- Netflix
- Ellie Kemper as the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
When 30 Rock aired its final episode in 2013, television lost something special. Tina Fey created a universe in which there was no ceiling for silliness, women could be powerful cynics, and an NBC page could be immortal. More importantly it was a world that was filled a high laughs-per-minute quota while shedding light (sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly) on issues from gender equality to FDA regulations. There was nothing like it on television, and technically there still isn’t; its worthy replacement, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, is streaming on Netflix.
Amid the nonstop jokes and jaunty score (Jeff Richmond, Fey’s husband and 30 Rock composer, stuck around for this one), some dark subjects are addressed so seamlessly that it’s barely noticeable. Luckily the first 13 episodes of this show are endlessly rewatchable (I zoomed through the season twice in three days) so you won’t miss a thing. It’s good to have Fey’s wacky, whimsical, and thoughtful view of the world back in our lives.
