How Saturday Night Live Quietly Set Up Tracy Morgan’s New 100% RT Sitcom Explained By Creators & Stars

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Tracy Morgan is returning to television with a new sitcom, and he’s working with some former cast members from his days on Saturday Night Live.

In “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” Morgan plays a former NFL player named Reggie who was kicked out of the league after a gambling problem came to light. Hoping to rebuild his reputation, Reggie secretly hires a filmmaker, Arthur Tobin, to create a documentary about his life and career, bypassing his manager and ex-wife, Monica. As Reggie revisits his past, the documentary becomes a journey of personal growth, not just for him, but also for Arthur and those closest to him.

Joining Morgan in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is a talented cast including Daniel Radcliffe (nominated for two Emmys) as Arthur, Erika Alexander from Invasion as Monica, Bobby Moynihan (a Saturday Night Live veteran) as Reggie’s best friend Rusty, Previous Way as Brina, and Jalyn Hall as Reggie’s son Carmelo. Created by Robert Carlock and Sam Means, the team behind Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the series has received rave reviews and currently holds a perfect 100% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Before the release of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with the show’s stars – Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, Jalyn Hall, Robert Carlock, and Sam Means. Morgan said working with Moynihan and Tina Fey again felt completely natural, comparing it to “an easy Sunday morning.” He also mentioned Fey is very pleased with how the show turned out.

Morgan described Tina Fey as being like a sister to him, explaining that she’s been incredibly supportive of his career, both during their time on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. He’s currently re-watching 30 Rock and says it feels like revisiting a challenging but rewarding experience – like stepping back to appreciate a large, impressive undertaking. He realizes how funny the show was and feels a renewed connection with Fey and Tracy Morgan, as if they’re working together again on Reggie Dinkins.

I have to admit, hearing about how Tracy Morgan and Keegan-Michael Key reconnected for this new show was genuinely heartwarming. Apparently, Tracy hosting Saturday Night Live during my first year on the show gave me a chance to really see what a talent he was – he was just incredible! We had such a blast working together on Reggie Dinkins, and I remember one scene in particular where we were completely improvising and just feeding off each other’s energy. It was the best! That’s the magic of SNL, really – it creates these bonds and friendships with other comedians that last a lifetime.

I feel incredibly close to Tracy – he’s like a brother to me. It’s funny, because before working on this show, I’d only spent about six hours total in his company. But going through this experience together has created a real bond. It’s so much fun working with him and acting alongside him, and I genuinely love it. Tracy is naturally hilarious. You can tell his time on SNL gave him a unique ability to just instantly become funny. He really honed his skills there, and it’s amazing to witness. I love talking with him about SNL; I get really into the details and enjoy geeking out about it.

Mixing Fiction With Reality Was A “Day-To-Day Puzzle” For Carlock & Means

ScreenRant asked about the balance between reality and fiction in the series. They pointed out the inclusion of both Marvel references and real NFL players, alongside entirely made-up characters like Reggie Dinkins, and wondered where the creators decided to draw the line between what’s real and what’s not.

Finding that balance is a constant challenge. It’s something we always aimed for with 30 Rock: how to portray realistic situations in a funny, over-the-top way, and conversely, how to make the ridiculous feel genuine. We’re always adjusting to get that right. If the audience doesn’t see that connection to reality, they won’t be able to connect with the show. Our actors are key to this – they deliver even the most outlandish lines as if they’re natural conversations, and they make the relationships feel authentic and relatable.

We aim for our comedy to feel grounded in reality and offer commentary on the world around us, but in a way that everyone can relate to. Since it takes time to make a show, jokes about current events might be outdated by the time it airs. So, we focus on the core emotions and ideas, using real-world situations to highlight a bigger, more lasting point.

At the premiere of Mercy, I spoke with Kyle Gordon about the show Reggie Dinkins. I was happy to see him – he’s a talented creator I follow on social media, and he’s also been in a few films and TV shows. I asked him what it’s like to cast someone with a strong social media presence, and whether we’ll be seeing more social media personalities in TV and movies going forward.

These actors are so ingrained in our culture now that it would feel strange not to consider them for roles. With Kyle, we found him through the usual casting process, and he was perfect for the part. I later realized he’d created those funny videos online and done music – I had to connect the dots! I’d actually come across some of his songs before.

Sam Means explained that the character Blakely Thornton in episode 103 was specifically written for the actor because he embodies so much of the show’s unique atmosphere and style.

Way & Hall Had To Get Their Harry Potter Excitement Out Of Their System Working With Daniel Radcliffe

Scott Gries/NBC

In this role, your character has many layers – she’s an agent, a mother, a former wife, and sometimes even a mentor. How did you manage to portray all those different aspects of Erika and create a cohesive character?

Erika Alexander describes her character as being on the verge of a breakdown, barely holding things together. She believes many women are expected to juggle multiple responsibilities, and it’s especially difficult when someone from your past – with whom you shared a failed endeavor – is facing public scrutiny. Her character is fiercely loyal to this person and determined to help them rebuild their life, even though it means facing consequences herself. In a way, helping him also helps her heal, as she feels responsible for the choices they made together. Alexander connects this to the common experience of women being unfairly affected by the actions of others, and she appreciates the show exploring whether women should have to suffer for the mistakes of those they care about – even though, sadly, it often happens.

ScreenRant: Did either of you two grow up Harry Potter fans? Was this just crazy, surreal?

Everyone pretended to be calm when they saw him, but I couldn’t help myself. I blurted out, “Is that Harry Potter? Is that really you?” I just had to ask! I admit, I ended up with a bit of a crush on Daniel Radcliffe, but first, I needed to get my excitement out. I even dressed up as Harry Potter!

I’m pretty much feeling the same way as everyone else. As someone who’s always been a big fan of fantasy – superheroes, magic, mythology, everything – Daniel Radcliffe really sparked my imagination growing up. Seeing him in person is incredible, it’s like realizing how much of an impact he’s had. But like others have said, we all fell in love with Daniel Radcliffe as an actor, and that was a wonderful experience.

Scott Gries/NBC

Carmelo is a fascinating character because he’s at that point in life where you start to see your parents as people, not just heroes. The question is, does he still see Reggie as perfect, or is he beginning to understand Reggie’s flaws and imperfections?

Jalyn Hall believes the central issue is the son’s unwavering admiration for his father, who remains his hero and role model. Despite acknowledging his father’s imperfections, the son seems to enable his behavior. While Monica acts as his agent, Jalyn feels Carmelo functions more like a manager, offering guidance similar to a coach. This would involve direct conversations – laying out the facts, offering support, and gently steering him toward better choices. We see hints of this dynamic in the first episode, particularly when he discusses his mother and seeks a strong working relationship with Monica. Ultimately, he loves both parents and wants what’s best for the whole family, hoping to be the one who keeps everyone connected.

ScreenRant wonders if Brina’s connection with Reggie goes deeper than just wanting money, fame, or attention. They’re curious about what unique quality she sees in him that others don’t.

Precious recognizes how truly kind and supportive he is, something she hasn’t experienced before in relationships. This explains why she’s with him – he’s completely different from her past partners. She understands his good qualities immediately, seeing things others don’t, and that’s a major reason for their connection. As the season progresses, we’ll see this become even clearer.

ScreenRant: Did you get to work with Kyle Gordon specifically?

Yes, he did! He pulled some wild stunts on the show, and I don’t want to give anything away. Viewers will have to watch to see what happened, but he’s really funny and we enjoyed working together.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins-related coverage with:

  • Daniel Radcliffe appearing on the latest episode of ScreenRant‘s Debunking AI series
  • Radcliffe teasing the possibility of rewatching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for its 25th anniversary
  • Radcliffe, Robert Carlock and Sam Means on how Christian Bale’s infamous Terminator Salvation meltdown inspired Arthur’s
  • Radcliffe’s one request to Harry Potter fans ahead of the HBO reboot
  • Radcliffe naming the two non-Harry Potter movies fans approach him about the most

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2026-02-25 00:32