From Harry Potter to Prime Time: Daniel Radcliffe Channels 30 Rock in New NBC Sitcom

Daniel Radcliffe keeps swerving into the fun, odd corners of TV and film, and I respect the commitment. His latest detour: an NBC sitcom called The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, premiering Feb. 23. It comes from Tina Fey and pairs Radcliffe with Tracy Morgan, which is an instantly intriguing combo.

Why Radcliffe signed on

Radcliffe is a self-professed 30 Rock superfan, and that fandom is basically his north star here. He lit up talking about what that show did to his comedic brain:

"They manage to balance hyper-specific, very smart jokes that feel like they are for, like, nine people... If you don’t like a joke, or it doesn’t make you laugh, don’t worry: there’s going to be another one in three seconds... I feel like Tracy and Jenna are probably the lines I can quote the most."

Given that, stepping into a Tina Fey world alongside Tracy Morgan feels like destiny and a little bit of chaos in the best way.

What the show is actually about

Radcliffe plays Arthur, an arrogant documentary filmmaker hired to track former pro football star Reggie (Morgan) as he tries to claw his way back after a brutal scandal. It’s an ego-versus-ego setup, and the camera is right where the mess happens.

The Tina Fey factor (and the 30 Rock shadow)

Fair to assume people will look for 30 Rock DNA whenever Fey is involved. For context: her other projects have their own lanes. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt carved out a different kind of absurdity. The Four Seasons lives in another register entirely. This new one pairs a reality-TV-adjacent premise with Morgan’s energy and Radcliffe’s delight in making left-field choices. Odds are there will be winks for fans, but the pitch is its own.

Robert Carlock, Fey’s longtime collaborator (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) who also worked with Radcliffe on the animated series Mulligan, says this was tailored with Radcliffe in mind:

"We actually wrote this for him, and we were just thrilled that he signed on. We loved the idea of him and Tracy together."

The basics

• Title: The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
• Platform: NBC
• Premiere: Feb. 23
• Creators/EPs: Tina Fey and frequent partner Robert Carlock
• Cast: Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur (a cocky doc filmmaker); Tracy Morgan as Reggie (a disgraced ex-NFL star rebuilding)
• Vibe check: Sharp jokes, fast pace, two strong comic sensibilities colliding

Radcliffe has made a habit of picking roles that zig where you expect him to zag. Pairing him with Morgan under Fey and Carlock’s umbrella sounds like exactly that kind of move. Smart bet this one comes in hot and talks fast.