Claim: The TV series 30 Rock starred a former SNL cast member.

30 Rock is an American satirical television sitcom created by Tina Fey that ran on NBC from October 11 , 2006 , to January 31 , 2013 . The series , loosely based on Fey 's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live , takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show depicted as airing on NBC . The series ' name refers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City , the address of the Comcast Building , where the NBC Studios are located and where Saturday Night Live is written , produced , and performed . This series is produced by Broadway Video and Little Stranger , Inc. , in association with NBCUniversal .   30 Rock episodes were produced in a single-camera setup -LRB- with the exception of the two live episodes that were taped in the multiple-camera setup -RRB- , and were filmed in New York . The pilot episode premiered on October 11 , 2006 , and seven seasons followed . The series stars Fey with a supporting cast that includes Alec Baldwin , Tracy Morgan , Jane Krakowski , Jack McBrayer , Scott Adsit , Judah Friedlander , Katrina Bowden , Keith Powell , Lonny Ross , John Lutz , Sue Galloway , Kevin Brown , Grizz Chapman , Maulik Pancholy , and Rachel Dratch .   Tonally , 30 Rock uses surreal humor to parody the complex corporate structure of NBC and its then parent company General Electric . Television critic Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club once remarked that it `` usually adopts the manic pacing of a live-action cartoon . '' The show was influential in its extensive use of smash cuts : sudden , short cuts to unrelated scenes showing something the characters are briefly discussing . 30 Rock also became known for its dedication to making these extremely elaborate , once showing a set that took three days to build for only six seconds of video .   30 Rock received critical acclaim throughout its run , winning several major awards -LRB- including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2007 , 2008 , and 2009 and nominations for every other year it ran -RRB- , and appearing on many critics ' year-end `` best of '' 2006-2013 lists . On July 14 , 2009 , the series was nominated for 22 Primetime Emmy Awards , the most in a single year for a comedy series . Over the course of the series , it was nominated for 103 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 16 , in addition to numerous other nominations and wins from other awards shows . Despite the high praise , the series struggled in the ratings throughout its run , something of which Fey herself has made light .   In 2009 , Comedy Central and WGN America bought the syndication rights to the show , which began airing on both networks on September 19 , 2011 ; the series also entered into local broadcast syndication on the same day . Today , 30 Rock is regarded as a landmark series . Its series finale in particular has been named as one of the greatest in television history by several publications . In 2013 , the Writers Guild of America named 30 Rock the 21st best-written television series of all time .