More Importantly, How Is Kim Jong-Il’s Death Going To Affect 30 Rock?

video

by Jon Bershad | 10:28 am, December 19th, 2011

» 24 comments

Despite Kim Jong-il being a ruthless dictator who’s made the lives of millions absolutely miserable for decades, it’s still important that we have enough compassion and empathy to recognize that he is still a human being who has passed away. And that’s why my first thought upon hearing this shocking news last night was, “Huh, I wonder if this will mess up 30 Rock this year?” Yes, clearly I was deeply saddened by his loss.

Anyway, for those of you that don’t know, the NBC series ended its last season with the news that Jack’s (Alec Baldwin) wife, Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks), had been kidnapped by the North Korean dictator and it the story was supposed to be a major plotline for this year. With the new season’s premiere only weeks away and much of it already filmed, we can imagine that yesterday’s news is throwing a mighty big wrench in the works.

The character of Jessup (now Jessup-Donaghy) is supposed to be a CNBC commentator who Jack married last season after it became clear she was pregnant with his child. The baby was born and towards the end of the season, she travelled to North Korea as part of what Jack described as NBC News’ “hot blondes in weird places initiative.” There she ended up getting held hostage by Jong-il and forcibly married to his son Kim Jong-un. Jack tried everything to get her returned (including a hilarious meeting with Condoleezza Rice), all to no avail. This season, it seemed that one of the biggest stories, at least for the first few episodes, would involve Jack attempting to raise his daughter by himself while orchestrating his wife’s release.

Just last week, NBC premiered a teaser for the new season which shows a number of shots of the North Korea plot. Baldwin actually says in the video that “a lot of things are going to happen this season apropos of my wife being gone.” Yikes.

The new season hasn’t actually premiered yet (do in part to Tina Fey’s pregnancy, it was held to mid-season), but it’s been in production since at least October. Tons of footage has already been shot. Fortunately, 30 Rock has always been good with the meta jokes so you can expect at least one re-shot scene with Baldwin mentioning how shocking Jong-il’s death was to everyone and then pointedly looking at the camera. Still, this is probably going to lead to a lot of extra work on the show’s part.

The only person attached to the show who’s commented on the issue thus far has been Banks who sent out this vague tweet:

Last night, Bill O’Reilly guessed that the only person weeping over Jong-il’s death was “his hairdresser.” He was clearly wrong about that and it now seems quite possible that there are some folks in America shedding some tears as well. Those people are probably sitting in a writers’ room in Rockefeller Center.

Watch the season 6 teaser below. The talk of the Avery plot begins around the 2:05 mark:

30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Elizabeth Banks, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-un, Tina Fey

Anonymous

With despots and tyrants dropping like flies, it’s likely no plot-line is safe anymore.
http://twitter.com/MattBX Matt W

I get that you are just having a little fun. And I hate these phony censors who want to silence people they disagree with. But, millions of people have been tortured and starved to death by this guy and his cronies. There are probably thousands of human beings right now, in that country, attempting to eat grass. The case can easily be made, that in terms of human rights abuses, NK is probably the most akin to the Nazi’s as any regime in the world today. I’m not saying the show, or you, aren’t funny, only that I would feel gross writing anything like this. I’ve only seen like 3 episodes of 30 Rock and I tend to seek out news stories on that country and other tyrannies, so I’m probably just being a sensitive douche. But….oh, you get the point.
Anonymous

Kim…we love you and miss you!!!!! Michelle sends her love.
Christian Bruun

Yes, because Obama and Kim Jong Il were so close. You really are a weird one.
Anonymous

“do in part”
Anonymous

Breaking News out of North Korea: Il i still dead.
The Real Royal Emperor

Much funnier when Chevy Chase did it. On SNL. About Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
http://twitter.com/TheMorningSpew The Morning Spew

OWSers want pretty much the same thing. Look at what they say when a silent Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus scene are set up in their midst.Kim Jong Il didn’t like religion, either. It offended him.

http://themorningspew.com/2011/12/19/the-best-illustration-of-the-true-goals-of-the-occupy-movement/
Anonymous

Not at all, and Chase was and is a loser, son.
Anonymous

chevy chase is a champ, you on the other hand are a chump. it only takes one letter to make a complete change.
Anonymous

you lose.
Anonymous

also doesn’t change the fact that you stole his joke. good one notsofast.
http://twitter.com/TheMorningSpew The Morning Spew

Oh, did they run out of free pizza in OWSerland?
Anonymous

But YOU are the biggest joke of all, and no one wants to take that from ya, libtard!

Chase is trash like you, son.

Now get my coffee.
Anonymous

The OWSers have been using nationman’s mouth as a portable latrine
Anonymous

so you stole the joke from his writers. you still stole the joke. Perhaps you should get your writers to make you better jokes. Get your own coffee chump.
Anonymous

the teaparty uses notsofast in far more filthy ways.
Anonymous

namely teabagging.
Anonymous

you just compared ows to kim jong il. I think they may have run out of meds at your insane asylum.
Anonymous

I struck another nerve! Son, you are the King of the Queens so you would know about that!
Anonymous

Poor nationman- you can only steal from someone what is theirs- once a joke is made public, it is public.

Truly there is not another lib as stupid, dumb, imbecilic,moronic, silly, and as insipid are you.
Christian Bruun

“And it wasn’t HIS joke- it was a joke that the writers gave HIM to say.”
You mean like Al Franken? And why on earth have you so desperately tried to make your spinning a joke from SNL into a bashing of liberals thing? And you do know that Norman Lear is probably the biggest and influential liberal in Hollywood over the last 50 years, right?
Anonymous

nah, get your own coffee and your own jokes chump.
Anonymous

son you are the queen of getting teabagged.