Why It Ranks
The fastest comedy ever written.
Score Breakdown
The Review
30 Rock is the most joke-dense sitcom in television history. Tina Fey packed more laughs per minute into her fictionalized version of Saturday Night Live than any show before or since. The comedy arrives at a velocity that rewards — and practically demands — rewatching: cutaway gags, background signs, throwaway lines, and running jokes layer on top of each other in every scene. Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy is one of the great comedic performances — a corporate Republican mentor who is somehow the most competent and self-aware person in every room. Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer form a supporting cast so reliably hilarious that any one of them could carry their own show.
Fun Fact
30 Rock won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in its first three seasons, beating The Office each time — a rivalry that both shows' writers took very personally.
Get Glen’s Updates
Investing insights, new tools, and whatever I’m building this week. Free. No spam.
Unsubscribe anytime. I respect your inbox more than Congress respects property rights.
Keep Exploring
Top 25 TV Shows
See the full ranked list of the greatest TV shows ever made.
Read moreTop 25 Sci-Fi Movies
The greatest science fiction films ever made, ranked.
Read moreTop 25 Action Movies
The greatest action films ever made, ranked.
Read moreTop 25 Comedies
The funniest movies ever made, ranked.
Read moreTop 25 Movie Villains
The greatest antagonists in cinema history, ranked.
Read moreConsulting
Salesforce development and technical consulting.
Read more