3. Weirdness
Look at most sitcoms on TV right now. Are any of them weird or strange to you? Do any of them feature weird characters? If you answered The Office and Parks and Rec then you're with me so far. The thing is, 30 Rock thrived by being different than any other sitcom before or after it. It's characters are weird and unlike anything you think would work in a conventional sitcom. The weirdness of 30 Rock has kept it fresh and hilarious episode after episode but has kept it off of the top of the ratings. Honestly, 30 Rock isn't for everyone. It isn't a show that a typical family can gather together and watch at 8 after the kids are home from school and the parents are off work but this also is it's greatest strength. It allows the show to never repeat itself or follow the same routine storylines to keep it's audience like a show like The Big Band Theory has to. This keeps 30 Rock fresh and hilarious every episode.