Rock. Gahhhh! We can't keep up! America Ferrara and Vanessa Williams come out to present Best Actress in a drama... who is... GLENN CLOSE for Damages.

10:23 Glenn Close is just so... classy. She should be hosting! Anyway, she presents Best Actor in a movie or miniseries... who is... PAUL GIAMATTI for John Adams.

10:15 Greg Yaitanes just won an Emmy for directing House. House has directors? Who knew? And Matt Weiner won the dramatic writing prize for Mad Man. Naturally.

10:09 Don Rickles encore! He wins best performance in a variety/music show, telling most of the same jokes he told in Mr. Warmth — the documentary/concert film he just won for. And the circle is complete.

10:01 John Adams wins Best Miniseries. Producer Tom Hanks gets to show off his Da Vinci sequel coiffure; it's good to see the Vatican hasn't gotten him yet.

9:59 Kathy Griffin joins Don Rickles to present, standing ovation ensues. Rickles is killing: "Let's read these funny lines they wrote for us! ... Hey folks, this crap got me no place, I'll tell you that right now." The show resumes, with The Amazing Race nabbing Best Reality Competition. Rickles cuts the producer off and drags him offstage. Sigh. More like this, please.

9:50 We need an intermission! Can we interest anybody in any air sex?

9:45 "This dried up prune has the experience we need!" Even Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are on fumes presenting Best Director for a miniseries or movie... who is... JAY ROACH for Recount. He thanks his wife, ex-Bangle Susanna Hoffs, which promptly gets him thrown off stage. Best writing, meanwhile, goes to John Adams.

9:42 The Emmys has now regressed to CSI's changing of the guard: Laurence Fishburne picks up the keys from Bill Petersen while presenting Supporting Actor for miniseries or movie... who is... for Recount.

9:35 Christian Slater and Christina Applegate present Best Made for TV movie... which is... Recount.

9:31 That whole Piven host-bashing acceptance speech an hour ago got worse backstage, we hear: ""I thought we were being punk'd. [...] I was confused. [In the room] it was like in The Producers when they do Springtime for Hitler. There's a, 'What was actually happening right now?' There was a great line about Sarah Palin that landed. But it was confusing. From Lucille Ball on, television has been so entertaining. And this was a celebration of nothingness so it was confusing."

9:21 Lauren Conrad is presenting an Emmy. With David Boreanaz. On the bright side (as if it gets darker) TINA FEY comes out of it with the Outstanding Comedy Writing award for 30 Rock.

9:15 The most brutal part of this Laugh-In number is that it may very well have imploded its legacy among any viewers who hadn't seen it before. It's appallingly unfunny and beyond depressing. The whole thing leads into the Outstanding Comedy or Variety show... which is... THE DAILY SHOW. Suck it, Colbert.

9:07 Alec Baldwin fails to plug his book while presenting Lead Actress in a miniseries or movie... who is... LAURA LINNEY for John Adams.

9:03 After a start that had us tying a noose, we admit that Josh Groban's opening-theme lightning round is kind of weirdly riveting. He had us at South Park.

8:52 Giving Tommy Smothers a 40-years belated Emmy for writing on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Steve Martin drops "perspicacious, multifarious and placatory" and about 90 percent of the viewing audience in a 10-second burst. Smothers himself loses the rest. But we're back now!

8:48 Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Hayden Panitierre present Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Program to... THE COLBERT REPORT. Shocker! Jon Stewart gets thanked but looks like he's caught on camera reaching for his flask.

8:43 Conan O'Brien: "I would have had better stuff tonight but Katherine Heigl wrote my material." Zing! Then he presents Supporting Actress in a drama ... who is... DIANNE WEIST.

8:36 Ricky Gervais busts Steve Carell's balls in the best bit of the night. Careful, Ricky — Ryan says they're enlarged! And for what it's worth, Louis Horivtz — yes, the Louis Horvitz — won the variety-show directing prize for this year's Oscars.

8:33 Wait — Jackée Harry won an Emmy? These montages are great.

8:26 The ladies of Desperate Housewives present Supporting Actor in a drama ... who is... ZELJKO IVANEK. We missed it, but more importantly: Did Eva Longoria know she'd only get literally six words in? She's a team player after all!

8:18 Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is wearing a dress made of salmon scales, presents Supporting Actress in a comedy ... who is... JEAN SMART. 2 for 2.

8:11 Tina Fey and Amy Poehler present Supporting Actor in a comedy... who is... JEREMY PIVEN. Naturally he takes his bombed joke out on the hosts: "Thanks to the 11 of you who laughed. What If I just talked for 12 minutes. That would be the opening!" Really, Pivs, you can go the Heigl route any time now. PS: Defamer Emmy predictions are 1 for 1.

8:05 Jeff Probst: "We have absolutely nothing for you." And really, they don't. So who do they turn to? Who else: Bill Shatner. And we guarantee that was the first and last time he'll ever tear off a supermodel's clothes.

8:00 Are we the only ones who don't get the opening monta— OMGZ OPRAH!!

7:53 Aw! Christina Applegate is on hand, looking great and sounding great. That is all.

7:43 Kimmel's ABC special has an OK faux-interview with Salma Hayek, but the real action is back at the Twilight Zone of E!, where Giuliana Rancic points out that Bryan Cranston is the only actor to play both a crystal meth dealer and Frankie Muniz's father.

7:28 Lackluster as Tina Fey's Seacrest interlude was earlier, she's still got a highlight from the E! broadcast. Remember the timeshare Martin Scorsese pushed on her in that American Express spot a while back? Finally, the details!

7:19 Jeremy Piven finally showed up — no date(s) apparently, his Mom is "over it." Aren't. We. All.

7:15 Now here's some news: Eva Longoria and Tony Parker were held up in a bomb scare. Ever the professional, Seacrest segues effortlessly into Housewives' five-year plot jump. Did we mention this award is his to lose?

7:05 "We're joined by the cast of Entourage..." But where is the Piv? Picking up his date(s)? Developing...

6:51 Breaking! Britney Spears wanted to come back to How I Met Your Mother when Sarah Chalke's storyline was reintroduced. Not so fast, alas — the producers will have to get back to her about that.

6:47 Are Seacrest and Steve Carell bonding over enlarged balls? They are! Is it 8 yet?

6:43 More breaking development news! Marcia Cross confirms there will be no Melrose Place revival.

6:39 How the other half lives: On TV Guide Channel, Lisa Rinna has back-to-back interviews with Tony Shalhoub and Zeljko Ivanek intercut with arrivals footage of... Phylicia Rashad.

6:32 That Tracy Morgan interview was the most boring 90 seconds of his career.

6:22 Jenna Fischer looks great, and now she's saying there's no Office spin-off at all — i.e. "cannibalizing the granddady," as Seacrest says. Not that, either, Fischer says.

6:14 Emmy ParentWatch continues! Seacrest shoves aside a weak Kathy Griffin for Rainn Wilson, who brings up his own old man for a chat. After the troubling disclosure about some Wilson/Jason Reitman reunion called Bonzai Shadowhands ("I play a drunk, down-and-out ninja"), a more scintillating update reveals they're holding off a year for the Office spin-off. And three weddings this year. Huh.

6:07 Because the world needs another Sandra Oh interview like it needs another Fey/Palin comparison, Seacrest brought her parents in for the Q&A — Mr. and Mrs. Oh from Ottawa. Fun fact: Her mother is a scientist!

6:00 OMG!!!! Finally — Seacrest, Klum, Bergeron, Mandel, and Probst, all together at once on E! This truly is the impossible dream, and Probst is going tie-less. Slob. Kiss the Best Reality TV Host prize goodbye.

'Yeah. Not Sarah Palin. I Just Play Her On TV Sometimes.'

Douglas Reinhardt — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:20:00 PDT

Boomp3.com

Opting to go without her trademark glasses, Emmy nominee Tina Fey still had to fight off the Sarah Palin comparisons and questions while leaving LAX baggage claim. Even the limo driver assumed that she was the wildly popular vice presidential candidate. Fey explained that she just played the Alaskan air huntress in a sketch and that she was becoming a bit tired of the comparisons. “She hunts moose and doesn’t know a thing about password protection," Fey said. "I made Saturday Night Live watchable for four years. I think I have more executive experience than her. Serkplatt!”

[Photo Credit: Bauer-Griffin]

Defamer Predicts the 2008 Emmys: Comedy Edition!

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:40:00 PDT

It's just two days before television's biggest event (that isn't the American Idol finale, the Oscars, or a political convention speech), and we at Defamer are gearing up to fulfill all your Emmy needs — at least, the ones that don't involve white linen slacks. Don't forget, we'll be blogging the Emmys live from the East Coast starting at 7pm EDT/4pm PDT (West Coast spoilerphobes, beware: the Emmys air here tape-delayed). So who do we expect to be taking home the hardware? After the jump, get our official predictions in the Emmys' comedy categories (for dramas, head right here):

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
30 Rock - Alec Baldwin
Monk - Tony Shalhoub
The Office - Steve Carell
Pushing Daisies - Lee Pace
Two and a Half Men - Charlie Sheen

With last year's surprise winner Ricky Gervais out of the mix, the stage is set for Alec Baldwin to take home the first of what will most likely be several Emmys for his role as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock. Clinching the deal? Baldwin submitted the episode containing this season's instant classic therapy scene:

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
30 Rock - Tina Fey
The New Adventures of Old Christine - Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Samantha Who? - Christina Applegate
Ugly Betty - America Ferrera
Weeds - Mary-Louise Parker

If this is not Tina Fey, Sarah Palin will have all the Emmy voters fired.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Entourage - Kevin Dillon
Entourage - Jeremy Piven
How I Met Your Mother - Neil Patrick Harris
The Office - Rainn Wilson
Two and a Half Men - Jon Cryer

While Neil Patrick Harris has had a career-best year, How I Met Your Mother is still little-seen. The Emmys fear change, especially in the comedy category (five-time winner Candice Bergen and four-time winner John Laroquette both eventually withdrew their names to give other actors a chance), so this award should go to the Pivs in a walk.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Pushing Daisies - Kristin Chenoweth
Samantha Who? - Jean Smart
Saturday Night Live - Amy Poehler
Two and a Half Men - Holland Taylor
Ugly Betty - Vanessa Williams

My Name is Earl's Jaime Pressly took home this award last year, but this time she's not even nominated (neither was dark horse Jenna Fischer for The Office). Kudos to Amy Poehler for becoming the first modern Saturday Night Live performer to score a supporting actor nomination, but Emmy loves a veteran, so we expect this to go to two-time winner Jean Smart.

Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
Two and a Half Men

Curb Your Enthusiasm is a weak-fill in for last year's nominee Ugly Betty; frankly, we're surprised that the dazzling Pushing Daisies pilot couldn't muster up the votes to fill that fifth slot (the strike-truncated season could have sapped its momentum). All the buzz is with 30 Rock right now — not only did it win in this category last year, but none of its challengers are coming off their best seasons. If anything besides Tina Fey's expertly crafted sitcom wins, we promise to liveblog an episode of Two and a Half Men as penance.

Alec Baldwin Resisted Impulse To Leave Foul-Mouthed Message On Death's Answering Machine

Seth — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:15:00 PDT

We hardly consider it overstatement to declare this The Golden Age of What's Going On in Alec Baldwin's Noggin, for never before have we—the more-than-casual Baldwin obsessionists that we are—had access to literally reams and reams of the ursine 30 Rock star's internal musings. There was, of course, the recent 8,000+ word profile in the New Yorker, in which we learned that something about the Hamptons air turns Baldwin into a deerstalking homosexual nudist. Yes, that was good—but it wasn't enough! So we dive now—like a hairy, naked gay man into a platter of freshly broiled venison—into leaked excerpts from Baldwin's upcoming memoir, "A Promise to Ourselves." In it, he reveals how villainous, sippy-straw-twirling TMZ suzerain Harvey Levin very nearly drove him to suicide with the release of his infamous Thoughtless Little Pig voicemail:

Baldwin had been trying to reach his daughter, then 11, but "she was off for spring break with her mother and her phone was turned off for 10 consecutive days ... This had gone on for years now and ... when the beep came, I snapped. [Levin] seemed to be that breed of tabloid creature that realized an almost sexual level of pleasure from ruining other people's lives."

"He has created TMZ as the updated receptacle of ... trash," Baldwin writes. "He leads a cadre of self-satisfied twentysomethings who jump like rats from public relations sinking ship to sinking ship."

The release of the tape caused Baldwin to become suicidal, as he and the agoraphobic actress had been fighting in court over their daughter for six years.

"Driving up the Taconic Parkway, heading to an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, I began to think about what little town I would repair to in order to commit suicide. What semi-remote Massachusetts state park could I hike deep into and overdose there? When I returned to New York, the thought of jumping out the window of my apartment was with me every night for weeks."

Needless to say, thank God Baldwin resisted that destructive impulse, and in doing so saved the life of not just one of America's most gifted actors, but also that of the hapless doorman he'd have all-but-certainly crushed beneath his fleshy, plunging frame.

Why Alec Baldwin's all the rage [nydailynews]

Free to Good Home: IMDb yesterday uncorked ...

STV — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:10:00 PDT

Free to Good Home: IMDb yesterday uncorked about 6,000 movie and TV titles available for free viewing via Hulu, including recent episodes of The Office, 24 and Battlestar Galactica; site officials also noted that new episodes of some series — 30 Rock among them — will be available in advance of their airdates this fall. Not so with the site's full-length features, however, which, beyond classics like The Night of the Hunter and Some Like it Hot, include Dude, Where's My Car?, Liar Liar and The Scorpion King, finally testing the critical consensus that their makers can't give these films away. We shall see! [IMDb via NYT]

Has Liz Lemon Been In The Tank For McCain All Along?

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:15:00 PDT

Though we noted a while back that Tina Fey as Liz Lemon and VP candidate Sarah Palin share more than a passing resemblance, we were quick to point out their dramatic differences on issues like gay marriage, the economy, and crappy exes. Our Liz Lemon is a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, we insisted — until Good as You reminded us that in a self-flagellating monologue during season one of 30 Rock, Lemon admitted that though she might tell her friends she was supporting Barack Obama, she'd likely cast a secret vote for John McCain. Is Fey, then, that much-pursued Hillary voter who can be lured to John McCain by nothing more than a fellow set of horn-rimmed glasses? Perhaps that Life cover shoot was more prescient than we realized... [Good as You]

Body Massages By Jennifer Aniston

Douglas Reinhardt — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:40:00 PDT

Boomp3.com

As shooting on 30 Rock dragged into the wee hours of the morning, popular actress Jennifer Aniston offered free neck rubs and body massages to day players and crew members to boost morale. Aniston said, "I finally got a chance to put those six months at massage school to good use. It's just so nice to give back." Aniston's makeshift massage tent generated a huge line, despiteher strict anti-happy ending policy. Aniston added, "That's kind of gross. Maybe if the individual was my lover, but a lighting guy, not so much. Love what they do, but not that much."

[Photo Credit: INF Daily]

This Cover of 'Life' May Be The Closest You'll Ever Get To Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

Kyle Buchanan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:45:00 PDT

When we pointed out last week that potential veep candidate Sarah Palin bore a strong resemblance to Tina Fey as Liz Lemon (except for their stances on important social issues), never did we imagine the proof would come in the form of this Life cover from September 2004. Striking a remarkably similar pose to her current Rolling Stone spread (what is it with her and men with ties?), Fey needs little else besides an exotically named brood and a hilarious accent to complete her remarkably accurate Palin impression. In fact, according to Poynter Online, the cover shoot may have given John McCain some ideas:

He was thrilled to meet her and they got along very well: They had lunch and he gave her an impromptu tour of the Senate building. Makes us wonder if when McCain met Palin for the first time, he said, 'You know, you remind me of someone..."

We're a little skeptical that the Life shoot was McCain's first introduction to Fey — after all, he'd previously guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live while Fey was still head writer. And, as long as we're pouring cold water on rumors, let's dash the hopes many hold that Fey will cameo on the SNL season premiere as Palin. Something tells us that SNL will be spoofing Palin until the election (and beyond), in which case they'll probably use a regular like the Palin-a-like Casey Wilson. Still, let's enjoy the Life cover as a snapshot of what could have been. Lord knows, Fey has more pressing concerns to handle right now.

Poynter Online

Exclusive: 'My Name Is Earl' Creator Greg Garcia Labels Alec Baldwin An 'Unlikeable, Psychotic Narcissist'

Mark Graham — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:40:00 PDT

While we found yesterday's 8,000 word New Yorker profile of Alec Baldwin to be an engrossing (if entirely too long) read, we were able to find one person who was less than impressed by Baldwin's long-winded rants about the perils of being impossibly rich and famous: My Name Is Earl creator/executive producer Greg Garcia. In the piece, not only did Baldwin blast the suits who run NBC's programming and promo departments for "wring(ing) the last drops" out of Thursday night comedy staples like Earl and Scrubs while 30 Rock is treated like a "red-headed stepchild", he also indirectly criticized the quality of said shows by labeling both as "done" and "cooked." Naturally, this irked Garcia, who spoke exclusively with Defamer this morning about his thoughts on his show's performance, 30 Rock's ratings and, of course, Baldwin himself:

"Maybe the reason enough people aren’t watching 30 Rock to make Mr. Baldwin happy is because Alec Baldwin is so unlikable as a person. 30 Rock is a really funny show. And Alec Baldwin is funny as long as someone else is writing his words. When left to his own devices, he sounds like a psychotic narcissist who whines about being rich for 8 pages in The New Yorker."

"Instead of blaming NBC, I think Alec should consider that some people in America may not want to watch a man who cusses out his own 11 year old daughter on a phone message, calling her a “rude thoughtless little pig.” It’s a shame that the people who produce such a funny show have to put up with such a distasteful man on a daily basis. It makes me thankful to have such a wonderful cast on My Name is Earl, a show that is still going strong and has helped bring an audience to 30 Rock over the last few years. You’re welcome, Alec.

Oh, and the reason NBC occasionally puts on an hour-long episode of Earl is because an hour of Earl gets better ratings than an Earl followed by a 30 Rock. It’s called math, stupid."

Huzzah! We've got to admit, nothing warms our cockles like a good ole fashioned catfight between two strong anchors of NBC's Thursday night lineup. We would think that Ben Silverman would be able to bring peace to these warring factions, but then again, it's a crapshoot as to whether or not he's even showing up for work these days. Our only piece of advice at this point is directed to Greg Garcia: if Alec Baldwin decides to ring you up this afternoon, be sure to let that call go straight to voicemail.

PREVIOUSLY: Inside Alec Baldwin: A 'Nudist,' A 'Homosexual,' A Rock Music Aficionado, And a Tormented Soul

Inside Alec Baldwin: A 'Nudist,' A 'Homosexual,' A Rock Music Aficionado, And a Tormented Soul

Kyle Buchanan — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:25:00 PDT

Though we'll miss you for the next half-hour, reading the New Yorker's brand-new, 8,168-word profile of 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin is most certainly the best thing you could do all day. Entitled "Why Me?", it's the story of a manic, magnetic actor having a mid-life career resurgence obvious to everyone but Baldwin himself. Though everyone around the actor tries to convinces him that his stint as Jack Donaghy is the role of a lifetime, Baldwin can't quite settle down and enjoy himself; in fact, he initially wanted to do no more than six episodes of 30 Rock per season. That NBC wanted (and eventually got) him to sign up for more earned this hilarious, My Name is Earl-lacerating monologue from Baldwin:

“I said, ‘Go fuck yourself,’ ” Baldwin remembered. “I saw it as network scumbags trying to fuck you around. Zucker, I like”—Jeff Zucker, now the president and C.E.O. of NBC Universal, was then running NBC television—“but everybody who works for Zucker I have reservations about.” He added, “If the show does succeed, it’ll be something of a fucking miracle, because NBC hasn’t done a fucking thing to help this show at all. This show is the red-headed stepchild in the lineup. They’ve gone out of their way to wring the last drops out of ‘My Name Is Earl’ and ‘Scrubs.’ Those shows are done! They’re cooked! Yet they do a one-hour episode of ‘Earl’! You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” (Jeff Zucker told me, “Alec brings to ‘30 Rock’ a level of comedic excellence that is unparalleled in network television.”)

Then, this snapshot of the actor at home:

“In East Hampton, I’m a nudist and I eat meat,” Baldwin—a vegetarian—had said before my visit, expanding on the idea that he lived a quite different life on Long Island than he did in New York. “I shoot deer with a bow and arrow. I smoke the deer meat and eat it every morning with my eggs and toast. I am a homosexual. I listen to rock music, loud.” We had met at his house. Baldwin was wearing sandals; his shirt was untucked. There was nobody else at home.

Though it has been said about VP candidate Sarah Palin that her ability to wrangle four (five?) kids proves her worth as a candidate, we reserve our respect for Palin doppleganger Tina Fey, whose ability to wrangle Alec Baldwin is truly Herculean. He is a great, brash bear of a man whose pain we feel acutely; after all, a world without Jack Donaghy is a world where we would all be at home alone.

[Photo Credit: AP]

Why Me? [The New Yorker]

Breaking News: Jennifer Aniston is a desperate, ...

Kyle Buchanan — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:20:00 PDT

Breaking News: Jennifer Aniston is a desperate, man-obsessed stalker...on a fall episode of 30 Rock, shooting right now in New York! The former Friends actress will play Claire Harper, a "free-spirited, Fatal Attraction-like stalker" (and ex-roommate of Tina Fey's Liz Lemon) who falls for Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). After his efforts to rebuff her finally sink in, "Claire" will go a bunny-killing rampage that coincidentally claims the lives of Aniston enemies John Mayer and Wendy Williams. "No one told you life was gonna end this way," she will sing, before the clap-clap-clap of her handgun brings the scene to a close. [Us]

Sarah Palin vs. Liz Lemon: Who'd Make the Better Veep?

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:38:16 PDT

Shocking news today as John McCain refuted his choice of Heidi Montag as vice president, instead settling on heavily lip-glossed Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. As Jeff Wells notes, Palin has a certain resemblance to Tina Fey as Liz Lemon: the horn-rimmed glasses, the messy up-do, the required fealty to an older, conservative man in charge. But where does each stand on the issues? We combed through their records (and Hulu) to find out — the results, after the jump:

QUALIFICATIONS

Palin: Former mayor of a small Alaska town, she was elected governor of the state in 2006 and has served less than two years in that office.

Lemon: "Who's got two thumbs, speaks limited French, and hasn't cried once today? This moi."

GAY MARRIAGE

Palin: Against gay marriage and supports a federal gay marriage ban.

Lemon: "Just because I think gay dudes should be allowed to adopt kids and we should all have hybrid cars doesn't mean I don't love America."

THE ECONOMY

Palin: Believes that the Republicans can help get the economy and markets back on track, aimed to reduce general fund spending in Alaska by $150 million.

Lemon: "I've got, like, 12 grand in checking."

EXES

Palin: The Alaska legislature is investigating whether she put pressure on a state official to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper.

Lemon: "Last week was my birthday and everyone forgot except Dennis. He called and we went out and it wasn't weird."
Jenna: "And how was the sex?"
Lemon: "Fast and only on Saturdays—it's perfect!"

In conclusion, Barack Obama must immediately retract his nomination of Joe Biden, thus leaving him free to appoint fictional character Liz Lemon the new vice president of the Unites States of America.

Specs Thing [Hollywood Elsewhere]

That Must Be Some Good Lip Gloss

Douglas Reinhardt — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:30:00 PDT

boomp3.com

Apparently Tina Fey's lip-gloss must be really poppin', as witnesses testified that her eyes rolled straight back into her head within three seconds of application. Neither Fey nor her glam squad would unveil the secret ingredient that makes her lip-gloss so lip smackingly good. Fey said, "I'm a jack of all trades. Not only can I make you laugh and tighten your trousers, but I can develop the bomb ass lip-gloss that'll make your hipster boyfriend cut his hair, buy a pair of chinos, break up his band and get a real job."

[Photo Credit: INF Daily]

Fun and Games: And now, another installment ...

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:50:00 PDT

Fun and Games: And now, another installment of "You Win One, You Lose One" (NBC Thursday night edition)! Win: 30 Rock's Tina Fey and The Office star Steve Carell are teaming up to play a married couple in the big-screen comedy Date Night! Lose: It's being directed by the hacky Shawn Levy, who made Big Fat Liar and Cheaper by the Dozen. Win: Fey's costar Alec Baldwin is in talks to romance Meryl Streep in an untitled comedy... Lose: ...written and directed by Nancy Meyers, so it will no doubt be a cream-colored, two-hour-plus slog that looks like it came straight out of a Lands' End catalog. Thanks for playing! [Variety]

The Top 10 Female TV Characters Women Want To Be Like And Men Want To Be With

Seth — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:05:00 PDT

You didn't think we'd post last week's Top Ten of the coolest male TV characters without following up with one dedicated to all the honeys, now, did you? And while our definitive men's list—checked and rechecked by a panel of TV experts canvassed at various local correctional facilities and gourmet coffee outlets—surprisingly met with some vocal opposition, we're confident its vagina-filled counterpart will please even the most persnickety of TV-lady lovers. There's only one way to know for sure, however. Click play, and decide for yourselves.

Previously: The Top 10 TV Characters Men Want To Be Like And Women Want To Be With [Defamer]

Are You Sure You're Really Alec Baldwin? I Don't See It

Douglas Reinhardt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:15:00 PDT

boomp3.com

30 Rock star Alec Baldwin ran into a bit of trouble with airport security at LAX on Monday afternoon. The TSA officer was not one hundred percent sure that he was the person he claimed to be after examining his driver's license. Baldwin explained that he had a weird ID photo and attempted to replicate the facial expression from the driver's license. The TSA employee remained unconvinced and asked if Baldwin could recite his monologue from the 1993 film Malice. Baldwin delivered a stirring rendition of the God complex monologue and quickly cleared the security check point.

[Photo Credit: Bauer-Griffin]

Either I'm Super Tall Or Everyone Else Is Real Tiny

Douglas Reinhardt — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:55:00 PDT

boomp3.com

Hancock star Charlize Theron began to feel a tad bit self-conscious about her height while walking into 30 Rock for a taping of the Today show. The 5'10" actress noticed that she towered over all of her escorts into the studio. Theron said, "I know that I'm taller than the average girl, but those guys...the guys walking in me made me feel like I was Shaq or something." A member of Theron's entourage thought maybe it was her shoes that made her look so tall, but Theron thought it was a sensible heel size. Theron said, "It's only a two inch heel. So, that makes me what? Six feet? There has to be a guy in New York that's over six feet. Stop giving me a complex. "

[Photo Credit: INF Daily]

Dave Letterman Hasn't The Faintest Clue What It Is Jane Krakowski Is Talking About

Seth — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:15:04 PDT

· Wow—the backdoor compliments were really flying when Jane Krakowski took Letterman's couch last night, but luckily most of them flew over the talk show host's head. [Late Show]
· Behold: Today's unveiling of the massive Dave Beckham underwear ad on a San Francisco Macy's. If you think those bloodcurdling sounds at the beginning are bad, just wait until his Volkswagen-sized package is revealed. [YouTube]
· Speaking of which, we hear Will Smith has a similarly proportioned super-endowment in his new movie. [thelondonpaper.com]
· Robert Davis of Paste magazine and Sue Pierman of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are about to become the laughingstock of the terrible-Mike-Myers-movie-critiquing field. [Rotten Tomatoes]
·And finally: What the fuck is Mario Lopez's problem? No—like seriously. What is up with this dude? [Just Jared]

Alec Baldwin Already Assumes You Think He's Had Sex With Animals

DroppedCall — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:35:00 PDT

Alec Baldwin may have a surprising new lover —- the deericorn. In an interview with the New York Post about his seeming mid-life crisis, 30 Rock's master thespian railed at the tabloids for focusing all their energies on his unpaid voiceover work while missing all the truly interesting stories about his life. As Baldwin told the Post:

"The other 360 days of the year, when you're just handing out lollipops and riding unicorns through cotton-candy forests and everything's so magical, they don't report that."

Baldwin's right. In the wake of budget cuts, major news organizations have dropped their enchanted forest bureaus. His work as the Angelina Jolie of fictional, fairy tale creatures has gone largely unnoticed. But perhaps that's a good thing. Baldwin goes on to discuss his political ambitions, saying of potential skeletons in his closet:

"I would say to people: 'Assume I've done everything. I want you to assume I've had sex with animals.

Could his lollipop dispensing be a cover for something more sinister? Was Baldwin "grooming" the unicorns in a real-life version of his Pervy Camp Counselor sketch on Saturday Night Live? It seems it's only a matter of time before a disgruntled Centaur and Lorax team up for a sordid tell-all.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

Alec: All I Want Is To Be Loved [NY Post]

Alec Baldwin Fights Off '60 Minutes' Offensive With Thoughtful Age Gags

STV — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:15:00 PDT

For all the career renaissance we've seen from Alec Baldwin over the last three or four years, not even his Golden Globe for 30 Rock overshadows his legendary turn as "Sociopathic Father" in last year's wildly popular Web-exclusive release Thoughtless Little Pig. Even Morley Safer couldn't stop talking about it last night on 60 Minutes; in the accompanying video, watch the "appalling" Baldwin float like a butterfly and sting like a bee under Safer's withering sallies, punch back with word of his forthcoming book on "divorce and parental alienation" and finally score the knockout with his disarming rejoinder about a potential political career: "There's other things I want to do. I mean, in a matter of weeks I'm going to be 50... By 60 Minutes correspondent terms, I am a young man!" Oh, Alec, you bastard. We just can't stay mad at you. [60 Minutes]

WATCH VIDEO

Ben Silverman Ushers In Golden Age Of TV That Makes You Use A Computer To Find Out What The Fuck Happens

Seth — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:15:00 PDT

Game-changing perfect executive storm Ben Silverman gave the keynote address at the TelevisionWeek Upfront Summit in New York recently (a sorry substitution for a line of high-kicking dogs and ponies on the stage of Radio City, we realize, but what can you do). In it, the programming maverick laid out his bold vision for TV's cross-platform, "log on to NBC.com now to find out if Hiro ever gets off Samurai Island!"-future. From TVWeek.com:

"[Broadcast] will also be where we launch our episodic storytelling vehicles, but they will be living and breathing everywhere," he said. [...]
"Around our new offerings there will literally be shows that end on air and the last scene will continue online," he said.

When asked about the reputation he has developed in his short time on the job as an entertainment chief who works closely with marketers, he said that's due to the new generation of showrunners who are "friends" of advertisers. [...]
"Tina Fey loves American Express. They have been inside '30 Rock,' in the show. They have supported her through the Tribeca Film Festival," he said. "[Heroes creator] Tim Kring enjoys his relationships with Nissan. He felt Nissan helped empower the growth of that show."

Indeed, so jazzed is Tina Fey about the encroachment of corporate interests upon the storytelling process, she personally championed an upcoming 30 Rock B-plot in which, apropos of nothing, a man in a Soy Joy costume is gang-raped by the writing staff, his dead-eyed, still-convulsing body then dumped off the roof of the show's titular address and gored on a hot dog cart's umbrella below. The product integration is virtually seamless!

NBC's Silverman: Broadcast to Be Event-Driven [tvweek.com]

'30 Rock' To Anchor NBC's New Erection-Friendly 'MILF Hour'

Seth — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:22:15 PDT

Just weeks after NBC unveiled its much-touted, Ben Silverman-approved "family hour"—only to reveal their loose definition of "family" to include the holy hot mamas of 30 Rock's fictional (for now, at least) Mothers I'd Like to Fuck Island, and its inlet of pubescent discovery, Erection Cove—comes news that the network would be repositioning the sitcom in the more engorgement-friendly 9:30 slot, effective immediately:

"Rock," which has been airing at 8:30 p.m., will now benefit from having the Peacock's red-hot laffer "The Office" as its lead-in. "Scrubs" will inherit "Rock's" earlier timeslot.

Slot switcheroo is a no-brainer. "Rock" has been renewed for next season and is a key part of NBC's sitcom strategy going forward. "Scrubs," meanwhile, will air its final NBC episode in a few weeks.

Despite the brain-free nature of this schedule switcheroonie, we suspect the move was due at least in part to the increasingly racy nature of 30 Rock's plots— a restrategization prompted when Silverman swung into the writers room to congratulate the team on strong debut ratings, and glimpsed a dry-erase board covered in a grid plotting the next 12 Rock episodes by character and illegal sex-act.

NBC rolls '30 Rock' into hot time slot [Variety]

Vajuniors, Chihuahuas And Evil Stage Parents

Mark Graham — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:30:00 PDT

· Intrepid Defamer Videographer™ Molly McAleer watches a LOT of TV during the course of her day. Unfortunately, she sees a lot of funny moments that, for one reason or another, we don't get around to covering. She found herself with a few spare minutes this weekend and cut together this outtake reel of hilarious moments that we didn't manage to feature last week (save for KTLA's Jessica Holmes; her act is worth a second look). With that intro, please enjoy this feature that we haven't quite gotten around to naming yet. Enjoy and, if you have any suggestions for what we should call this, leave your suggestions in the comments! [Molls She Wrote]
· Proving that that they aren't going to let a little thing like a self-imposed "family hour" get in the way of making a buck (particularly after GE's atrocious first quarter earnings), it's NBC's officially licensed "MILF Island" t-shirt. [NBC.com]
· Nobody has more fun than Miley Cyrus. Nobody. [YouTube]
· Noted political heavyweight Brody Jenner has just released his official presidential endorsement. The resident beefcake of The Hills is voting for ... wait for it ... Obama! If you're wondering why, the answer is simple: "He's just cool!" Word. [Us Magazine]
· And just when you thought things were going bad for the State of California comes this news: California in for a devastating quake within 30 years. [SF Gate]

Ben Silverman's Idea Of 'Family Friendly' Programming Includes Rockin' MILFs And Prepubescent Erections

Molly Friedman — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:30:09 PDT

Earlier this month, NBC's resident rock star Ben Silverman announced his plans to deliver a warm and cuddly hour of programming in NBC's 8-9pm block. But last week's triumphant return of 30 Rock and The Office was notably filled with "vulgarities" one doesn't normally associate with family fun. As Silverman promised during the heart-warming press conference, he intended on making sure the first hour of primetime was "about family, and it's about heroes, real and super. It's good endings and the good guys winning." But as the NY Times points out today, the "good guys" are more likely to get bleeped than share PG lessons with viewers, and "winning" is more likely to be associated with causing erections on MILF Island.

While all we did was laugh and giggle ourselves silly throughout NBC's Thursday night lineup, we have yet to watch primetime television alongside any rugrats. And even though Seinfeld had its Contest and Friends got their hands dirty towards the end with talk of Rachel's fictional tranny stump, NBC's legendary sitcoms of yore rarely spelled it all out for us, favoring subtle references to all the sexy stuff over blatant bleep-worthy mention. So what's totally awesome Ben's excuse? As his lapdog Mitch Metcalf explains, times, they are 'a changin': "Metcalf said that the family-hour designation should be seen as offering 'direction for program development...Those days and those audience expectations are gone.'" Ah, so parents should really just get with the times and start teaching their little ones about the fiscal benefits of airing shows starring "holy hot mamas." Well hey, if Ben wants to invite the kids to party on MILF Island's Erection Cove, party they will. Just don't hold your breath waiting for our RSVP.

Kenneth the Page: Good Acting or Just Jack McBrayer?

Paula Dixon — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:00:00 PDT

With the return of NBC's 30 Rock only four (loooooong) days away, the New York Times has published a feature interview with one of the show's stars, Jack McBrayer. And we're pretty sure his comment about the underwear he was required to don, for the upcoming Forgetting Sarah Marshall, marks the first time the illustrious NYT has ever run the sentence, "They are not flattering on nobody." But that's the sort of thing that happens when a true country boy makes it big.

The first time we saw Jack McBrayer was years ago at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, long before he stepped into the shoes of Kenneth the Page or stole all of his scenes in Talladega Nights. But when this goofy smile-attached-to-a-body walked onstage, the whole crowd erupted in applause. He may not have been known to the public, but to those who knew him, he was already a superstar.

What makes McBrayer so likable as Kenneth the Page is the same thing that once earned him Employee of the Month at Applebee's: He is, in life as on 30 Rock, the sort of wide-eyed, aw shucks Georgia boy that all those dead-inside primetime TV executives simply cannot understand. (Often literally, as his ridiculously thick Southern drawl kept him from booking roles early on.) Jack McBrayer is the state fair in a velvet rope nightclub world, and we all want to eat his fried cheese on a stick.

Not-So-Alter Ego of Kenneth the Page, Still Soaking It In [NYT]

Tina Fey Blames Crafty Editing For Anti-Jon Stewart Comments

Seth — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:23:02 PDT

We're thrilled to report the extending of an olive branch in the East Coast-East Coast comedy wars that have devastated the industry since a Tina Fey quote in Reader's Digest appeared to openly question Jon Stewart's ability to earn sincere laughs, vs. politically aligned "clapter." Fey told cinemablend.com that the quote was taken out of context:

Fey: That thing was edited kind of weird.

I was really talking about audiences and how audiences respond weirdly to things. When I was talking I said, 'Like you know, on Weekend Update or anything' and that kind of went away so it seemed like I was saying something bad about those guys. I think they know that I think their show is great and would actually never be disparaging on their show."

While that should be satisfactory for most, we'd still like to see some sort of symbolic gesture to finally put this ugly chapter behind us: Perhaps Fey can appear as a guest on The Daily Show, at one point shedding her brightly patterned sun-tunic and climbing onto a circular bed for a gauzy-lensed, multi-position lovemaking session with the mistakenly maligned host, to the rapturous clapter of the studio audience.

30 Rock's Tina Fey Clarifies Her Remark About The Daily Show [cinemablend.com]