Tracy Morgan returns to TV
Dear Watchers,Over seven seasons of “30 Rock,” Tracy Morgan, with his signature emphatic delivery, could make nearly anything funny. Now he is once again putting his distinct comic rhythms to great use on NBC, in “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” which airs on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. (It also streams on Peacock.) Morgan plays the title character, a former football star who left the N.F.L. in disgrace after a gambling scandal. Reggie has invited an anxious documentarian named Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe) into his New Jersey mansion to chronicle his greatness, but all Reggie wants to do is putter around the house. The opening montage of this week’s episode, the third (of 10) of the first season, finds him hollering at the TV one moment — “Let the dog choose, Judge Mathis!” — and passed out on the couch the next. Not exactly the stuff of scintillating documentary. Created by the “30 Rock” veterans Robert Carlock and Sam Means, “Reggie Dinkins” utilizes Morgan’s many gifts — the absurd asides, the hilariously mundane observations — while surrounding him with an ensemble that can keep up. Reggie needs a win, but so does Arthur; his career is in a downswing, too, after an embarrassing incident on a movie set. Radcliffe’s jittery neurotic energy makes for a nice contrast with Morgan’s misplaced confidence. In a way, “Reggie Dinkins” is a show about failures and the people who love them. Reggie houses his excessively devoted best friend, Rusty (Bobby Moynihan). Reggie’s ex-wife, Monica (Erika Alexander), is still his agent. Reggie’s new fiancée, an influencer named Brina (Precious Way), is perhaps the most successful of the bunch, but this chaotic family unit turns out to be something of an Achilles’ heel for her. (Way’s comedic talents emerge as the series progresses.) Like “30 Rock,” “Reggie Dinkins” excels at cutaway gags and beautifully obscure jokes. This week’s episode includes both a flashback to Reggie’s old ad for a German “sour herring spread” (“Put it on your cabbage!”) and a reference to the Italian neorealist masterpiece “The Bicycle Thief.” But beneath all the gags, there’s a sweetness that becomes more apparent as the season goes on. It’s a blast to hang out with these losers, even if they are just lazing around and watching daytime TV. Also this week
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