10 Greatest Character Introductions In Sitcom History
3. Jack Donaghy - 30 Rock
Jack Donaghy knows how to make an entrance. In the pilot of 30 Rock, we follow television writer Liz Lemon and her producer Pete Hornberger as they’re called up to meet Gary, the network executive.
Rather than Gary, they’re greeted by the suave, acid-tongued Donaghy, who appears by kicking a wooden board down and nonchalantly informing them that Gary is dead - and that he has been sent to replace him.
Liz immediately takes a dislike to her new boss, and this scene brilliantly establishes the pair’s push-pull relationship that would fuel much of the humour for the rest of the series.
Tina Fey has since been critical of the pilot, dismissing the episode as an “awkward, sweaty mess” in her memoir Bossypants. While it's true the show would take a couple of years to find its footing, Alec Baldwin owned the role of Donaghy from the start and his performances were a consistent highlight of the show’s early episodes.