Roush Review: The ’30 Rock’ Vibe Is Alive and Well in ‘Reggie Dinkins’

The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins

Matt's Rating:

By now, we’ve grown accustomed to the rhythm and the rules of the mockumentary sitcom: those side-eye reactions when something especially nutty happens, the confessionals revealing a character’s inner thoughts, the ever-present cameras poking their way into people’s personal business. But The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, from masters of the absurd Robert Carlock and Sam Means (whose resumés include 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Parks and Recreation), takes the format a step further, if not always funnier.

Though the focus is squarely on the titular loose cannon Reggie Dinkins (30 Rock and Saturday Night Live alum Tracy Morgan), a fallen NFL star who was banned by the sport following a gambling scandal, the filmmaker behind the mock-doc gets equal time and billing. (His unseen cameraman, however, remains underappreciated.) Daniel Radcliffe, who revealed his aptitude for comedy in the cable anthology Miracle Workers, co-stars as Arthur Tobin, a pretentiously professorial and Oscar-winning documentary director who’s seeking his own comeback after infamously melting down on the set of a big-budget Marvel movie.

These underdogs are seeking redemption — and in Reggie’s case, recognition from the NFL Hall of Fame — through this film project, which aims to show the disgraced former athlete in the best light possible. Not easy when you’re dealing with such a dim bulb.

Scott Gries / NBC

Morgan plays Reggie in a familiar bellowing mode as a childlike and adorable idiot, disbelieving his misfortune as he resides in the lap of suburban-mansion luxury. His enablers include his ex-wife and sports manager Monica (Erika Alexander), whose business has also fallen on hard times, Reggie’s current fiancée and sexy rapper-influencer Brina (Precious Way), his teenage son Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), and his bumbling former teammate and loyal best friend Rusty (SNL veteran Bobby Moynihan, in a constant competition to out-scream Morgan), who lives in Reggie’s basement.

“I want to be respected again,” Reggie insists while playacting for the camera to the eternal frustration of Arthur, who’s also stymied by the NFL’s refusal to license any footage. “I can’t even sell out properly,” Arthur moans.

Radcliffe masters the genre’s repertoire of baffled, horrified, and bemused looks, even as Arthur crosses professional boundaries and becomes part of their wacky story. He can’t help falling for Reggie, and the show hopes you do, too. Helping make Reggie’s case is the toxic nature of their antagonists, including The Office alum Craig Robinson as Reggie’s unyielding NFL nemesis and The Daily Show‘s Ronny Chieng as a malicious sports agent who mocks Monica at every turn. (There are also fun bits along the way by SNL‘s Heidi Gardner as Robinson’s ditsy trophy wife, Corbin Bernsen as Reggie’s unforgiving former coach, Megan Thee Stallion as a saucy mail lady who catches Arthur’s eye, and Anna Camp as a dingbat named Narcissa from Arthur’s tormented past.)

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Over 10 labored episodes (which I do not recommend saving up to watch as a binge), I felt my interest waning in Reggie’s delusional quest for renewed glory, which feels hollow with no sense of regret at its core and may be even more pathetic than that of the late Pete Rose. And Arthur would be lucky to make a film as fascinating as HBO’s 2024 Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose. From the footage we’ve seen so far, The Fall and Rise would be lucky to earn a time slot on TLC.

But just as in 30 Rock, it’s the gags that keep us coming back. And Reggie is full of them, especially adept at parodying sports-talk TV (with The Daily Show‘s Michael Kosta as anchor), the best skewering Pardon the Interruption with a send-up called Sports Shouting that encourages an entire panel to babble at once.

Even the experts agree that Reggie’s redemption is a long shot, though the show pretends it’s not a lost cause. Because if it were, what would be the point? (Which is something most TV series wouldn’t want us thinking about for too long.)

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Series Premiere (two episodes), Monday, February 23, 8/7c, NBC