When one thinksof iconic sitcomsof the 2000s and early 2010s,30 Rockalmost always comes to mind at the top of the list. From the mind of Tina Fey, the series was loosely based on her time as head writer onSaturday Night Live. Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, and many more rounded outthe eclectic cast. Though the series struggled in the ratings over its seven-season run, it remained a critical and audience darling until the end. The 2013 series finale in particular was named as one of the greatest sitcom enders of all time.
While we’re still waiting for a reboot, the cast did produce a virtual reunion episode in 2020 to promote the launch of Peacock. However, roughly half of NBC’s affiliate stations did not show the special due to its blatant promotion of streaming over linear TV. Ironically, that special is currently not even available on Peacock. But what if that wasn’t the only new30 Rockcontent we were given? In 2019, there were discussions of reviving Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy character in a new spin-off series. While Baldwin dropped out, that show did make it to air in 2021 as the Ted Danson-ledMr. Mayor. So what happened?
Who Is Jack Donaghy?
Alec Baldwin was easily the highest-profile starattached when30 Rockdebuted in 2006. Donaghy soon became a viewer favorite, with his staunch conservative values and desire for wealth and power as a character hallmark. He holds several job titles throughout the show, including GE Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming, President of both NBC and Telemundo, Chairman of General Electric, Arby’s franchise owner, and many others. Jack also mentions dating a number of famous women, such as Condoleeza Rice, Beyoncé, Martha Stewart, Shakira, and Katie Couric.
Baldwin’s portrayal of Jack landed him multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAG awards. Building a spin-off around this character and Baldwin’s then-star power was an obvious choice, yet it didn’t have the smoothest road to development.
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Baldwin’s Spin-off and Replacement with Ted Danson
In 2019, NBC ordered a comedy from Fey and creative partner Robert Carlock featuring Ted Danson as a businessman running for mayor of Los Angeles. Soon after that announcement, it was revealed that the new sitcom was originallyset to be a spin-off of30 Rock. Baldwin would have reprised the role of Jack Donaghy as the character explores his political ambitions in New York City. The politically-minded Donaghy was a natural choice to lead this new show, and he likely would have carried over most of his iconic30 Rocktraits. Things were serious, as Baldwin was in negotiations for the role for over a year.
Baldwin dropped out of consideration for unknown reasons, though he would eventually reprise Jack in the 2020 virtual special. After Baldwin’s exit, the show turned to Ted Danson, fresh offhis star turn onThe Good Place. Danson did not want to relocate to New York, so the setting was moved to Los Angeles. The new character of Neil Bremer, a retired ad executive who runs for mayor, was created for Danson. It’s easy to see the Donaghy similarities right there. This shift wasn’t unprecedented, asParks and Recreationwas originally conceived as a spin-off ofThe Officebefore becoming its own thing.
Mr. Mayorearned lukewarm critical reviews and middling ratings and was ultimately canceled in 2022 after just two seasons. Ted Danson was praised for his leading role, but would a connection to30 Rockhave helpedMr. Mayorenjoy a longer lifespan?
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Would We Have Seen a 30 Rock Renaissance?
NBC has a mixed track record when it comes to spin-offs. Sometimes they rival the original in terms of run and critical reception, a laFrasierandCheers. Other times we getJoeyafterFriends. While continuing the30 Rockworld would have certainly boosted the series' name recognition, there’s no guarantee it would have matched the quality. Spin-offs are always judged relative to their parent show, and the Jack Donaghy spin-off would have a difficult time standing on its own.
Viewership at the beginning would have certainly been high. It likely couldn’t have kept those high numbers, through no fault of its own. NBC comedies have historically been some of the lowest-rated series on television. It doesn’t matter the show, the timeslot, the promotion, whatever. This has been a problem since the mid-2000s, even with their stacked lineup including30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Rec, Community, and others. After dominating the ’90s with tens of millions of viewers forSeinfeld, Friends,andCheers, the Peacock net has struggled to recapture those glory days. In fact, in terms of total viewers, their comedies today do about the same as the ones five or ten years ago. Even with the30 Rocklink, it’s unlikely thatMr. Mayorwould have broken this curse. It may have run longer than two seasons, but we can’t say for sure. There’s also the matter ofBaldwin’s 2021Rustincident, which would have derailed things anyway assuming it still happened in this alternate timeline.
There’s no doubt that30 Rockfans would have loved to see the world continue with a new spin-off series. However, any discussions on its quality, lifespan, or TV ratings remain speculative. There are just so many unknowns in this business. But maybe someday down the line, we’ll get a full reboot of the gang fromTGS.
30 Rockis available to stream on Hulu and Peacock.
