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Seinfeld Spot May Backfire for 30 Rock

Sitcom king's cameo could be series' jump-the-shark moment, critic says

By Zach Samalin,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 5, 2007 5:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – Seinfeld played Seinfeld once again in an irony-drenched cameo on "30 Rock" last night: In order to boost ratings, a fictional NBC exec decides to digitally insert Jerry into all prime-time shows. The kicker is that the self-parodic comic may not liven things up anymore, the New York Observer's Jake Brooks writes—and heretofore-fab "30 Rock" might be done for.

Seinfeld "perfected the sitcom and ruined it in the process," Brooks writes, and "30 Rock" had gained a following of its own by thumbing its nose at Seinfeldian convention. Comedy has moved on without Seinfeld—whose cameo comes as he's promoting the animated "Bee Movie"—and Brooks lands a couple more jabs while wondering if the same fate awaits "30 Rock."

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld laughs during a stop to promote his upcoming film, Bee Movie, in Toronto on Wednesday Sept. 26, 2007.  (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Frank Gunn)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld laughs during a stop to promote his upcoming film, "Bee Movie," in Toronto on Wednesday Sept. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Frank Gunn)   (Associated Press)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, right, sits with his wife Jessica during the Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, right, sits with his wife Jessica during the Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Darron...   (Associated Press)
Tina Fey poses with the Emmy that she won for outstanding comedy series for her work on 30 Rock at the Governors Ball following the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Tina Fey poses with the Emmy that she won for outstanding comedy series for her work on "30 Rock" at the Governors Ball following the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, at the Shrine Auditorium...   (Associated Press)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, left, chats with Larry David during the Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, left, chats with Larry David during the Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)   (Associated Press)
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