"Live from Studio 6H" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the American television comedy series ''

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...

'', and the 122nd episode overall. It features a return to live broadcasting from the season five episode "

Live Show "Live Show" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 84th episode overall. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, and co-written by series creator Tina Fey and co-showrunner a ...

", both of which were directed by

Beth McCarthy-Miller Beth McCarthy-Miller (born September 3, 1963, Elizabeth, New Jersey) is an American television director. Shows she has directed include ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''30 Rock''. Early life McCarthy-Miller was born on September 3, 1963, in El ...

, and co-written by series creator

Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...

. The episode originally aired live on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

television network in the United States on April 26, 2012, with separate tapings for the East Coast and West Coast audiences. "Live from Studio 6H" featured guest appearances by comedian

Amy Poehler Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy tro ...

, musician

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, and several actors associated with ''30 Rock'' and ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

''. ''30 Rock'' follows the production of the fictional sketch comedy program ''The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan'' (''TGS''). In this episode, producer

Jack Donaghy John Francis "Jack" Donaghy ( ) is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', airing from 2006 to 2013. The character was created by series creator Tina Fey, and is portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He was introduced as the Vice President of Ea ...

and head writer

Liz Lemon Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television series ''30 Rock''. She created and writes for the fictional comedy-sketch show ''The Girlie Show'' and later ''TGS with Tracy Jordan''. She is po ...

decide to cease live broadcasts of ''TGS'' to save money. In order to save the magic of live television, Kenneth Parcell gives an impassioned history of live broadcasting to his co-workers in order to maintain the tradition for the show. The episode makes explicit references to classic television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

s and

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

s. It uses humor such as

breaking the fourth wall Breaking or breakin' may refer to: Arts * Breakdancing (also breaking), an athletic style of street dance * '' Breakin, a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film * "Breakin, a twelfth-season episode of the American animated television ...

and acknowledges that the actors are portraying fictional characters. It received generally positive reviews from critics. On June 22, 2020, it was revealed that both versions of this episode would be pulled from syndication due to the segment of

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televis ...

wearing

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

Plot

Jack (played by

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nic ...

) notifies

(Fey) that the network is ceasing live broadcasts of ''TGS'' in order to save money. Kenneth Parcell is distressed by the decision and locks the show's staff in Tracy Jordan's dressing room to convince them of the magic provided by live television. Kenneth recounts memorable moments in

broadcast history to the TGS staff. Meanwhile, ''TGS'' co-star

Jenna Maroney Jenna Maroney (born Yustrepa Gronkowitz; February 24, 1969) is a fictional character on the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by Jane Krakowski. For her portrayal of Maroney, Krakowski was nominated four times for the Prime time E ...

(

Jane Krakowski Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress, comedienne, and singer. She is best known for her starring role as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four ...

) announces that she plans to upstage her fellow actors by announcing her engagement on air. Elsewhere, NBC page

Hazel Wassername ''30 Rock'' is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey, which aired on NBC. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series, also airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of the ...

(

Kristen Schaal Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on '' ...

) decides that she will run onstage to get her big break in entertainment by proposing to Maroney herself. It turns out that the appearance of Tracy Jordan's dance troupe on a live television fundraiser in 1986 had significant impacts: Tracy tripped and fell, realizing that he could be comedic; Liz prank called the studio, igniting her love for fighting authority; and Jack answered Liz's phone call, his professionalism impressing executive Don Geiss into giving him a promotion. The cast agree that they want to continue making live television. In the middle of a skit, Jenna's boyfriend Paul L'astname (

Will Forte Orville Willis Forte IV ( ; born June 17, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Forte is known for being a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (2002–2010), a recurring character on the show leading to a feature film ada ...

) proposes, but Jenna declines because she wants to marry for love rather than a ratings stunt. Hazel interrupts their moment by ripping apart a picture of

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, '' The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want Wha ...

. The separate broadcasts have minor differences between them.

Production

NBC asked the cast and crew to create a second live episode and on March 21, 2012, co-star Baldwin announced in an interview with ''

Extra Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

'' that ''30 Rock'' would air their second live episode after the critical and commercial success of "

". The episode aired to capitalize on May sweeps. Fey, Morgan, Krakowski, and McBrayer have all expressed excitement about performing a second live show, but Baldwin was initially skeptical until he read the script and was convinced. "Live from Studio 6H" was co-written by series creator, executive producer, and lead actress Fey and co-showrunner and screenwriter and producer Jack Burditt. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, who worked with Fey on the sketch comedy show ''

'' and received a nomination for a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series is presented to the best directing of a television comedy series. Winners and nominations 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Total awards by netwo ...

for directing "

" in 2010. Like the previous episode, it was filmed in ''SNL'' home

Studio 8H Studio 8H is a television studio located in New York City in the United States. The studio is a part of NBC Studios, the home of the NBC television network, located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It is most notable for housing the live broadcast of ...

rather than ''30 Rock''’s usual

Silvercup Studios Silvercup Studios is one of the largest film and television production facilities in New York City. The studio is located in Long Island City, Queens, with another facility in the Port Morris neighborhood of the Bronx. The studio complex has bee ...

as the latter is configured for single-camera filming and an absence of a live audience.

Although the full list of guest stars remained a secret up to airing, Fey revealed that former ''30 Rock'' writer

Donald Glover Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glov ...

and previous guest star

would appear. Prior to the West Coast airing, guest star

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...

previewed that she would appear on the episode.

Television

Like "

", "Live from Studio 6H" relies on self-reflective comedy and references to classic late night television. This episode includes extended skits referencing ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...

'', ''

Amos and Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...

'', ''

Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Dan ...

'', ''

The Dean Martin Show ''The Dean Martin Show'', not to be confused with the ''Dean Martin Variety Show'' (1959–1960), is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the ...

'', telethons, and news broadcasts from the 1950s through 1980s. In addition, the show closed with an on-stage good-bye in the style of ''Saturday Night Live'', owing to the strong overlap in cast and crew of the two programs. Hazel's attention-grabbing stunt explicitly parodied a 1992 ''SNL'' appearance by O'Connor where she ripped up a picture of

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. The proposal scene parodied ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...

'' episode "

A Little Kiss "A Little Kiss" is the two-part fifth season premiere of the American television drama series ''Mad Men''. Officially counted as the first two episodes of the season, it figures as the 53rd and 54th overall episodes of the series. It was writte ...

". The satire of ''Laugh-In'' includes the mailbox reference to

H. R. Haldeman Harry Robbins Haldeman (October 27, 1926 – November 12, 1993) was an American political aide and businessman, best known for his service as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon and his consequent involvement in the Watergate s ...

from " Rosemary's Baby" (despite explicitly taking place during the Johnson administration). Baldwin reprises his

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

impression from "

Subway Hero "Subway Hero" is the twelfth episode of the second season of ''30 Rock'' and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt, one of the series' co-executive producers, and executive producer Robert Carlock. It was directed by ...

" in parodying Nixon's "Sock it to me?" cameo from September 1968. As '' The A.V. Club'' noted, this episode was more self-consciously nostalgic of television history than "Live Show" and Ellen Gray of ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pen ...

'' has pointed out that having a live show for sweeps is itself a television tradition.

Reception

Meredith Blake of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B, praising its nostalgia for television and daring to break out of a strictly scripted format, but criticizing it for having too loose of a structure and relying on skits and cameos. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

''s Breia Brissey also gave it a positive review and praised its overview of television history. Frazier Moore of the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

characterized it as "full of fun" and "very lively." The energetic pace of the episode was also praised by ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

''s Chris Harnick, explaining that it "was an excuse to play dress up and have fun—and that's just what they did." Andy Greenwald of

Grantland ''Grantland'' was a sports and pop-culture blog owned and operated by ESPN. The blog was started in 2011 by veteran writer and sports journalist Bill Simmons, who remained as editor-in-chief until May 2015. ''Grantland'' was named after famed e ...

characterized the episode as "a balletic, inspired, and insane live half-hour about the importance and visceral thrill of live television." The ''Alfie and Abner'' segment, parodying ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio sho ...

'', caused controversy for its potential to reproduce negative stereotypes about

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

References

External links

*
NBC's page for ''30 Rock'', featuring both broadcasts streaming
{{30 Rock episodes 30 Rock (season 6) episodes American live television shows Metafictional television episodes Blackface minstrel shows and films Television episodes written by Tina Fey Television shows directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller Television episodes pulled from general rotation Television controversies in the United States Race-related controversies in television