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rachel dratch
30 Rock -- an early look
by Jonathan Toomey, posted Sep 30th 2006 5:29PM

The Premise: Tina Fey stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer and producer for a female themed sketch comedy show called The Girlie Show. Everything was going great until Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) was promoted from GE's Microwave Research Unit to head NBC's east-coast programming. He sees it as his mission to fix The Girlie Show, despite Liz's insistence that nothing is broken.
Previously on TV Squad
by Joel Keller, posted Aug 20th 2006 5:55PM
In case you've missed it -- perhaps you were busy shopping back-to-school sales with your depressed kids -- here are some highlights from the last week at TV Squad:

Breaking News

Breaking News
- Lawsuit filed against Dog the boutny hunter.
- Here's a link to a possible Amazon download preview.
- Winner of Big Brother UK announced.
- Fox to offer shows on the web via local station sites.
- Avenue Q writers to write songs for a Scrubs episode.
- ABC greenlights Crime Prevention Unit.
- NBC files complaint with NLRB over webisode dispute with WGA.
- Pat Summerall went a little nutso after his liver transplant.
- Ebert sends an e-mail about his surgeries and long recovery.
- Voice actor Tony Jay dies.
- William Dozier's heirs sue over rights to Batman series.
- The Jim Henson Company launches a podcast.
- Jane Krakowsi cast in Rachel Dratch's former role on 30 Rock.
- CBS to sumulcast Couric's Evening News on the web.
- USA to show lots of Law & Order.
- Little Richard to be a judge on Celebrity Duets.
- Elizabeth Vargas gives birth to a boy.
- YouTube to offer every music video ever created.
- Tony Kornheiser rips into WaPo colleague.
- Something big may happen on Lost this season.
- Justin Timberlake criticizes Taylor Hicks.
- The celebrity part of Celebrity Duets is announced.
- Bruno Kirby dead at 57.
- Lorne Michaels talks a new 30 Rock role for Dratch and a streamlined SNL.
- USA picks up pilot from Steve-O.
- Joe Buck named host of Fox NFL pre-game show.
- iPod users shut out of Fox's new download service.
- Networks torn on illegal downloads of fall pilots.
- The new cast of Dancing with the Stars announced.
- Ricky Gervais reprises David Brent for Microsoft.
- Take a look at Cracked's favorite drug-fueled talk-show guests.
- Adam talks about the new book from Subway's Jared Fogle.
- Here is the video of Denis Miller ranting during a Red Sox game.
- What's your favorite part of Entourage?
- Is Hell's Kitchen fake, even for a reality show?
- Should network news be an hour long?
- Creepy puppets.
- What Bob would like to see on reality shows.
- My fall picks.
- Anna's fall picks.
- Annie's fall picks.
- Will Paris hold the Guinness record for Most Overrated Celebrity? Adam hopes so.
- Adam talks about Tough Crowd.
- Chris thinks that local sports broadcasters should just concentrate on local sports.
- Bob rips into KCAL reporter for breaking news of a celebrity death to other celebs.
- Adam wonders if Elmo is killing Sesame Street.
- Anna wants Samantha Brown's job.
- Rich gives an early review of Fox's Vanished.
- The X-Files: "Gender Bender"
- Sports Night: "Rebecca"
- Firefly: "The Message"
- The Simpsons: "Bart vs. Australia"
- Angel: "She"
- The Prisoner: "Hammer Into Anvil"
- Seinfeld: "The Suicide"
- The Office (BBC): Episode 12
- Buffy: "Prophecy Girl"
- Futurama: "Mars University"
- Monk: "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink"
- Stargate SG-1: "200"
- It's Always Sunny...: "Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad" (finale)
- Big Brother All-Stars: Elimination #6
- 30 Days: "New Age"
- Project Runway: "Waste Not, Want Not"
- Rock Star: Supernova: Week 7 Elimination
- Eureka: "Invincible"
- Rescue Me: "Twilight"
- Weeds: "Corn Snake"
- Kyle XY: "Memory Serves"
- Hell's Kitchen: Season Finale
- Entourage: "I Wanna be Sedated"
Jane Krakowski added to 30 Rock
by Joel Keller, posted Aug 17th 2006 7:01PM
Ok, I'm confused. When I read the other day about how Rachel Dratch's role on 30 Rock was going to change, the article read that they were going to scrap her role of Jenna DeCarlo, star of the series' fictional "Girlie Show." But according to TV Week, Lorne Michaels and company have decided to recast the role of Jenna with former Ally McBeal co-star Jane Krakowski.As previously mentoned, Dratch will still be a part of the show, playing various roles. But it now makes me wonder why she was taken out of what was going to be a plum part on the show. Is it because they can utilize her talents in this different role, or was Rachel just not cutting it as a co-star? Krakowski seems like an odd fit to this ensemble, as most of them have extensive improv and sketch experience (and Alec Baldwin is one of the best SNL hosts ever, so he counts, too). Maybe they needed Krakowski's musical theater talents and are making the role of Jenna more musical. I'm not sure. But all this retooling is starting to get me worried about the show.
Michaels talks: a new 30 Rock role for Dratch and a streamlined SNL
by Joel Keller, posted Aug 15th 2006 4:05PM
I am an unabashed fan of Rachel Dratch. I think it's her face; she can just look at the camera with that expression-filled mug of hers and generate laughs. So I was a little disappointed in her role in the 30 Rock pilot; while she was funny as "The Girlie Show" star Jenna DeCarlo, it seemed a little confining for the versatile actress.Apparently Lorne Michaels felt the same way; he told Variety (registration required to view entire article) that the Jenna character will be scrapped as the show concentrates on the interactions amongst the characters played by Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Tracy Morgan (which, to me, was the best part of the pilot). Instead, Dratch will play a variety of characters, some that will be recurring and some that will only appear once. For instance, she will play a cat wrangler that the show employs when they use a lot of cats in a sketch.
SNL: Who should stay and who should go
by Richard Keller, posted Jul 27th 2006 10:09AM
With the recent departures of Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch from Saturday Night Live, and the announcement of (wink, wink) budget cuts by executive producer Lorne Michaels, one begins to ponder what SNL will look like once the bloodletting is complete. So, my dear TV Squad fans, I pose a question to you: if you were in Mr. Michaels' seat who would stay and who would go?
Fey and Dratch might not be the only ones leaving SNL
by Joel Keller, posted Jul 24th 2006 12:53PM
Looks like the SNL cast shake-up that the majority of its fans were looking for is ready to happen, but it's not for the reason everybody thinks. We already know Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch are leaving to concentrate on their new show 30 Rock. But Lorne Michaels told critics at the TCA press tour that, because of budget cuts across the entire network, some other longtime players will probably be leaving as well. No word on exactly who's leaving, but I would imagine Darrell Hammond and Horatio Sanz are busy dialing their agents right now.Previously on TV Squad
by Joel Keller, posted Jul 23rd 2006 5:37PM
In case you've missed it -- perhaps you were busy sheltering yourself from a thunderstorm -- here are some highlights from the last week at TV Squad:

Breaking News

Breaking News
- Tina Fey leaves SNL.
- So does Rachel Dratch.
- ABC sets up anti-Hanso Foundation site.
- Idol finalists to visit White House.
- NBC to air edited Madonna concert.
- They will also air two episodes of Psych.
- Veteran character actor Jack Warden dies at 85.
- Colin Farrell confronted by stalker on The Tonight Show.
- Fan site for Heroes is already up and running.
- Joel Siegel walks out on Clerks II; Kevin Smith fights with him on the radio.
- This isn't the first time Siegel's been loud at a screening.
- Full episodes of BSG and Eureka are now online.
- Diahann Carroll to guest on Grey's Anatomy.
- Nobody's Watching picked up by NBC.
- America's Next Top Model's writers threaten to strike.
- Patricial Wettig to leave Prison Break.
- Camryn Manheim joins the cast of Ghost Whisperer.
- YouTube sued for copyright infringement.
- ABC renames newscast to World News with Charles Gibson.
- FOX to start national morning show.
- Regina King to join cast of 24.
- Dave Navarro, Carmen Electra separate.
- Mickey Spillane dead at 88.
- J.J. Abrams signs megadeal with two studios.
- Adam remembers The Sweet Spot.
- If you see TV Squad T-shirts at Comic-Con, thank Ryan Budke.
- What do you think is the best show on TV?
- Bob doesn't want to see MSNBC's control room so much.
- Jonathan's blackout adventures look like an episode of Rescue Me.
- Keith takes an early look at ABC's Day Break.
- Anna wonders why Rob and Amber from Survivor can't get real jobs.
- OK! It's hot out! I don't need a reminder while I'm watching Dr. Phil.
- Anna thinks Jen Aniston is the most boring celebrity... ever.
- The X-Files: "Ice"
- NewsRadio: "Sweeps Week"
- Sports Night: "Thespis"
- Firefly: "Out of Gas"
- Strangers with Candy: "Feather in the Storm"
- The Simpsons: "Lisa on Ice"
- Angel: "Bachelor Party"
- Futurama: "My Three Suns"
- Stargate Atlantis: "Misbegotten"
- Monk: "Mr. Monk and the Big Game"
- Stargate SG-1: "Morpheus"
- Psych: "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Piece"
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "The Gang Gives Back"
- Big Brother All-Stars: Elimination #2
- Hustle: Episode #16
- Blade: "Bloodlines"
- Project Runway: Miss USA
- Eureka: Pilot
- Last Comic Standing: The five finalists perform.
- The Closer: "Out of Focus"
- Deadwood: "A Rich Find"
- Entourage: "Three's Company"
Rachel Dratch leaving SNL, too
by Anna Johns, posted Jul 23rd 2006 2:34PM
The big news on Friday night was that Tina Fey is leaving Saturday Night Live to concentrate on her new NBC comedy, 30 Rock. Well, it only makes sense that Rachel Dratch is leaving SNL, too. She is a co-star on 30 Rock, after all. In the show, she plays the star of a girls-only sketch show whose world is rocked when a man (fellow SNL alum Tracy Morgan) joins the cast.My only reaction to this news is: Thank God, no more Debbie Downer!
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