This week, NBC is celebrating environmentalism with Green Week, in which all the shows adopt eco-friendly storylines to promote green themes. While some shows may see this as a challenge,
30 Rock leapt at the opportunity and created yet another winning episode.
Much like previous episodes, turning product placement into a gag, this Thursday's
30 Rock, “Greenzo,” is all about NBC head Jack Donaghy (
Alec Baldwin) forcing an eco-friendly mascot on his network: Greenzo, played by
Friends alum
David Schwimmer. To see video clips of Schwimmer's appearance on this episode, continue reading.
Rather than taking time out of the episode to promoe environmentalism, 30 Rock turns that into the joke. The actor playing Greenzo becomes increasingly obsessed with his mission. By the end, Greenzo has gone gonzo, and Jack calls in the aid of global warming hero former Vice President Al Gore. Gore plays a caricature of himself, and is surprisingly funny in what is slightly more than a cameo,
But the real show belongs to Schwimmer. Much like with Jerry Seinfeld in the season premiere,
30 Rock is borrowing the talents and reputations of previous NBC Thursday night comedy stars to highlight its role as heir to that throne. Since winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series,
30 Rock has blossomed into a brilliant comedy with one perfect episode after another.
The first clip from this episode of
30 Rock features
Tina Fey and David Schwimmer as Liz Lemon struggles to deal with Greenzo's increasing paranoia. Some people may complain that Fey isn't acting so much as playing a thinly veiled version of herself, but I disagree. There's a great sense of comic timing and facial expressions that she brings to every scene. As for Schwimmer, even
Friends fans who hated Ross, or even people who just hated
Friends, will have to crack a smile at the way he descends into madness.
Click Here for Clip #2 – Greenzo and the Fridge
Click Here for Clip #3 – Greenzo on The Today Show
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image and videos courtesy of NBC)