I haven’t been a faithful viewer of 30 Rock lately, but my ears did perk up when news of Jane Krakowski‘s pregnancy broke. So I was listening when the producers of 30 Rock announced that they’d shoot around Jane’s pregnancy (“because no child should have Jenna Moroney for a mother”).
Some commenters on the news item suggested that perhaps Jenna faking a pregnancy would have been hilarious, and I kind of agree. But mostly, I think they made the right decision. And you?
Bob:
A fake pregnancy would have been pretty funny, and definitely something that Jenna would do. That being said, I’m not too upset that they are just going to shoot around it. It seems like so often a show doesn’t shoot around a pregnancy and awkwardly forces into the plot.
Jenna has had such a string of crazy celebrity boyfriends and flings (Mickey Rourke, David Blaine, etc) that it could have been really funny if she got knocked up in a one night stand with one of her exes. Then again there is her current beau, Paul the Jenna Maroney impersonator. That could have been a funny storyline too.
If there is one thing I am sure of, however, it’s that Tina Fey and the writers on 30 Rock know comedy a whole lot better than I do.
Debbie:
OK, that may be true, ’cause you aren’t writing for any sitcoms that I know of, but what would you like to see happen on 30 Rock? Just ignoring the pregnancy completely? Does Jenna have to get fat like Daphne from Frasier? Will there be creative ways to hide the baby bump? Live the dream, dude, and fantasize the funniest outcome. …
Bob:
I don’t know. I’m really glad that the writers aren’t forcing themselves into a story that they don’t care about or don’t want to tell. As for hiding the bump, I don’t think it’s really all that hard. They can also take the opportunity to wink at the audience, as the writers of the show love to do so often. Perhaps the bump blocking will be completely obvious and overly forced. That could be fun.
Debbie:
Some other members of the CliqueClack team tossed around some funny ideas behind the scenes as well:
Chuck: I hope they don’t address it and make her carry absurdly large objects like they did on Seinfeld when Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was pregnant.
Bob: I hope they do address it and make it completely ridiculous, like a one night stand with her ex boyfriend David Blaine.
Julia: Or she could reprise her role in Mystic Pizza: The Musical?
Bob: That would be a great excuse to pull out the ME WANT FOOD tee shirt my brother got me!
Regardless of whether or not Jenna carries around crates full of oranges or coincidentally crosses the fake stage just as the camera or a set rolls by at belly level, you can guarantee 30 Rock will keep on bringing the funny, even without a pregnant Jenna.