Can you believe it? An honest-to-God sitcom that's actually funny? That's sooo rare nowadays. It seems Tina Fey, the funniest female to come out of "Saturday Night Live" in years has stepped up by writing, producing AND starring in one of the better comedies to come around in years. Without a doubt "30 Rock" deserves to be added to the very short list of great comedies that include "The Office" and "My Name is Earl." Calling upon her years of service as part of the Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time-Players, Tina Fey created show that satirizes the world of live TV sketch comedies. Fey stars as Liz Lemon, head writer for a fictional series called "The Girlie Show." When we're first introduced to the 'show-within-a-show', all seems relatively well. But enter new studio head Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and the cast and crew's world is turned upside down.

I really didn’t know what to expect from "30 Rock" especially since it aired around the same time as "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", which appeared to have the same basic premise. I didn’t gravitate to either, being that I am so particular about sitcoms. I thought it best to wait for the eventual DVD release. But while I cannot tell you anything about "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", the recent release of the first season of "30 Rock" tells me it has to be the better of the shows. I laughed hard and loud at the insanity of what goes on behind the scenes of an "SNL" like show. Watching it, I had to wonder how much Fey based on actual experiences during her time there.

"30 Rock" is sharply written, but I have to hand it to the cast for pulling off the material so well. Fey is a joy to watch as she goes through her daily grind of pulling the show together. And I've never been much of a fan of comedian Tracy Morgan, but he is exceptional in his role of the b-movie actor turned host of "The Girlie Show." But the biggest surprise of the series has to be Alec Baldwin. Most people are used to seeing him in serious film roles; however those of us who have caught his multiple hosting gigs on "SNL" know that he has the heart of a comedian. Willing to go to any lengths to get a laugh, Baldwin literally steals "30 Rock" out from under its talented cast, earning him a well-deserved Emmy nomination. (The series itself won Best Comedy Series.)

Oddly enough, there are two ways you can buy the first season on DVD. You can pick up the entire season in one set… or you can buy it in two volumes. Admittedly, I've never been a fan of the 'multiple volumes for one season' route, but I cannot figure out why Universal opted to offer it both ways. You don't really save any money either way, and I can't imagine fans wanting only one half of the season. Ah well, ours is no to reason why…

I checked out the full season set, which comes complete with all 21 episodes and quite the handful of extra features. The first of them comes in the form of 5 commentaries, these themselves being delivered in a rather odd way. All of the commentaries are on the last disc, but not all the episodes. What I mean to say is that two of the episodes on the third disc have their commentary on an alternate track. The other three episodes are repeated on the final disc with their commentary track. Somehow I can only guess this has something to do with the fact that you can buy two halves of the season, but it only serves to confuse me. All of the commentaries are funny and interesting, as most are done by members of the cast. There is one commentary by Lorne and Henry Michaels that is a snooze-fest.

You'll also find a few deleted scenes, a featurette with the NBC page from the series pretending he has his own talk show, some set tour footage with actors Judah Friedlander, Jack McBrayer and Lonny Ross and a few skits from the 'series.' Most of these are okay, but the best of all is the Wrap Party Video, which runs about 13 minutes. There are some great bloopers included here.

"30 Rock" was a huge surprise. I didn’t expect it to be half as funny as it was. I'm actually looking forward to a second season!

Episodes:
30 Rock - Pilot
The Aftermath
Blind Date
Jack the Writer
Jack-Tor
Jack Meets Dennis
Tracy Does Conan
The Breakup
The Baby Show
The Rural Juror
The Head and the Hair
Black Tie
Up All Night
The "C" Word
Hardball
The Source awards
The Fighting Irish

Starring: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski
Extras: Audio Commentaries, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, An Evening with Kenneth Shorts, Behind-the-scenes Featurettes, "Makin' It Happen" Shorts
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1)
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 9/4/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give 30 Rock: Season 1 an A.