30 Rock Live TV Parodies

This past Thursday, 30 Rock had its second live episode, and what an episode it was!  From the flashbacks to the surprise guests, the episode was non-stop fun.  But one of my favorite parts of the episode was the parodies of classic TV shows that they worked into the episode.  For those of you who may not be as familiar with classic television, here's a side by side (well above and below) look at 30 Rock's parody and the original classic show:

The Lovebirds/The Honeymooners

The Lovebirds is a parody of the classic Jackie Gleason sitcom The Honeymooners, with Alec Baldwin playing Jackie Gleason's role of Ralph Kramden, and Tina Fey doing a great impression of his miserable housewife Alice.

The Joey Montero Show/The Dean Martin Show

The Joey Montero Show was  a parody of the classic variety show The Dean Martin Show.  Alec Baldwin spoofs crooner Dean Martin, who drunkenly stumbled around on stage, telling jokes and singing with his guests. 

Alphie and Abner/Amos 'n' Andy

Alphie and Abner is a parody of the old sitcom Amos 'n' Andy.  Amos 'n' Andy started out as a popular radio show, before it was later turned into a TV series.  Though the TV show starred black actors, the 1930 feature film (based on the radio series) featured white actors in black face, as spoofed by Jon Hamm's character in Alphie and Abner.

The Gruby Brother and Nipsey/Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
The Gruby Brother and Nipsey is a spoof of the classic sketch comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.  The show, which featured silly sketches and random dancing girls, was most famous for its "joke wall" where cast members would open a door on the wall and tell a joke.