Tracy Morgan is one of the most beloved Saturday Night Live alums. In his years since leaving Studio 8H, he’s found success with his standup career, a few supporting film roles, and just well…being Tracy Morgan.
A new show is now streaming on Peacock with Morgan as the star this time. His performance has a familiar ring to it. In The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Morgan is back as a sort-of version of himself and a character we’ve seen him play before.
It was “being Tracy Morgan” that helped the former SNL cast member stand out in 30 Rock, the acclaimed Tina Fey show that won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series three times earlier this century.
In 30 Rock, Morgan played Tracy Jordan, a much-exaggerated version of himself. Jordan was a filthy-rich comedian with little self-awareness, extremely dim-witted, self-indulgent, hounded by controversy, but loyal to his family and friends.
In The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Morgan plays Reggie, a filthy-rich athlete with no self-awareness, extremely dim-witted, self-indulgent, hounded by his controversial past, but loyal to his family and friends.
This is not a stretch for Morgan. But, even still, it generally works for what is considered good TV comedy in the 2020s.
Morgan’s schtick, which is really a fairly excellent imitation of Flip Wilson, works for most audience members, because it’s easily digestible. Is there any depth? No. Is it a particularly brilliant performance? No. But, it’s Tracy, so we like him.
Co-stars are Daniel Radcliffe as the documentary film maker, the under-utilized Erika Alexander as Reggie’s agent and ex-wife, Bobby Moynihan as the sycophant hanger-on, and Precious Way, who steals every scene she’s in as Dinkins’ current trophy wife.
There’s a lot of 30 Rock in this, which makes sense. Tina Fey is an executive producer for Reggie Dinkins, and another exec on the show is Robert Carlock, who was showrunner for 30 Rock.
If you liked the Arrested Development-inspired asides that Fey utilized in 30 Rock, you’ll be happy, because The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins looks a lot like that.
This show feels like Tina Fey asking “What if we saw what the Tracy Jordan character is doing now?”
The first two episodes of Season 1 of Reggie Dinkins are streaming on Peacock now.
