Chimpomatic

Still a mystery why Five have been sitting on Season Two of this excellent sitcom - especially after Tina Fey's starring role in the US election this year. They're promising it's going to be on around February/March, but if you can't wait, the US DVD's been out for a bit now, and is a great watch.

From Werewolf Barmitzvah, to Milf Island, Jack's powerplay for the top dog spot at NBC/GE and Kenneth's never mention-it-again-party, this second series proves 30 Rock is a show that's fast becoming a sitcom classic. It's up there with Arrested Development and Malcolm In The Middle in terms of detail, snappy dialogue and fast-moving plots - can see it evolving into something as strong as Seinfeld if it's left to run and run (never a given in the ruthless world of noughties network TV). They even slip a Jerry cameo into the first episode, when Jack invents Seinfeld Vision - inserting clips of Jerry into any show he likes...

Other guest spots to enjoy this season include Carrie Fisher with a great Leia, Matthew Broderick as a beleagured Bush employee, Rip Torn reprising his role as Don Geiss and Edie Falco as Jack's opposites-attract Democrat Senator lover.

The DVD comes with some interesting extras - for once, some you'll actually want to watch beyond the usual deleted scenes. Best is the table read-through for one of the episodes, where you get to see the cast rehearsing their lines and cracking each other up as they go through the script. Interesting to hear slightly different versions of some of the lines, and variations on the delivery as well. There's also a behind-the-scenes look at Tina Fey hosting Saturday Night Live (the obvious model for 30 Rock), the cast being interviewed together, and a shaky video showing them in a live read-through of a script on stage at a small improv theatre during the writers' strike.

If you haven't got round to getting into 30 Rock, you're missing out. (And so are Five here in the UK... hurry up dudes.)