30 Rock is arguably the funniest show on television — so how do fall’s top nine new comedies plan to be funnier than Liz Lemon and her “TGS” fam? We’d like to see them try …
30 Rock Inspiration: Lovable, self-deprecating star Liz Lemon
Like 30 Rock, the Courteney Cox vehicle has a lovable goofball heroine in Cox’s recent divorcee, Jules Cobb. Cobb is more out-there sexy than Liz Lemon (who only dresses up when she’s seducing corporate suits in an effort to save her show), but both characters share female over-the-hill anxiety and a supporting cast of kooky characters. Notably, Busy Phillips in the role of Jules’ brassy assistant is like a sexed-up, slightly smarter version of 30 Rock airhead Cerie.
30 Rock Barometer: 6, because we still believe Monica Geller is one funny bitch.
KEEP READING: Are you a Gleek? [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: To be beloved by critics, in a 22-Emmy-nominations-a-year sort of way
Critics are already calling Glee the best new comedy of the season. The show, which aired just its pilot episode in May, follows a scrappy crew of Midwest high-schoolers who are all members of the never-cool glee club. The group of misfits belts out hits by Journey, Amy Winehouse and Kanye West in beautiful harmony while maneuvering through standard high school’s relationship/family/friendship dramas. With a cast that features Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and the always funny Jane Lynch, Glee might give 30 Rock a run for its “Best Comedy” Emmy next year.
30 Rock Barometer: 8, because such earnest singing, dancing high-school glee clubbers should certainly get some kind of an award.
KEEP READING: HBO’s biggest joke! [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: Celebrity cameos from A-listers including Jennifer Aniston, Steve Martin, Alan Alda, Salma Hayek and Oprah
The already star-heavy core cast features Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis. The HBO comedy is getting strong buzz as one of the season’s best new shows, and the first season boasts a strong lineup of guest stars including Olivia Thirlby, Kristen Wiig, Parker Posey, Patton Oswalt and Bebe Neuwirth. Bored to Death will get permanent DVR rights if any of these guests do anything half as epic as 30 Rock’s star-studded “Kidney Now” benefit song.
30 Rock Barometer: 8, because even without the cameos, the core cast will likely be as funny as Clay Aiken singing his lil’ heart out to save Jack’s dad.
KEEP READING: The Soup: College Version! [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: Scrappy bunch of endearing losers in Kenneth the Page and TGS-ers Frank, Lutz and Pete Hornberger
Community revolves around caustic lawyer (The Soup’s Joel McHale) returning to college — community college — to get the law degree he never actually earned the first time around. McHale’s education-inclined posse includes earnest nerd Abed, the saucy, middle-aged Shirley, blonde fox/potential love interest Britta, and just like 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan, a slightly over-the-hill former Saturday Night Live star (Chevy Chase).
30 Rock Barometer: 6, because Community’s misfit group gets major cool points for having Clark Griswold in it.
KEEP READING: Another Liz Lemon?! [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: Romance-challenged protagonist Liz Lemon
Unlike workaholic Liz, 100 Questions’ Charlotte Payne (Sophie Winkleman) is proactively looking for love, and joins a dating site that asks her — you guessed it — 100 questions in order to find her perfect match. While Liz spends more time reflecting on what she’s having for lunch than on her love life, each of Charlotte’s questions causes her to reflect on a time in her life and has her realizing what she’s really looking for in a relationship.
30 Rock Barometer: 5, because we’re hoping Winkleman can make lovelorn seem Liz-level funny without falling into schmaltz territory. Blerg!
KEEP READING: Dharma, is that you?! [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: 30 Rock’s Manhattan setting as a supporting actor
Like 30 Rock’s perpetually goofy scenarios, the premise — a movie critic (Jenna Elfman) in her thirties gets pregnant with a twentysomething-year-old’s (Jon Foster) baby and decides to move into his frat house-like apartment — is a touch hard to believe. The show is set in San Francisco, and we expect the show to use the photo-op heavy city for a sense of reality and local flavor.
30 Rock Barometer: 7, because we love San Francisco but hope Elfman veers away from doing her Dharma & Greg lovechild routine in the hippie-friendly city by the bay.
KEEP READING: Patricia Heaton minus Malcolm! [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: Slightly off-skew version of reality (example: 30 Rock’s Saturday Night Live-inspired “TGS” airs on real-life network NBC; however, 30 Rock’s NBC also airs a show called “MILF Island”).
The Middle’s premise revolves around used-car saleswoman Frankie (Patricia Heaton), her quarry manager husband and their three kids. The realistic sitcom focuses on the trials of the Indiana family, but also earns off-kilter points for naming one of the kids Axl after the Guns & Roses frontman and making the kid a semi-nudist.
30 Rock Barometer: 5, because the idea of a semi-nude teen named Axl is potentially funny, but also makes us a bit uncomfortable.
KEEP READING: Al Bundy is back! [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: A supporting cast of goofs including Kenneth the Page, Tracy Jordan, Jenna Maroney, Grizz, Dot Com and Jack’s mom.
Ed O’Neill (aka Al Bundy) heads the cast of Modern Family, a mockumentary-style comedy that tells the story of the day-to-day lives of an extended family. O’Neill plays the patriarch Jay, who is helping raise the son of his second wife while keeping up with his two grown children and their families. No word yet if anyone will be quite as loopy as Colleen Donaghy, but there is a rumor that Modern Family will feature guest appearance from Edward Norton, who’ll play a famous guitarist.
30 Rock Barometer: 6, because Al Bundy will always be funny, but no one makes us laugh like NBC-lovin’ Kenneth Parcell.
KEEP READING: Who’s Kelsey Grammer now? [PAGEBREAK]
30 Rock Inspiration: Hard-ass with a heart of gold Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin)
Kelsey Grammer plays Hank, a successful New York City CEO who is forced to move back to his Virginian hometown, with wife and children in tow, after losing his high-powered job. Hilarity will presumably ensure when Hank reconnects with his hillbilly relatives, much like it does whenever a family member of Jack’s makes an appearance.
30 Rock Barometer: 5, because Grammer always kills it as Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, but Baldwin as Donaghy is an impossible act to follow.
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