Who hasn't fallen in love with Liz Lemon ? She's clever, complex, vulnerable but generally confident, funny, and she looks like she'd look pretty fantastic in a bikini - although alas, we'll never know for sure. Actress/writer Tina Fey also managed to surround herself with an excellent cast, and as we all know by now, as devourers of comedy series, good characters make most of the show. So in short: this works. You might not be a huge Alec Baldwin fan; this reviewer surely wasn't; but the fact is the character Jack Donaghy is a funny character. His overly republican demeanor, his over-the-top American competitive edge, his aggressive views on anything innocuous... that's just good entertainment for the casual watcher looking for spoofing of any kind. Tracy Jordan is one-dimensional, but that one dimension of his is unique enough that they managed to stretch a whole 7 seasons out of him without breaking him. Credit to the writing, but also the actor who so easily could've turned into a caricature of himself, which he only half-does, which still works. Jenna Maroney, Kenneth... or more secondary characters like Dr. Spaceman, Tracy's entourage, or Jack's assistant Jonathan, all contribute to the fun.
Of course this is a monster budget production, and the show couldn't just focus on the quality of its comedy only. It had to cater more to wider audiences, it had to introduce a bit of socio-political commentary and bias, it had to extend to longer than the show may've really needed to, and the story element had to be emphasized when just pure comedy sufficed early on when the show was riding its first wave enthusiasm and energy. For example, certain episodes feel like we're right in the middle of a romantic comedy, which may not at all be what the viewer is seeking initially. They might just want to laugh, and might feel like they've been lured into something they haven't signed up for. But, being good sports, we're given entertainment wherein lots of work has been poured into, and therefor will look for the good in it first, and for seven whole seasons, this holds up alright. It never turns awful, which many other shows have done after promising starts.
Of course this is a monster budget production, and the show couldn't just focus on the quality of its comedy only. It had to cater more to wider audiences, it had to introduce a bit of socio-political commentary and bias, it had to extend to longer than the show may've really needed to, and the story element had to be emphasized when just pure comedy sufficed early on when the show was riding its first wave enthusiasm and energy. For example, certain episodes feel like we're right in the middle of a romantic comedy, which may not at all be what the viewer is seeking initially. They might just want to laugh, and might feel like they've been lured into something they haven't signed up for. But, being good sports, we're given entertainment wherein lots of work has been poured into, and therefor will look for the good in it first, and for seven whole seasons, this holds up alright. It never turns awful, which many other shows have done after promising starts.