The writers room is together for season 2 of Robert Carlock and Sam Means‘ NBC comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, barreling toward a late August shoot in time for a fall premiere.
The duo discuss on today’s Crew Call how the 30 Rock reteam with Tracy Morgan came together: “Three things we haven’t done: There’s sports, there’s the family comedy and the mockumentary,” says Carlock.
The comedy series follows Morgan as a former NFL champ Reggie Dinkins who has certainly seen better days. He’s trying to make a comeback and his ex-wife, Monica (Erika Alexander) is there to give him a lift, along with best friend and former teammate Rusty (Bobby Moynihan), and influencer g.f. Brina (Precious Way). All the while, Reggie’s life is being captured by British documentary filmmaker Arthur Tobin (played by Daniel Radcliffe) who has his own production challenges.
Carlock says that season 2 “continue to be a puzzle to figure out why this movie is never getting made.”
Also, given how the series is headed for a season 2 fall premiere, “we’re talking about breaking a Thanksgiving episode.”
A big jumping off point will be picking up where season one ended with the aftermath of Reggie’s son Carmelo (Jalyn Hall) dating the daughter of his father’s football arch-nemesis, Jerry Basmati (Craig Robinson). But most of all, the series will continue to explore the theme of redemption, and not just for Reggie but everyone. The Hall of Fame, yes, that will always be within some kind of reach for Reggie.
“I don’t think it’s about Tobin getting back on the Oscar stage, or Monica running a football team or whatever her grandiose plans are,” shares Carlock.
Carlock and Means talk to us about Fey’s notes for the show (“this one doesn’t have any puppets?”, she asked once referring to a 30 Rock episode involving Jack McBrayer’s Kenny Parcell), Jon Hamm’s constant plea to make a cameo, inspirations for Reggie Dinkins, and what Morgan delivers.
Says Carlock, “I can’t describe him better than Tina did at one point, which is you love him and you root for him and you’re not quite sure what he’s going to do next. So there’s that little edge and a little bit of danger and unpredictability.”
As far as whether any 30 Rock characters will crossover into Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — why that almost happened on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt with McBrayer’s Kenny. Listen to our conversation below.
Says Carlock, “I do think of this, 30 Rock and Kimmy as existing in the same New York, somehow.”
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