Gutted that season three of 30 Rock came to an all-star, all-singing conclusion last night? Well, don’t be too sad as we’ve had word from the lovely people at Comedy Central and they’re not going to keep you hanging on very long for season four.
In fact, we’re hearing Liz and Jack could be back as early as April. Hurrah for Comedy Central - aren’t you glad they stole it from the rather unappreciative Five now?
We just discovered that Tina Fey, the oh-so-talented comedian behind 30 Rock, does a quirky online section on the NBC website called ‘Ask Tina’, answering viewers’ questions about the show and about herself, as well as musing on her life… Highly entertaining! We’re off to brainstorm some questions to try to get them on her list… First up, does she use new Dove Deep Moisture (not that we’re finding the adverts annoying or anything…)
Hurrah! 30 Rock returns to UK tellyscreens on Monday in it’s new home on ComedyCentral (formerly Paramount Comedy). We’ve been scouring YouTube for some of the best clips, but it seems there’s been a bit of a clampdown. So here are four and a bit clips featuring some of the guest stars who’ll pop up, but also keep an eye out for Alan Alda, Steve Martin and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm. Here we go…
1. Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally [contains a couple of minor spoilers]
2. Jennifer Aniston
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. Salma Hayek
5. Sheryl Crowe, Moby, Someone from Maroon 5, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Costello and a dozen more pop stars. Admittedly, no video of this is currently on YouTube…
Roll on Monday!
Blimey, there are a lot of 30 Rock fans out there. We were inundated with entries for our competition to win a box-set of the first series on DVD, but sadly there can only be one winner - and that person is… drum roll… Robert Coupee from Poole in Dorset. Royal Mail permitting, the DVD will be winging its way to you in the next couple of days, Robert!
Meanwhile, don’t forget there’s still time to enter our competition to win a copy of Generation Kill and keep an eye out for more great competitions over the coming weeks.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED
30 Rock, our favourite new US comedy of 2008, is back for a new series next week (Five USA, Friday 20 February, 9pm) – and to get you in the mood, we’ve got a DVD box set of the first series to give away courtesy of those lovely people over at Five.
Set behind the scenes of a fictional comedy sketch show and starring Tina Fey as its head writer and Alec Baldwin as her overbearing boss, it’s one of the smartest and funniest American shows we’ve seen in yonks, right up there with the US version of The Office.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is answer this question:
Q. Which Republican Vice-Presidential candidate did Tina Fey famously impersonate on Saturday Night Live last autumn?
Email your answer to tvspy@ipcmedia.com, clearly marked 30 Rock competition. The closing date for entries is Friday 20 February.
1. The next obsessive, compulsive season of Monk will be its last.
2. Pamela Anderson is to guest star as herself in the US version of Kath & Kim.
3. Former 24 star Reiko Aylesworth will be involved in multiple romances in Lost.
4. And there’s plenty of backstage Lost info in this chat with the show’s producers - including why Mr Eko didn’t stick around for long…
5. One former County nurse who won’t be returning in ER’s finale series is Julianna Margulies’s grumpy-pants Carol Hathaway.
6. Alec Baldwin’s face has appeared on toilet paper in the Netherlands to promote 30 Rock.
Oprah Winfrey made her much-hyped appearance in the latest episode of 30 Rock, and she didn’t mind taking the proverbial out of herself or the many items she plugs on her show. This episode was a real return to form after the below-par season three premiere, with Tracy and Jenna taking their rivalry to quite offensive levels and the revelation that NBC faked many of America’s Olympic wins to improve their ratings (why isn’t that darn clip on YouTube?) Anyway - here’s Oprah (isn’t it?)!
And looks who’s making her first appearance next week…
Check out these mega ace clips to see just how crazy Jen’s gonna get.
Who’s about to crop up in 24: Redemption? What’s secretary Elaine been up to since she ditched her face bra? And whatever happened to that damn irritating dancing baby? Well, in the second of TV Spy’s brand new ‘where the Dickens are..?’ series we probe the current televisual and other careers of the former cast of Ally McBeal… Continue reading ‘Ally McBeal | Where are they now?’
There were celebrations all round for US comedy 30 Rock and historical drama John Adams, who had bagged 20 awards between them by the culmination of the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles last night.
30 Rock’s Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin scooped gongs for best Actress and Actor, Comedy Series, while their hit show was voted best Comedy for the second year running.
John Adams - which premieres on More4 next week - took home a total of 13 (yes 13!) trophies including best Miniseries and Miniseries Actor and Actress for Paul Giamatti and co-star Laura Linney.
Other big winners included Damages, which won Glenn Close the Actress, Drama Series award. “It really has been the ride of my career,” she revealed at the ceremony. “This was as good as any part you would find in a feature film.”
Meanwhile, Bryan Cranston won Actor, Drama Series for his role as Walter H. White in Breaking Bad, which debuts on FX on Sunday.
Other major winners included Mad Men which scooped best Drama Series and Jeremy Piven who took home Supporting Actor, Comedy Series for his genius portrayal of slimy agent Ari Gold in Entourage.
Here’s a clip of Tina Fey and actress Amy Poehler presenting the first award of the evening to Piven…
And here are the main winners..
• Drama Series: ‘Mad Men’
• Comedy Series: ‘30 Rock’
• Actor, Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, ‘Breaking Bad’
• Actress, Drama Series: Glenn Close, ‘Damages’
• Actor, Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, ‘30 Rock’
• Actress, Comedy Series: Tina Fey, ‘30 Rock’
• Reality-Competition Programme: ‘The Amazing Race’
• Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Programme: Jeff Probst - ‘Survivor’
• Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Zeljko Ivanek, ‘Damages’
• Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Dianne Wiest, ‘In Treatment’
• Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, ‘Entourage’
• Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Jean Smart, ‘Samantha Who?’
• Miniseries: ‘John Adams’
• Made-for-TV Movie: ‘Recount’
• Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Paul Giamatti, ‘John Adams’
• Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Laura Linney, ‘John Adams’
• Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Tom Wilkinson, ‘John Adams’
• Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Eileen Atkins, ‘Cranford’
OK, remember how last week we told you about the shortlists for this year’s drama and comedy Emmy awards?
Well, now, via Los Angeles Times writer Tom O’Neil’s hugely impressive Gold Derby blog, we are picking up news on the Drama Supporting Actor and Comedy Actress categories, too.
The biggest surprise in the drama actor category is that last year’s winner, Terry O’Quinn (Locke in Lost), has been snubbed. On the plus side, his co-stars Naveen Andrews (Sayid) and Michael Emerson (Ben) are included.
In the comedy actress category, there’s a trio of Desperate Housewives: Marcia Cross, Eva Longaria Parker and Felicity Huffman. The only lead cast member missing is Teri Hatcher, who has obviously done something to annoy the Emmy judges (mugging endlessly for the cameras, perhaps?). Also, rather thrillingly, our very own Anna Friel is there for Pushing Daisies. Go Anna!
We should make it clear that neither shortlist has yet been confirmed by the Emmys’ organisers, but Tom O’Neil has an enviable track record on these matters and is right more often than not.
Five from each category will make the final voting list. The names marked in red are the ones we reckon should make the final list. Let us know if you agree…
Drama Supporting Actor
• Naveen Andrews, Lost
• Bruce Dern, Big Love
• Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
• Ted Danson, Damages
• Michael Emerson, Lost
• Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
• T.R. Knight, Grey’s Anatomy
• William Shatner, Boston Legal
• John Slattery, Mad Men
• Blair Underwood, In Treatment
• Jake Weber, Medium
Best Comedy Actress
• Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
• Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives
• America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
• Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
• Eva Longoria Parker, Desperate Housewives
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine
• Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
• Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program
