15 Best TV Shows Like 30 Rock

There's a good reason why television fans still scour every season of "30 Rock" for jokes and pop culture references that resonate even harder in 2005 than they did when the show was on air from 2006 to 2013. From predicting the existence of trashy reality shows a la "MILF Island" to Hollywood using artificial intelligence to create content, it's a show with a track record of remaining relevant only outdone by "The Simpsons." 

Of course, a lot of that is a credit to creator, showrunner, writer, and star Tina Fey, who based "30 Rock" off her experiences at "Saturday Night Live," following the adventures of Liz Lemon, the head writer of an initially female-centric sketch show on NBC (which films in the same 30 Rockefeller Center that "SNL" does) as conservative executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) forces her to re-adapt her show for controversial male comedian Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). The series spent seven seasons lampooning comedy, television, office politics, and feminism, so if you're looking for a show with similar premises or themes, look no further than these 15 iconic shows like "30 Rock."

Before there was Tina Fey, there was Mary Tyler Moore. The actress rose to fame starring in "The Dick Van Dyke Show" in the '60s, but in the '70s it was her own CBS sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," that turned her into a television icon and the face of second-wave feminism. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" stars Moore as Mary Richards, a newly single woman who moves to Minneapolis to become the associate producer of a local news station, battling discrimination in the workplace and taboo societal issues of the 1970's like sexuality and drug addiction. 

Despite its finale airing nearly 50 years ago, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" remains one of the most influential TV programs of all time, and it has been cited by Fey as a specific inspiration for the exploration of similar themes in "30 Rock." Of course, "30 Rock" fans will also recall a memorable cameo from Betty White, whose run on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" cleverly challenged gender roles, as a beloved character who embodied everything societal standards of women weren't at the time. 

The closest thing to "30 Rock" pre-"30 Rock" was HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," which lampooned the world of Hollywood through the lens of its titular late-night talk show host, played by Garry Shandling. Airing for six seasons from 1992 to 1998 and featuring many celebrities playing parodies of themselves, it has had a huge influence on many shows like it, including "30 Rock," which played with the behind-the-scenes satire format by cranking up the absurdity and fitting snugly in the standards of primetime network television. 

Though it lacks the feminist angle of "30 Rock," Shandling's Larry Sanders feels like a precursor to Fey's Liz Lemon, as more-or-less a straight-man navigating the social dynamics behind the scenes of his very successful program. Many television critics still consider "The Larry Sanders Show" one of the best HBO shows of all time, and it was an integral part in establishing the cable network's reputation as a home for prestige TV. 

"Arrested Development" doesn't have a lot in common with "30 Rock" by its premise alone. Jason Bateman portrays Michael, the level-headed member of the eccentric and wealthy Bluth family who enter into financial turmoil following the arrest of patriarch George (Jeffrey Tambor) for embezzling funds from the family's real estate empire. As a result, Michael becomes responsible for keeping the family together, butting heads with siblings Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and her husband Tobias (David Cross), Gob (Will Arnett), Buster (Tony Hale), his mother Lucille (Jessica Walters), his son George Michael (Michael Cera), and niece Maeby (Alia Shawkat). 

Where "Arrested Development" does share similarities to "30 Rock" is in its sense of humor. In addition to having the best guest stars on "Arrested Development," the show was notorious for absurd running gags, naive characters, and lampooning of the upper class. The conservativeness of Michael's family will feel familiar to those who grew to love Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy, and you may even find some newfound appreciation for Arnett's recurring "30 Rock" role as Donaghy's closeted business rival. 

After "Friends," Lisa Kudrow starred in a fascinating HBO comedy series, "The Comeback," which premiered its first season only a year before "30 Rock" but sadly didn't have the longevity of the NBC series. In "The Comeback," Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish, a washed-up sitcom actress who allows her return to a leading television role be documented by a camera crew. Similarly to "30 Rock," the show satires the lives of celebrities in showbusiness from the perspective of a female character, albeit one that's far less self-aware than Tina Fey's Liz Lemon was. 

"The Comeback" aired for 13 episodes in 2005 and didn't return for a second until 2014. Just recently, it was announced by HBO that Kudrow would be reprising her role for a third and final season in 2026, meaning that this show's airing will have spanned the entire lifespan of "30 Rock" and its influence over future TV. Few shows can boast that and still come off as worth the wait, so we'll have to wait and see if "The Comeback" remains as beloved as its original incarnation. 

Not every satire of the entertainment industry on television follows the people who've made it. One underrated and star-studded sitcom was Starz's "Party Down," a show in which each episode follows a day in the life of failed actors, screenwriters, and performers who have taken day jobs as party caterers in Los Angeles. It's led by Adam Scott as Henry, a failing actor only known for an iconic commercial, and features an incredibly strong supporting cast including Lizzy Caplan as Casey, Ken Marino as Ron, and Jane Lynch as Constance. 

Unfortunately, "Party Down" was short-lived given the commitments of its stars, with Scott moving to "Parks & Recreation" and Lynch being busy with "Glee." However, against all odds, it finally returned for a third season in 2023, making for one brilliantly funny cult TV revival that actually deserved more attention. Plus, as is the case with some of the best satirical sitcoms like "30 Rock," the show is able to be edgy in its humor without treading into offensive territory. 

Apologies to Tina Fey, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus is perhaps the greatest television actress of all time, given that Jerry Seinfeld believes she's the one "Seinfeld" star who made the NBC sitcom a success. After "Seinfeld" and her CBS follow-up "The New Adventures of Old Christine," Louis-Dreyfus took her talents to HBO, where she won six consecutive Emmy Awards for portraying Selina Meyer, the foul-mouthed vice president at the center of "Veep," which aired from 2012 to 2019. 

Although "Veep" definitely takes more advantage of its cable home than "30 Rock" could do on network, both shows feature similar structures where their female leads (Selina Meyer and Liz Lemon) are forced to deal with the repercussions of their eclectic staff, whether it be White House staffers in "Veep" or comedy writers on "30 Rock." At times, "Veep" is a brutally cynical but hilarious political satire, but doesn't feel weighed down by the goings on of the United States in the 2010s, as tempting as it might've been for the writers to lampoon current events. 

After "30 Rock" ended in 2013, showrunners Tina Fey and Robert Carlock took their next TV project to the blooming streaming giant that was Netflix in the mid-2010s. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" may not star Fey, but it's essentially her follow-up to "30 Rock," featuring an entirely new premise but having a lot of the charm mixed with absurdist cynicism that "30 Rock" was known for. "The Office" alum Ellie Kemper stars as the titular Kimmy Schmidt, an escapee from a doomsday cult who moves to New York City in order to re-adapt to the real world with a can-do attitude.

Obviously, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" being set in New York gives it a lot of similarities to Fey's previous show, but they also share a supporting actress in Jane Krakowski, who brings her unparalleled energy as Jenna from "30 Rock" to this Netflix series as Jacqueline, a white-passing ignorant socialite who hires Kimmy as her nanny. If you've just finished binging "30 Rock" and need a new show to obsess over, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" the obvious next step. 

Before Tim Robinson created one of the best modern sketch series in Netflix's "I Think You Should Leave," he was a writer, creator, and star of Comedy Central's short-lived "Detroiters" alongside Sam Richardson. If you're a fan of "I Think You Should Leave," imagine that show's sense of humor distilled into a sitcom format, and you've got "Detroiters." Robinson and Richardson play two best friends and brothers-in-law who run an advertising agency, creating poorly-thought-out commercials for local Detroit businesses and trying to stay afloat.

Although the "Detroiters" boys are a far cry from the Hollywood glitz and glam that gets lampooned in "30 Rock," the shows have similar senses of humor and are endlessly quotable. Plus, they've also got plenty of great "Saturday Night Live" stars to make cameos, including Jason Sudeikis, Cecily Strong, Vanessa Bayer, Kevin Nealon, Beck Bennett, and Tim Meadows. While the show may not be coming back any time soon, thankfully you can now watch this underrated TV show on Netflix. 

"The Other Two" was probably the closest thing to a proper spiritual successor to "30 Rock" than any other show in the modern era has come close to. Premiering on Comedy Central in 2019 before jumping to HBO Max for season 2 and beyond, "The Other Two" centers on Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke), the older siblings of a 13-year-old viral pop star who yearn for success and fame. Like "30 Rock," the show is a satire of the current entertainment industry, albeit it feels a lot closer to the reality of the 2020s than "30 Rock," which itself was a product of its time.

Although "The Other Two" ended after season 3 amid controversy surrounding the show's creators, it had all the makings of a future cult hit like "30 Rock." A lot of that could be due to the fact that Lorne Michaels was one of its producers, just like "30 Rock," after showrunners Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider got their start writing for "Saturday Night Live." Maybe there's a promising future for "The Other Two," but for now, we just have to wonder "what if" as we keep jamming to "My Brother's Gay and That's Okay!"

"Girls5eva" may not have been created by Tina Fey, but since the "30 Rock" alum is an executive producer, the show still has her DNA all over it. Premiering on Peacock in 2021, "Girls5eva" chronicles the reunion of a '90s girl group, whose members include Dawn (Sara Bareilles), Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry), Summer (Busy Philipps), and Gloria (Paula Pell). Fey even cameos in the first season as Dolly Parton, who appears as a figment of Dawn's imagination, and the show also features a recurring actor in John Lutz, a supporting cast member on "30 Rock".

After being initially cancelled by Peacock, "Girls5eva" moved to Netflix. Unfortunately, Netflix cancelled "Girls5eva" after three seasons, putting an end to what could have been the pop music equivalent to "30 Rock." It's a shame, because based on the show's critical reception, it was quite the steal for Netflix, and chock full of incredible musical talent that made the titular band's '90s pop songs sound genuinely catchy. 

One of the biggest comedies of television at the moment is Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building," in which three strangers living in the same New York apartment building band together based on their shared love of crime podcasts to solve local murders, living out their failed aspirations for Hollywood through becoming minor celebrities. As fans know, this show's greatest asset is its central trio: agoraphobic crime TV star Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), eccentric failed Broadway director Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and deadpan millennial Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez). 

Aside from the show's five seasons depicting the biggest, funniest, most meta mysteries yet on television, "Only Murders" also boasts, like "30 Rock," a stellar roster of guest stars. There's not only the likes of Sting and Eva Longoria playing themselves, but recurring roles for actors like Paul Rudd, Richard Kind, and even Meryl freaking Streep. Of course, the biggest link to "30 Rock" comes with Tina Fey, who has a recurring role as a successful crime podcast queenpin Cinda Canning. 

"Schmigadoon!" is probably the one show on this list that's most different from "30 Rock" in terms of premise. Debuting on Apple TV+ in 2021, it follows a bickering couple (Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael-Key) who get lost on a backpacking trip and end up in the titular town that's oddly reminiscent of 1940s musicals. In the second season, the two try returning to Schmigadoon only to find it's been replaced by Schmicago, which is more inspired by musicals from the 1970s. 

While it lampoons the world of musical theater as opposed to television sketch comedy, both seasons feature Jane Krakowski as part of the main cast, as well as other regulars in Tina Fey projects like Tituss Burgess and Fred Armisen. While the second season was considered a delightful return to form for the musical comedy series, Apple TV+ cancelled it in 2024, but it deserves a whole lot more love than it got at the time it aired. If you loved the absurdity of "30 Rock" but have more of an affinity for theatre than comedy, then "Schmigadoon!" might be what you're looking for. 

"Hacks" might be the most critically-acclaimed comedy series on TV right now that's actually a comedy (we're looking at you, "The Bear"). Jean Smart stars as Deborah Vance, an aging stand-up comedian who hires struggling writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to write for her. Over the course of the show's four seasons (with a fifth on the way), Deborah and Ava's relationship goes back and forth between a surrogate parent-daughter dynamic and a borderline toxic work environment. 

As one HBO Max show that justifies a subscription to the streaming service, "Hacks" opts to satirize the opposite coast of "30 Rock," juxtaposing the LA native Ava with Deborah's glamorous life doing a residency in Las Vegas. Smart has since won an Emmy for her performance for the past three years, and in all likelihood she'll probably repeat that winning streak at this upcoming Emmy's ceremony in 2025. "Hacks" may be taking a look at a much different side of the entertainment industry than "30 Rock," but its commitment to showcasing the struggles of women in comedy make it clear that, although a lot of "30 Rock" successors have failed, some are reigning supreme in TV. 

The idea for Hulu's "Reboot" all started with the revival of "Roseanne," just one of the many desperate attempts to revitalize the television landscape in recent years. "Reboot" follows the behind-the-scenes turmoil involved in one of these soulless sitcom rehashes, forcing its actors Reed (Keegan Michael-Key), Bree (Judy Greer), Clay (Johnny Knoxville), and Zack (Calum Worthy) to confront their complicated pasts and its creator Gordon Gelman (Paul Reiser) to seize control from its new showrunner, his rebellious daughter Hannah (Rachel Bloom). 

Sadly, Hulu has chosen not to let "Reboot" continue after only one season, which is a shame given that the reboot culture is still pervasive in TV. If "30 Rock" was scathingly accurate in its criticisms of low-effort television and corporate integration, "Reboot" had the potential to do the same for an entirely new era of television. It's still unclear if there will ever be a "Reboot" season 2, but maybe someday, this underrated Hulu series will be deemed worthy of a reboot of its own. 

Vanessa Bayer is maybe one of the most underrated cast members on "Saturday Night Live" in recent history, but in 2022 she got her long overdue starring role in a Showtime comedy series, "I Love That for You." Based on her own experiences with childhood leukemia, Bayer stars as Joanna, a home shopping show host who, in a desperate bid to keep her job, lies about her cancer returning in adulthood to garner sympathy. Obviously, a show like this has a thin tightrope to walk, but like "30 Rock," it does so based on the strength of its cast, particularly Bayer and her fellow "SNL" alum, Molly Shannon, who plays Joanna's trashy home shopping network role model. 

Despite being cancelled by Showtime after its first season, seeing Bayer's character fumble to succeed in the world of home shopping is not dissimilar to what it's like watching Tina Fey's Liz Lemon snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in every episode of "30 Rock." It might lack the satirical bite of "30 Rock," but given its flawed yet likable female lead, it definitely has enough laugh-out-loud moments to make its eight episodes worth the binge-watch.