Even the Manhattan television studio in NBC’s 30Rock isn’t immune to the recession. Just as many are facing – or know someone who has faced – the stress of corporate downsizing, 30Rock returns in its fourth season to deal with some business hardships.

Early in the season, the boss in the cushy position, in this case Jack Donaghy’s Alec Baldwin, receives a huge
bonus while threats of costcutting reverberate through 30 Rockefeller Center.

Jack McBrayer’s character Kenneth decides to stand up to the corporate hypocrisy, staging a ministrike, which Times television critic Mary McNamara labels one of the
“more hilarious strikes in history”.

Though played for laughs, viewers live vicariously through McBrayer’s character, who stood up to corporate bullying in an instance in which many would feel powerless. And thus, while set in the privileged world of showbiz, 30Rock has managed to find a way to still reflect the state of many workplaces.

In fact, we can learn a lot about how to survive the daily grind via television. Shows as diverse as The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and How I Met Your Mother are loaded with conflict. But they also teach us
a little bit about resolution.


Newsradio

(Weekdays, SET, 9am and Fridays double bill at 6.50pm)

Co-workers talking behind your back

Conflict: Dave (Dave Foley) overhears his station staff having a little fun at his expense when they think he’s left for the dentist. With his ego bruised, he turns to head boss Jimmy James (Stephen Root), who in turn
sets everyone straight. Jimmy stashes Dave behind a curtain and then calls the group into his office. When
he announces that he’s letting Dave go, they rush to his defence, proving that they really do appreciate him.

Resolution: Things aren’t always as bad as they seem. Just because your underlings think you look like a 14-year-old, it doesn’t mean they hate you.


UGLY BETTY

(Wednesdays, 5pm, Vuzu) Backstabbing coworkers

Conflict: Betty (America Ferrera) gets her friend and former nemesis a job at Mode, but her kindness backfires. Kimmie (Lindsay Lohan) hasn’t changed a bit since high school, and she’s just using Betty to get what she wants. The battle between the two comes to
head at a Mode cover shoot, when Betty gives Kimmie good advice, knowing she’ll never listen.

Resolution: Sometimes it pays to play by the rules.


JUST SHOOT ME!

(SET, Fridays, 12.40pm)

Climbing the corporate ladder

Conflict: Amy Watson (Tiffani Amber Thiesen) gets a job as Maya’s (Laura San Giacomo) assistant at Blush magazine, but her hopes of climbing the ranks are crushed when her new boss won’t take her writing seriously. Amy bypasses Maya and goes straight to Jack (George Segal). With her tight sweater and bedroom
eyes, she gets the job she wants.

Resolution: Don’t take no for an answer.


The Office

(M-Net Series at 8pm, Wednesday)

Discretion with employees on financial matters

Conflict: The Dunder-Mifflin home office informs co-branch managers Jim (John Krasinski) and Michael (Steve Carell) that not everyone will be able to receive their annual raise. Jim thinks the employees can be dealt with openly. Michael thinks they should be left in the dark.

Resolution: When both approaches result in angering the staff, Jim and Michael retreat to an office, where they drink gin.


How I Met Your Mother

(E.tv, Fridays at noon)

Office acquaintances

Conflict: Hot shot Barney Stinson needs a new pal for nights out on the town. Ultimately, he ends up drinking with co-workers and drafts college pal Randy (Will Forte) to be his new wingman in this third season episode.

Resolution: Mixing work and pleasure turns out, not surprisingly, to be a bad idea. Randy is a poor excuse for a drinking buddy, suffering a nosebleed any time he encounters an attractive woman. A perfectly acceptable working acquaintance Randy is no more, as personal details are no longer hidden. Awkwardness ensued.


The George Lopez Show

Working as the boss of a parent

Conflict: George's mom (Belita Moreno) is a good worker but was never a stellar mom. She often brings problems and personal or home dilemmas to work with her, which can cause friction with her boss and son (George Lopez).

Resolution: George tries to be fair and treats her as any other worker but is also able to enact a revenge on her from time to time.


Dollhouse

(Coming soon to our screens) Moral and ethical challenges

Conflict: Active (doll) handler Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) and head of security Boyd Langton (Harry Lennix) are often at odds with what their business - a high-priced escort service manipulating brains and personalities - does to their charges, humans called dolls because their memories have been wiped clean and then manipulated.

Resolution: Boyd stays the course, keeping a cool head and trying to keep dolls safe. Ballard joins the group to save one doll but will try to bring down the whole illegal operation.


Spin City

Being supportive of an eccentric boss, especially in politics

Conflict: Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty (Michael J. Fox) must deal with the quirks of his boss, D.C. Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick)

Resolution: Flaherty was so supportive of his boss that his final act as deputy mayor was to take the rap for a link to the Mafia the mayor unwittingly had.


Damages

Dealing with a demanding (and homicidal) boss

Conflict: High-stakes litigator Patty Hewes tried to off her employee Ellen Parsons when Ellen discovered the shady way her boss does business. Ellen tries to get her revenge by working with Patty while in cahoots with the feds.

Resolution: After Ellen gets Patty to confess, she lets Patty go. Patty is convinced Ellen will continue to work for Patty Hewes & Associates. Because if you can't learn from the best...


Grey's Anatomy

Getting a promotion from your boss, who is also your friend

Conflict: As one of the best neurosurgeons in the world, Derek Shepherd's next career step was to become the chief of surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. All seemed to be falling into place as chief (and Derek's friend) Richard Webber was set to retire and Derek was about to be promoted in his place.

Resolution: Derek's friendship with Richard made him rethink the position, and Derek declined the offer, encouraging Richard to stay on as chief. Lesson learned: It's not a bad thing when a promotion takes a backseat to friendship.


Frasier

Expanding your marketable skills

Conflict: Roz Doyle, Frasier Crane's producer at KACL, wants to have her own show, but Frasier's agent Bebe Glazer sabotages her so that she doesn't get the job.

Resolution: Impressed with Bebe's dirty skills, Roz hires her, proving that former enemies can be allies.


The Hills

(Sundays, MTV 9.30pm)

Whether to score your friend a job.

Conflict: Stephanie Pratt begs Hills star Lauren Conrad for a job. Lauren's a model wrangler for People's Revolution. (Unlike Lauren, Stephanie doesn't enjoy the perks of being the star of her own reality show.) But Stephanie is flaky, and Lauren knows it. Still, she agrees and gets her the gig.

Resolution: Stephanie messed up not once, but twice, and boss Kelly punished Lauren, ordering her to fire Stephanie herself. - LA Times