By the end of the night, however, "30 Rock" was able to overcome the Spanish soap opera awkwardness, attracting 6.7 million viewers a 43 percent increase from the week before. The show, Tina Fey's brainchild, chronicles the behind-the-scenes laughs at the fictional sketch comedy "TGS with Tracy Jordan."
In the episode, Liz Lemon (played by Fey) is upset that her boss, coworkers and even boyfriend have forgotten her birthday, even though a large part of the cast and crew has remembered that of Yadwiga the cleaning lady (the long awaited return of Rachel Dratch '88). Meanwhile, Tracy decides that he wants to please the audience by "breaking" (that is, flubbing a line, not being able to keep a straight face or otherwise screwing up) during a broadcast of "TGS" a nice nod to the live-taping of "30 Rock."
The show was shot twice, first for the East coast and again for the West coast. The two telecasts featured few noticeable differences beyond modified punchlines and different versions of the usually instrumental theme song one version is sung by Jane Krakowsi's character Jenna (for the East Coast) and another by Cheyenne Jackson's Danny (for the West Coast).
Exaggerated flashbacks and asides important "30 Rock" trademarks were shot with cameras quickly panning to different sets. This fast-paced shooting style paid tribute to Fey's days on "Saturday Night Live," a successful effort that made this "30 Rock" episode seem as similar to "SNL" as it probably ever will.
Several guests made appearances on the show, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus who played the "more attractive" stand-in Liz likely a reference to Fey's 2008 Emmy acceptance speech in which she attributed her acting inspiration to Louis-Dreyfus. Recurring guests also returned, including Matt Damon as Liz's pilot boyfriend Carol and Jon Hamm, who appeared as Dr. Drew Baird in a commercial for criminal hand transplants. "SNL" alum Chris Parnell also appeared, reprising his role as the questionably licensed Dr. Leo Spaceman.
The episode was a refreshing break from the show's regular single-camera setup the energy boost from the live music and broadcast drew attention from both the live studio audience and viewers at home. The cast handled the change in shooting style smoothly, with notable talents like Fey and Baldwin managing their comedic timing and sharp lines with the same zest as always. Some actors, however, like Maulik Pancholy, who plays Jack's jealous secretary Jonathan, were a bit clunkier in their live performances.
Like most "30 Rock" episodes, the show included more than enough hilarious moments, though the physical comedy bits outshone the rest especially the moment when Tracy "breaks" due to his "accidental" midriff exposure, lifting up his shirt and jiggling his belly fat.
With a fresh spin on a show that's racked up its fair share of Emmys, "30 Rock" failed to disappoint yet again. The episode is available to stream online on both Hulu and NBC.com
