The 30 Rock Book

A fascinating and hilarious deep dive into 30 Rock, Tina Fey's beloved modern classic comedy—now in paperback.

It’s hard to remember a time when Tina Fey wasn’t a star, but back in the early 2000s, she was a Saturday Night Live writer who was far from a household name. It’s even harder to remember when Fey’s sitcom 30 Rock was tanking, but it was. It premiered in the fall of 2006, and by November, the New York Times wrote that 30 Rock was "perilously close to a flop."

But despite all expectations (including those of some of the cast and crew), Fey’s eccentric buddy comedy lasted 138 episodes, spanning seven seasons. It resurrected the career of Alec Baldwin, survived an extended absence by Tracy Morgan, and permeated the culture—its breakneck pacing, oddball characters, and extremely rich joke writing are deeply beloved by millions of fans.

Through more than 50 original interviews with cast, crew, critics, and more, culture writer Mike Roe brings to life the history of the gloriously goofy show that became an all-time classic. The 30 Rock Book has everything in it, from tales of the amazing music still stuck in our heads to the iconic bit characters that make the show, all the love and drama of the backstage crew... and the creative failures and successes along the way.

So grab your night cheese and muffin tops, cuddle up with your slanket against your Japanese body pillow, and settle in for the story of one of the funniest shows in television history.