A successful 30-40 something woman in a management position. She is quirky but more than competent at her job. She is the eye of the storm, in a storm of craziness that is swirling almost out of control all around her every day, propelled by the stupid and improbable antics of her subordinates and co-workers (who are all next-level weird), and sometimes by the stupid and improbable acts of her superiors, the Baldwin/Lowe-(ish) types who also offer romantic subplots.
MTM is still very much worth watching and you can very easily pick up on similar characters in each show. Many of the characters in 30 Rock were clearly inspired by characters on MTM.
As for 30 Rock and Parks and Rec, yeah, they’re both workplace sitcoms, but more similarities tend to be drawn between Parks and Rec and The Office (and Brooklyn 99). All created by Michael Schurr, who played Dwight’s cousin Mose on The Office.
MTM will seem very slow-paced compared to 30 Rock (or most any modern sitcom. ) 10 - 20 funny lines per episode compared to 50+/-.
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MTM is great for the first 4 seasons. Once Rhoda left it wasn’t as good but still very good. The Lars Affair is a good way to introduce to the show, it previews soon to be added Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens. However, might as well start with the Pilot, it is a really good pilot episode.
Yeah, when Rhoda left it suffered. They tried to replace her with giving more scenes to Georgette, but she just wasn’t as interesting a character. As Ted’s girlfriend, she did, however, give us more time with the great Ted Knight.
I like both shows a lot and yes they are quite similar though it didn’t feel that way when watching them because the settings: NYC comedy show versus small-town government are so different. Also Leslie’s life has her life more together; not least because she is happily married with children by the end. I think P&R is a more sentimental show, in a good way, for example that lovely scenewhere Leslie plans Ron’s trip to Scotland with April’s tribute to her in the background. Hard to imagine that kind of scene in 30 Rock though it does have its sweet moments too.
Indeed, the main character as “straight man” goes back a long way. The aforementioned* Mary Tyler Moore Show*, both The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, The Andy Griffith Show, Green Acres… The list goes on.