30 Rock

When I first saw Arrested Development on TV I thought it was a poorly done Fox knockoff of Curb Your Enthusiasm. What with the hand held cameras and improvisational feel. Turns out I was way wrong. Sure, the hand held cameras and improvisational feel are two things those two shows share. And they're both hilarious. But that's about where the similarities end. (turns out Arrested Development was actually very heavily scripted as well, it just feels improvisational)

When I actually gave Curb Your Enthusiasm a try about two years ago I watched every episode on DVD in about two weeks. I loved it. I still love it. I feel bad that I didn't like it when it was on TV. Before it's time? Probably.

And that brings me to today's topic: 30 Rock. Great show. Just started watching it yesterday. I'm four episodes in. You can watch the whole first season here for free.

It is a giant fucking Arrested Development knockoff.

Completely absurd humor. Quick cuts and flashbacks. Same use of music. Lots of references to things that happen in real life. Lots of references to NBC's parent company GE and NBC itself. Hell, it even has a Buster character..."what's the frequency Ken?"

Though I have to say that I dislike shows about shows. Or writing about writing. That shit bugs me to no end. So in that sense, bravo Arrested Development. And 30 Rock, you're good, but not that good.