Fans of “30 Rock” can start popping the champagne now that it’s been confirmed that Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and the rest of the cast of the beloved NBC sitcom are reuniting for a revival project.
This new iteration of the hit comedy, however, won’t be airing on NBC — and, in fact, won’t be broadcast on television at all.
20th Anniversary Celebration
Variety reports that Fey is getting the band back together — not for a TV special or revival series, but a one-night-only stage show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on October 11.
The special event will mark the 20th anniversary of “30 Rock,” with proceeds benefiting The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem.
In addition to Fey reprising Liz Lemon and Baldwin stepping back into the well-shined shoes of network exec Jack Donaghy, other members of the OG cast set to appear include Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer.
Meanwhile, fans are promised that the show will also feature other cast members, in addition to a few surprise guests.
One Night Only
“Listen up tens, a five is speaking!” Fey declared in a statement.
“Please join us to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show Tom Shales once said ‘needs a better premise and funnier dialogue… and most of all a more commanding performer in the starring role,’” she added, referencing the tepid review from the late Washington Post television critic.
Per Variety, presales for tickets will begin at 10 a.m. ET on August 26, with general sales beginning at the same time the following day.
“We’re honored to be named the charitable partner for this celebration,” said Shaba R. Keys, president & CEO of The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. “All net proceeds go directly toward the after-school, academic, and career programs that help more than 2,000 Harlem young people each year chart a path to their own futures — and we’re grateful to be part of a night this special.”
A Legacy of Laughter
In addition to creating the series, Fey starred as beleaguered TV writer Liz Lemon as she ran a sketch-comedy series starring pal Jenna Maroney (Krakowski) and loose-cannon comedian Tracy Jordan (Morgan). Serving as her boss/mentor/jedi master was Baldwin’s NBC exec Jack Donaghy, who helped her navigate the unpredictable and downright wacky world of network television.
Over the course of the show’s seven seasons, “30 Rock” won 16 Emmy Awards from more than 100 nominations, including three wins for outstanding comedy series and two for outstanding writing for a comedy series.
Despite ending more than 13 years ago, “30 Rock” remains enduringly popular, having received a second act via streaming on Netflix.
Reboot Rumors
Eight years ago, Fey appeared alongside her former “Weekend Update” co-anchor Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show,” where she addressed rumors of a “30 Rock” revival that had been circulating.
“Here’s what I’ll say. We were on the red carpet for the Broadway opening [of ‘Mean Girls’] and someone was like, ‘Would you ever do a ’30 Rock’ reboot?’ And I was like, ‘Maybe.’ And, like, a little bit of that is on me,” Fey explained. “I must be so thirsty for Internet attention [that] I was like, ‘Maybe.’”
“It’s either say yes to stuff like that or I have to walk around CVS holding Poise pads trying to get in ‘Stars, They’re Just Like Us.’ So thirsty for attention,” she jokingly added.
That said, she also insisted that if a reboot ever did materialize, it wouldn’t be “a straight reboot because that would be too easy. We’re trying to think of a way to do something. What should we do?”
The potential ideas she floated included “a prequel like ‘Muppet Babies'” or setting the reboot “in a dystopian future where there’s a lot of robot sex and [Jack] McBrayer comes and is like, ‘Oh no!’”
