There is no sitcom quite like 30 Rock. Although critics and viewers knew that Tina Fey had a natural talent for comedy writing thanks to her iconic work in some of the best early-2000s SNL skits and Mean Girls, they were still surprised by the zany characters, biting political commentary, and bizarre universe of 30 Rock.

This ridiculous but astute comedy created conventions and tropes that would be imitated for years to come. Tina Fey and her team of writers created the kind of surreal world where a song called "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" is a massive hit and where a wig company owns one of the biggest network stations in America. The real genius of the show, though, comes from the way Fey incorporated incisive commentary about 2000s America into this absurd world while having more jokes in a single episode than most sitcoms have in a season.

Perhaps rivalled only by Arrested Development and The Office, 30 Rock is the best sitcom of the 2000s (and first few years of the 2010s) because it doesn't seem like just a TV show. Watching 30 Rock feels like stepping into the funniest parallel universe in existence (not including the 2020 reunion).

Stellar Performances

At the heart of 30 Rock lies a plethora of amazing comedic performances by actors who brought to life their over-the-top characters without going too far. The talented cast was able to perfectly assimilate the absurd elements of the show while giving each character a soul and a heart. Before becoming infamous for an on-set accident in 2021, Alec Baldwin was seen as one of the best actors of his generation, a dramatic actor who knew how to be hilarious (as seen from the whopping 17 times he's hosted Saturday Night Live, not to mention his numerous guest appearances). Part of this reputation came from his stellar run as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock, a role for which the actor won two Emmys and received several nominations.

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There is also the severely underrated Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, one of the most hilariously vain and attention-seeking characters in television history. Although she never won any of her four Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Krakowski's Jenna Maroney has stood the test of time, having become a familiar meme online. Add to that iconic performances from Tracy Morgan as a hilariously bizarre parody of himself, Jack McBrayer as Kenneth, Scott Adsit as Pete, and Tina Fey as the self-deprecating Liz Lemon, and the result is simple of the best ensembles in TV comedy history.

Amount of Jokes Per Minute

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in the writers room in 30 Rock
NBC

But the real star of 30 Rock is the script. With a writers' room filled with comedic geniuses like Donald Glover, (echoing the writers room in the series itself), Tina Fey was able to create dialogue that garnered praise for being quick, filled with running gags, pithy lines, and an impressive amount of jokes per minute. In fact, The Atlantic did the math for us when it calculated the number of jokes per minute of popular 2000s comedies, and 30 Rock came out on top with an incredible average of 7.44 jokes per minute.

30 Rock took comedy to a whole new level, injecting every line of dialogue with puns, humor, and uproarious comebacks. Although some shows are now known for this kind of approach (Family Guy), what makes 30 Rock the best sitcom of its time is the fact that the jokes are actually good, and usually extremely good; sometimes they can be obvious, but there are also many subtle jokes that make it the perfect show for rewatching, making the batting average of jokes remarabkly high. It's a gift that keeps on giving, because every time the show is rewatched, a joke surfaces which was initially missed. The script of 30 Rock truly exhibits comedic talent and skill like no other.

In addition, the writers also created very solid characters with exaggerated personality traits to caricaturesque levels, which allowed them to create running gags like Jenna's crippling vanity, Tracy's ludicrous childishness, Kenneth's bizarre innocence, and Jack's evil corporatism. The sometimes cartoonish personalities, however, didn't strip the characters of emotional resonance and real endearment.

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Iconic Guest Appearances

Steve Buscemi asks "how do you do, fellow kids?" in 30 Rock
NBC

Perhaps thanks to the stature of its producers and actors (and their associations with Saturday Night Live), 30 Rock was able to get some of the best cameos of any comedy show ever made. Some of the guest appearances which made the show even better include: Will Arnett as Jack Donaghy’s nemesis (for which he received four Emmy nominations), Chris Parnell as the illiterate Doctor Spaceman, Steve Buscemi as a meme-able private detective, Steve Martin as Jack’s rich and eccentric friend who adores Liz, Carrie Fisher as a failed comedy writer, Matt Damon as Liz's pilot boyfriend, Jennifer Aniston as Liz's high school friend, and legends like Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Werner Herzog, and Oprah Winfrey as fictionalized versions of themselves. The list of guest stars could go on for days, but suffice it to say, the casting director at 30 Rock was responsible for some of the most iconic comedy moments of the 2000s and 2010s.

Political Commentary

Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey walk into a room in 30 Rock
NBC

Taking aim at the corporate greed personified by Jack Donaghy and the idealist liberalism personified by Liz Lemon, 30 Rock did not spare anyone. The comedy commented on the complicated politics of post-9/11 America by making fun of everyone, highlighting the absurdity of political disagreements and the hypocrisy of both Republicans and Democrats. Apart from certain racist and inappropriate jokes which have since been taken out of syndication and removed from streaming platforms, 30 Rock has stood the test of time largely because it still reflects our political landscape. One party only cares about making a profit and the other party only cares about scolding them but not doing anything about it themselves, and this series takes everyone to task. 30 Rock is definitely a "liberal" show but, as Mother Jones writes, was never preachy about it, and still "produced some of the sharpest political satire seen on American television in recent years."

Thanks to its sociopolitical humor, excellent cast and cameos, and rapid-fire humor, the series remains one of the best comedies of all time. The writers and actors weren't afraid to make fun of themselves, which makes the show incisive and unpredictable. Overall, 30 Rock is the most intelligent, the funniest, and the best sitcom of the 2000s.