6. 30 Rock (2006-2013)
What Was So Bad? 30 Rock is one of the most subversive, irreverent and genuinely funny shows on television, and any show that allows Alec Baldwin to lampoon his left-wing leanings by playing a right-wing blowhard has got to be good. What isn't good, however, is the pilot. It's funny, don't get me wrong, but you can tell it was really mellowed to get onto TV and had none of the craziness we came to love. There's far too much of Tina Fey trying to be Mary Tyler Moore instead of becoming her own character - though thankfully, this was rectified in later episodes and Liz Lemon became an icon in her own right. 30 Rock's pilot also suffered from recasting and thus reshooting. Jenna was originally played by Rachel Dratch, but network executives felt Jane Krakowski would be a better fit in the role and provide some much-needed contrast in the Liz-Jack-Jenna dynamic. For once, they were right. However the last minute re-shooting really shows and the words coming out of Jenna's mouth don't really fit with her changed character (she's much too nice!)
How Did They Fix It? Simply by not trying to be popular: in its first 6 episodes the show is like that kid at school that really tries too hard to be liked and just comes off phoney. The first episode of what we'll call 'classic' 30 Rock is 1x07 - Tracy Does Conan. It's 30 Rock as we know and love it - quirky, humour about Liz's eating and a plot involving Dr Spaceman. Some of the meta humour about TV making was toned down as well, and it became less about TGS and more about Liz's personal life, her relationship with Jack and there was much more humour forged from these connections. The quirky comedy really starts to shine through and the 'Floyd' story arc showed that 30 Rock was a different animal with a much more serialised nature, not just a turn in and switch off sitcom like it was expected to be. It became less afraid of being what it wanted to be - a story about Jenna trying to marry a foreign prince to 'Grace Kelly' herself? Go for it. An episode where Jack shoots Wayne Brady at the Source Awards? Why not! Jack's boss getting reincarnated as a peacock... Yep. Alec Baldwin's role of Jack Donaghy is also increased and written differently throughout Season 1, becoming less of an antagonist to the TGS team and more of a - in Jack's own words - a subordifriend. And, let's be honest, more of the instantly quotable Jack Donaghy can never be a bad thing.