30 Rock takes its viewers behind the scenes of a sketch-comedy show, covering the tendency toward lunacy of its actors, writers, and corporate executives. Liz Lemon (Fey) is continually forced to mediate between her show’s stars (played by Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski) while dealing with the absurd demands of her mentor/boss, the sharp-toothed corporate shark Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), whose strict capitalist conservatism clashes with Lemon’s liberalism. In her efforts to “have it all,” a successful career and a loving family, the overworked, food-loving curmudgeon invents her own sense of normalcy, which at one point includes being married in a Princess Leia dress. This critically acclaimed comedy is infused with irony line after line and owns a self-awareness that often offers commentary on the sitcom genre as well as social concerns in a quirky voice that is completely unique to its creator.
Rachel Leibrock December 22, 2020Updated: December 22, 2020, 9:58 pm
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute and Steve Carell as Michael Scott in a 2005 “The Office” episode, “The Christmas Party.” Photo: Paul Drinkwater , NBCUniversal
For many, December is usually the busiest time of year, a month of parties and family gatherings.
This year, of course, not so much.
Don’t be (too) sad, though think of it as an excuse to indulge in some old-fashioned, small-screen cheer.
Holiday episodes of your favorite drama or comedy are practically a genre in their own right. Some are so good, they’ve become classics as beloved as any movie or one-off special.
Tis the season to sing carols, give presents and watch red-and-green-tinted episodes of TV.
Christmas movies get a lot of buzz during the holiday season, but many of your favorite TV series have made holly, jolly episodes worth revisiting as the weather turns colder, alongside Hallmark movie marathons and repeat viewings of Love Actually and A Christmas Story.
Classic sitcoms, teen supernatural dramas, historical dramas and more all have made Christmas episodes that bring cheer (or, depending on the drama, some despair). These are the 10 best yuletide episodes, from Friends to Downton Abbey.
10. ‘Community’
Season 2 Episode 11: “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (2010)