Tina Fey couldn't have timed this year better if she could jump through time like that guy from Heroes.

Just as TV audiences seem to be tiring of SNL's lampooning of the election -- even a pitch-perfect Sarah Palin impression can feel a bit worn after three straight weeks of skits -- along comes Fey with the perfect follow-up. Namely, a batch of 30 Rock episodes funny enough to make us forget her amazing take on Caribou Barbie -- at least, for a moment.

I wrote on Sunday about how cool these first two 30 Rock episodes are, with Will & Grace alum Megan Mullally on this week as an unlucky adoption worker checking out Fey's Liz Lemon for possible placement. Next week, the queen of all media, Oprah Winfrey, appears in an inspired cameo that involves an airplane flight, lots of Vicodin and mistaken identity.

Check out the first full episode here, days before it debuts on NBC. And let me know if I got it right. 

(By the way, when I watched the episode, it was sponsored by Obama's campaign. Which made me wonder: Is it ironic that Obama would be sponsoring a Webcast of the show starring the woman who made headlines playing his nemesis? Or is it just good politics to reward the woman who has done as much to cement Sarah Palin's image as a lightweight ex-beauty queen as anyone besides the candidate herself?)

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