Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star as corporate executive Jack Donaghy and TV writer Liz Lemon (reverse respectively). Together, Jack and Liz manage the workplace chaos with no help from Liz’s loose-cannon stars Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney (Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski) and hapless NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer). The end result is topless break-dancing, professional tetherball, geriatric kidnapping, bird murder, sexual espionage, Appalachian witchcraft, patricide, gay lion tattoos and important life lessons learned from sasquatches.

CRITIQUE

What do you want to hear first? Do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is that 30 Rock keeps up with the laughs and funny situations.

What worked in the first and second season is expanded upon in the third season, such as going into even more detail about the characters and focusing on things happening in their lives outside of work. For example, Liz Lemon wants to adopt and Jack Donaghy falls for a Republican (danger!). The supporting characters also contribute to the show’s amusement factor.

The writing in the third season is solid and remains topical and culturally relevant with many references, and characters keep making sly remarks and Tracy Jordan keeps speaking nonsense. Steve Buscemi contributes as director of the episode Retreat to Move Forward, and the show’s regular directors Gail Mancuso, Beth McCarthy and Don Scardino, among others, all do a very good job.

The bad news? They don’t exist. Pulled a prank, didn’t I. That’s one of the things that will happen to a person with too much 30 Rock.

30 Rock Season Three DVD 22-episode disc by disc breakdown:

Disc 1:

Do-Over

Believe in the Stars

The One with the Cast of Night Court

Gavin Volure

Reunion

Christmas Special

Senor Macho Solo

Flu Shot

Disc 2:

Retreat to Move Forward

Generalissimo

St. Valentine’s Day

Larry King

Goodbye, My Friend

The Funcooker

The Bubble

Apollo, Apollo

Disc 3:

Cutbacks

Jackie Jormp Jomp

The Ones

The Natural Order

Mamma Mia

Kidney Now!

THE VIDEO

30 Rock is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture is sharp, and colors are solid and clear.

THE AUDIO

30 Rock is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. The audio sounds great and is clearly reproduced across the front speakers, there are no distortions. An English 2.0 Surround option is also offered. Optional subtitles are available in English SDH and Spanish.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentaries on 7 Episodes:

Flu Shot with Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond

Goodbye, My Friend with Judah Friedlander & John Lutz

The Bubble with Jon Hamm & Jack McBrayer

Apollo, Apollo with Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock

The Ones with Jane Krakowski & Jack McBrayer

Mamma Mia with Alan Alda

Kidney Now! With Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond

All the video-based extras are available on the third disc, and they are:

Deleted Scenes for a variety of episodes. Some good, some are not.

There are two featurettes on “how they did it”, specifically Behind-the-Scenes with The Muppets and The Making of “He Needs a Kidney”.

Season Finale Table Read is video of the cast reading the script around a big table.

Also featured is I-900-OKFACE, funny video of Tracy Jordan’s Rant, a few minutes of Alec Baldwin’s SNL Monologue , and several Award Acceptance Speeches.

Rounding out the extras is a general Photo Gallery.

FINAL THOUGHT

30 Rock continues to entertain in its third season, and with a couple of good extras, this set comes recommended to fans and casual viewers.