The 30 Rock band is getting back together, as Tracy Morgan is reportedly set to star as a “disgraced former football player” in a new sitcom from Tina Fey.
According to Variety, Morgan’s character is “on a mission to rehabilitate his image” in the new NBC show, which also stars fellow 30 Rock alumni and frequent Fey collaborator Robert Carlock.
It will be fascinating to see Fey and Carlock’s comedic style, which produced cult classics like 30 Rock and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, translate to the world of sports. Likewise, former SNL star Morgan has starred in many TV shows at this point but has never dipped his toes into sports, either.
The unnamed Fey-Morgan football series joins several recent sports-centered sitcoms to air in recent years. As the hunger for sports content grows, we’ve seen HBO’s Winning Time, Netflix’s Running Point, Max’s Bookie, Peacock’s Mr. Throwback and Hulu’s Shoresy take off.
If the zany style of 30 Rock and Kimmy Schmidt is any indication, the new Fey-Morgan show will likely not stick to sports. Expect the creators to pull the silliest stuff out of pro football and use it as a backdrop for a series that sets up Morgan to be Morgan.
Variety adds that if the network picks up the show, it will air on NBC. A date has not been set for the pilot, but further cast announcements are coming soon.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.