All 6 Tina Fey/Robert Carlock Collaborations, Ranked

The name Tina Fey is widely recognized, but the name Robert Carlock might not be as well-known. Fey and Carlock have worked together since 1997 and have created some of the most memorable sitcoms and shows over the past 25 years. The two wrote for Saturday Night Live from 1997 to 2001, when Carlock left the show to write for Friends. Fey stayed at SNL until 2006.

Once Fey’s time on SNL was over, the two writers teamed up for their first successful show. That wouldn’t be the last time they created a show together either, as the two have been an iconic comedy writing team ever since. The pair even won the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at the 2018 Writers Guild of America Awards.

With Fey currently co-starring in The Four Seasons, a show she co-created, and Carlock writing for Mulligan, both are currently working on Netflix shows. The two are currently working on a new sitcom for NBC, which will star Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe. Here’s a list of all the collaborations they have done so far, ranked.

6

‘Mr. Mayor’ (2021 – 2022)

Mr. Mayor was a starring vehicle for Ted Danson and premiered in 2021. Danson starred as Neil Bremer, a businessman who wins the office of mayor of Los Angeles. It follows him and his staff as they navigate the daily activities of being a mayor. The show ran for two seasons on NBC, totaling 20 episodes plus a Christmas special. Carlock and Fey co-created the show.

The supporting cast included Holly Hunter as the deputy mayor, Bobby Moynihan as the mayor’s communications director, Vella Lovell as the mayor’s chief of staff, Mike Cabellon as the mayor’s chief strategist, and Kyla Kennedy as his daughter. The show was whimsical and light while using Danson’s charisma to the best of its ability. Moynihan and Lovell shined in their roles while Danson bounced back with A Man on the Inside.

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5

‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ (2016)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is Carlock’s lone movie writing credit. The film stars Fey as a journalist who gets assigned a beat covering the war in Afghanistan. Based on Kim Barker’s memoir, the movie gives Fey a starring role and shows her depth as a performer. The film touches on serious subjects, but keeps it lighthearted at times, using Fey’s quick deliveries to its advantage.

The film also stars Martin Freeman as a photojournalist, Margot Robbie as a BBC News journalist, Billy Bob Thornton as a US Marine Corps General, Alfred Molina as a local Afghan official, and Christopher Abbott as a translator and driver for journalists. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot received mixed reviews from both fans and critics. It earned a 68% critics score and a 54% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

4

‘Great News’ (2017 – 2018)

A workplace comedy set at a TV station, it follows a television news program and the people who make it. Created by Tracey Wigfield, a frequent writing collaborator with Fey and Carlock, who serve as executive producers on the show, Great News ran for two seasons on NBC from 2017 to 2018. Carlock was also a writer on it. It follows Briga Heelan’s Katie Wendelsohn, a segment producer dealing with the crew of the show, including her mother, who was hired as an intern.

Andrea Martin steals the show as Katie’s mother, Carol, bringing hilarity to everyday situations. Her playing both an older woman admiring her daughter at work while also trying to do grunt work that interns typically have to do made for a fun premise. It co-starred John Michael Higgins and Nicole Richie as the show’s anchors, Adam Campbell as the executive producer of the show, and Horatio Sanz as the show’s video editor. The show highlighted workplace dysfunction while providing a refreshing twist on the television show as a setting genre.

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3

‘Girls5eva’ (2021 – Present)

Another show with Carlock and Fey as executive producers and Carlock as a writer, Girls5eva depicts the lives of the members of a 1990s girl group that comes back into the limelight after an up-and-coming rapper decides to sample their big hit. The show’s cast is the real selling point, as all of them nail their roles. The show stars Sara Bareilles, Busy Phillips, Paula Pell, and Renee Elise Goldsberry as the four members of Girls5eva.

Bareilles’ character is a mother who works at her brother’s Italian restaurant. Phillips and her husband, played by Andrew Rannells, are Christian icons. Pell is a dentist, and Goldsberry is a wannabe influencer. The show encapsulates what it’s like when people enjoy fame at a young age, but the fame doesn’t last. Jeff Richmond, Fey’s husband, is the music supervisor on the show, providing some terrific and catchy songs throughout its run. The show has gone from Peacock to Netflix during its run.

2

‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (2015 – 2019)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was co-created by Fey and Carlock and starred Ellie Kemper as the titular Kimmy. Kimmy was a member of a doomsday cult who lived much of her younger life underground. When she and her siblings are finally rescued, she decides to stop putting off her life and move to New York City. The high energy and positivity of Kimmy are infectious with those around her, and her “lost in the big city” vibes are endearing to audiences.

The show made a star out of Kemper and Tituss Burgess, who played Kimmy’s enigmatic roommate, Titus Andromedon. Carol Kane played their landlady, and Jane Krakowski played Jacqueline White, a socialite who hires Kimmy as a nanny for her child. In one of his funnier turns, Jon Hamm guest-starred as the cult leader. The show was lauded by fans and critics, earning Burgess, Kemper, and Krakowski Emmy nominations.

1

’30 Rock’ (2006 – 2013)

30 Rock

Release Date

2006 – 2013-00-00

Network

NBC

One of the funniest comedies of all time and one of the best TV series of the 2000s, 30 Rock helped launch Fey from a solid Saturday Night Live castmate to one of the funniest actresses working. The show was created by Fey and she and Carlock served as the showrunners. It starred Fey as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a variety show on NBC, and Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, an executive for NBC who ultimately becomes a mentor to Liz. The cast is iconic, with Krakowski playing Jenna Maroney, the original star of the variety show, and Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, the comedian they bring in to help the show.

Jack McBrayer, Judah Friedlander, Scott Adsit, and others, mostly those who work on the show or for NBC, complete the cast. The show also featured incredible guest stars and celebrity cameos during its run. 30 Rock was executive-produced by Lorne Michaels and provides a glimpse of what it might be like behind the scenes at SNL. Fey and Baldwin are comedy gold together, providing some of the best lines in the past 25 years. The show was critically acclaimed, winning Best Comedy Series at the Emmys three times.