Life hasn’t been easy for Tracy Morgan since 30 Rock ended in 2013. In 2014, he was involved in a major motor accident when a Wal-Mart truck crashed into his limo, leaving him in a coma for eight days and with a long road to recovery. The injuries he sustained were so severe he had to relearn how to walk.
Then in March 2025, Morgan had a very public health scare at a New York Knicks game, where he vomited while sitting courtside and was carted off in a wheelchair. He later attributed the incident to food poisoning, much to the relief of his fans.
Now, more than a decade later, Morgan is back on NBC, this time leading a sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. In the series, from 30 Rock co-creator Robert Carlock and his collaborator Sam Means, Morgan plays a disgraced former football star who hopes a documentary will put him back in the public’s good graces. He stars alongside, of all people, Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the documentary filmmaker. Talk about an odd couple.
While the series doesn’t officially start until February 23, the pilot premiered on January 18 on NBC, right after the NFL playoff game. So viewers have already had a sneak peek at Morgan’s big TV comeback. What do they think?
What the Viewers Are Saying
So far, the reaction to the first episode of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins appears to be largely positive. Despite only having three reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, all three gave the episode five stars. “One of the better pilots I’ve seen in a looooong time,” one reviewer wrote. “Really good laughs for a first episode: good writing, excellent editing (some of those quick visual gags had me rolling).” They added, “I made an account to say how much I liked it. That says something.”
Another noted that to 30 Rock fans, the series will feel familiar. “OK, so Tracy is basically playing Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock,” they wrote. “Thing is, who cares? When it’s this funny … I’ll take it!”
What the Critics Are Saying
The pro critics more or less agree with the viewers’ consensus, leaving them cautiously optimistic about the rest of the season. “If you aren’t already a fan of these particular traits in these actors, I don’t know if this pilot will convert you,” wrote Pajibain its review. “I do know that all three of them [Morgan, Radcliffe, and Bobby Moynihan] have proven their comic chops. And, when given the room to let loose, they’re all exceptionally funny.”
The Hollywood Reporter, which reviewed the first four episodes, wrote that while the series is still looking for its footing in the pilot, it quickly sticks the landing. “… While I chuckled at the first couple of episodes,” they wrote, “the third and fourth episodes were the ones that really made me eager to watch more.”
