It is with a big fat yay that we welcome back the awesomeness that is '30 Rock' which returns to UK TV on Friday. It is a very funny show that we love and Tina [Sarah Palin] Fey simply rocks.
But shock of shocks the news stateside seemed to be that '30 Rock' was joining the fat list of sellouts and going straight to product
placement hell with McDonald's in tow.
The US press was aghast that Fey & Co were hawking McDonald's ware under the cover of entertainment.
But rest easy people, there has been a full on investigation (I think someone picked up a phone) and '30 Rock' is in the clear.
Well kind of. In one episode for instance the fictional writers on '30 Rock' mocked the fact that they were made to include Snapple in a story on the fictional show. See they're regular winkers. While Tina Fey's character has talked about her love for Verizon Wireless products before turning to the camera and going, "Can we have our money now?" But an episode that aired last week in the US included McDonald's and its ice cream McFlurry product.
At first it looked like the writers had squeezed yet another brand in to the show as Alec Baldwin and guest star Salma Hayek talked of the greatness of the McFlurry. Gawker among others thought the show had gone over the top.
"It wasn't the clever, winking product placement that can get away with itself; it was more like bad ad copy," wrote Hamilton Nolan on Gawker last week.
But this time around it wasn't just another dollar generating idea for NBC (which makes 'Rock Rock' and for whom the fictional characters also work), but a legit inclusion in the script.
McDonald's didn't pay a dime for its inclusion. See not cheap hawking of cheap ice cream products, or a knowing wink, but real honest to god comedy.
The only person who made a buck out of it was the McDonald's restaurant operated by an independent New York City franchisee.
Anyway, if you have yet to discover the charms of '30 Rock' tune into Five US at 9pm on Friday – the UK's number one digital channel for quality US programming -;
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