Show Within a Show: 20 Fake TV Series From “30 Rock”

As Liz Lemon gets ready to utter her final "Blerg!" on the series finale, here’s a look back at 20 fake shows from the world of 30 Rock that are so close to being real it’s almost not funny (but is). If precedent is any indicator, the final episode of 30 Rock will begin with Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon psyching herself up for the final episode of TGS with Tracy Jordan, the series’ central show within a show. The show is nothing if not self-referential, with season premiere plots often hinging on TGS’s return from summer hiatus. But the scope of parody in Fey’s zany-smart workplace comedy reaches far beyond its own navel; 30 Rock has long made ruthless fun of television as a whole. When it debuted in 2006, 30 Rock, was presented to baffled viewers as a show about Saturday Night Live. It was an idea that didn’t seem to have legs, especially with Aar...