… what matters most tonight is that 30 Rock probably will make you laugh, no small achievement in a season in which too few shows are even trying. …The New York Times says:
… Ms. Fey has some amusing, seditious lines as Liz Lemon, the put-upon creator of “The Girlie Show,” but for the most part she and other cast members slumber until Mr. Baldwin takes over as Jack Donaghy, their new network boss. …The Los Angeles Times says:
… It would be confusing opinion with fact to definitively call any series "the best show of the fall season," but I can state unequivocally and without fear of contradiction that "30 Rock" — one of two new NBC shows set backstage at a broadcast-live sketch comedy — is my favorite. I feel an almost proprietary desire to see it succeed, and given the high mortality rate of such newborns, I light this small candle against its demise. …The Chicago Tribune says:
… “30 Rock” is less than the sum of its parts, and, as an entry in the single-camera comedy sweepstakes, it fails to show either the inspired inventiveness of “Arrested Development” or provide the surprisingly perceptive character studies of “The Office.”…The Washington Post says:
… Fey is a clever writer with a wicked wit, but as an actress, she tends to vanish into her own scenes. Even so, there are plenty of laughs on the premiere, and it's the kind of quality show worth rooting for. …Variety says:
… Baldwin and co-star Tracy Morgan do yield a chuckle or two, but a "Saturday Night Live" pedigree won't be enough to anchor this "Rock" unless it gets consistently funnier, and fast. …The Hollywood Reporter says:
… There are a couple of rough patches in the pilot, including maybe too much time for the scene at the strip club, an unplanned stop as Liz struggles to get Tracy to the studio. But these are minor quibbles with what is arguably the best comedy this fall and NBC's best hope for the night. …8 p.m. Wednesday. NBC.