For the first episode of our monthly TV podcast, we wrack our mind grapes for the best character on Tina Fey’s classic showbiz sitcom.

Deep in the bowels of The Spool Studios, there lies a chamber only the greatest TV characters can enter – the funniest, the grumpiest, the maddest masks the television medium has to offer. There, we honor the breakout comic relief, the magnetically flawed protagonist, the one-time guest character that defines an entire series. This is where we hoard TV’s most valuable visages. This… is the Hall of Faces.

Welcome to the Hall of Faces, The Spool’s monthly TV podcast! A spinoff of the short-lived Consequence of Sound podcast TV Party, Hall of Faces sees hosts and TV critics Allison Shoemaker and Clint Worthington build up a pantheon of television’s greatest characters, one show at a time.

For our very first episode, Allison and Clint are joined by guests Kate Kulzick of The Televerse and Kris Vire, formerly of Time Out Chicago, to talk about Tina Fey’s incredible NBC sitcom 30 Rock! Running from 2006 to 2013, 30 Rock offered up a witty, satirical spin on Fey’s tenure as head writer of Saturday Night Live, quickly turning into one of TV comedy’s most consistent and uproarious joke delivery systems.

Warping the ins and outs of a sketch comedy show set in 30 Rockefeller Plaza into high-concept farce of the highest order, Fey and co. also managed to craft a cast of TV’s most wonderful characters, from Fey’s high-strung Liz Lemon, to Tracy Morgan’s gut-bustingly bizarre star Tracy Jordan, to Alec Baldwin’s hard-edged ultracapitalist Jack Donaghy.

Which character makes the cut? Liz? Jack? Jenna Maroney? Kenneth Parcell? Tangiers, the super-gay lion? Take a listen and find out!

Hall of Faces is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Lagunitas for sponsoring this episode!)

THE HALL OF FACES:

Hall of Faces art courtesy of Jesse Miller.

Podcast logo by Josh Hollis.

Podcast theme by Jon Biegen.