Season 4 (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"Season 4" is the first episode of the fourth season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
, and the 59th episode overall. It was written by the series creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey
and directed by series producer Don Scardino
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) network in the United States on October 15, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Steve Buscemi
, Liz Holtan, and Paula Pell.
The episode takes place in 2009 as concerns rise over The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS), a fictitious sketch comedy
series. Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) is worried that the show no longer appeals to mainstream America. He tells Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) to return to his lower-class roots and Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) to become more "country
." Meanwhile, Jack tasks Liz Lemon
(Fey) with finding a new cast member for TGS. Finally, NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) grows angry over Jack's large financial bonus, somewhat similar to the real-world AIG bonus payments controversy
.
"Season 4" has received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, the episode was watched by 6.312 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 3.0 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
restaurant which serves the best-selling food from the rest of America, "Cheesy Blasters". Jack uses this to "teach ... a lesson" that they have "lost touch with the heartland of consumers." He believes the cast and crew of TGS with Tracy Jordan have become too elitist
and need to change to survive in tough economic times. Towards this goal Jack tells Tracy to reconnect with his roots and Jenna suggests that she can "go country
."
Despite the plans for Tracy and Jenna, Jack tells Liz—the head writer for TGS—to begin searching for a new cast member to help lessen this elitist image. Liz recruits TGS producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
) to help in her search, planning trips to comedy club
s to find new talent. Both agree to try and keep the process secret from the cast and crew for fear that they would be angered over the idea of a new actor joining the cast. Liz and Pete give awkward answers trying to explain why they are going places together and ultimately tells the TGS writing staff. They also inadvertently tell Josh Girard (Lonny Ross
) who, angered by the news, quits the show.
Meanwhile, Kenneth—an NBC page
—goes to Jack worried that he cannot honestly sign his timesheet
because Kenneth worked many overtime
hours but NBC has stopped paying for it to save money. Jack convinces him to sign the sheet, but Kenneth later accidentally receives a large bonus check of Jack's instead of his own paycheck. Kenneth grows angry over the bonus and leads a page strike
. The strike grows in size as other trade union
s join it, along with Tracy in an attempt to join the common man. Jack hires private detective Lenny Wosniak (Steve Buscemi
) to try and end the strike, but he fails. Finally, Jack admits to Kenneth that he is a "big ol' liar" and Kenneth ends the strike (though he nearly reveals to the other pages it was over a personal matter).
. This was Fey's eighteenth writing credit, and Scardino's twenty-second helmed episode. "Season 4" originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 15, 2009, as the season premiere episode of the show's fourth season
and the 59th overall episode of the series. The episode was filmed on August 28, September 1, September 30, and October 9, 2009.
Actor Steve Buscemi reprised his role as private investigator Lenny Wosniak for the fourth time, having appeared in "The Collection
", "The Natural Order
", and "Mamma Mia
". Buscemi directed the 30 Rock episode "Retreat to Move Forward
" that was broadcast on January 22, 2009, during the show's third season
. Paula Pell, a producer and writer on the show, made her third appearance as the character Paula Hornberger, the wife of Pete Hornberger, played by Scott Adsit.
The episode somewhat parodies the AIG bonus payments controversy
that occurred in March 2009 when it was publicly disclosed that AIG
—an American insurance corporation—was paying approximately $200 million in bonus payments to employees of its financial services division. In the episode, NBC page Kenneth Parcell, along with other pages, wants to be paid for overtime, however, NBC has stopped paying for it to save money. Later, Kenneth receives General Electric
executive Jack Donaghy's large bonus check by accident and is angered by this, and as a result, Kenneth rallies all the pages to strike. Despite hiring Lenny to try and end the strike, Jack finally gives in to Kenneth's demand. Television reviewer Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
noted that the strike here was similar to that of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
.
Part of this episode featured Liz Lemon and Pete going around comedy clubs looking to cast a new individual on TGS after Jack, Liz and Pete's boss, explained that the show's staff have become too elitist and need to change to survive in tough economic times, and that the addition of a new cast member would help lessen this elitist image. The search for a new cast member would continue throughout the season. The scene with Jenna Maroney pulling her intern's (Liz Holtan) earring off, as Jenna believed that her intern wanted to be an actress, was originally meant for the season three episode "Gavin Volure
", but was instead featured on 30 Rocks season three DVD as part of the deleted scenes in the Bonus feature.
Two filmed scenes from "Season 4" were cut out from the airing. Instead, the scenes were featured on 30 Rocks season four DVD as part of the deleted scenes in the Bonus feature. In the first scene, in the TGS make-up room, Jenna asks Liz for a ride to Pennsylvania
so that she can buy a Confederate Flag so that she can wear as a tube top
on her appearance on Fox & Friends
, however, Liz cannot give her a ride as she is busy. Kenneth stops by and informs Jenna that actress Mischa Barton
is on the phone and wants to speak with her. Jenna, however, tells Kenneth to tell Barton that the deal is off as she has decided to go country. In the second scene, Jack and Lenny go through Kenneth's page desk, while Kenneth is participating in the page strike. The two hope to find something that would damage Kenneth's reputation but instead the two come up empty.
system, "Season 4" was watched by 6.312 million households in its original American broadcast, and earned a 3.0 rating/8 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 3.0 percent of all 18–49 years olds, and 8 percent of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This season premiere episode was down by 2.4 million from the previous season's premiere
which had 8.7 million viewers and was at the time the highest rated episode of the series. Variety
and ABC
noted that the 2009 Major League Baseball playoffs were a "competitive factor" for ratings on the episode's original air date. 30 Rock' s third season
, by comparison, did not premiere until October 30, 2008, a day after the 2008 World Series
had ended.
IGN
contributor Robert Canning reviewed the episode, giving it high marks saying it "proves yet again that 30 Rock is worthy of the Best Comedy Emmy
" and scored the episode a 9.2 out of 10. Sean Gandert of Paste
magazine also reviewed "Season 4", saying it did "little to disappoint and in fact starts the show off on much stronger footing than the first couple episodes of season 3." Gandert said the episode "doesn't have quite as many truly classic moments as the show's peaks in seasons one and two" but that "it also never really hits a sour note." Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad enjoyed the economic crisis, cutbacks, and corporate bonuses theme in the episode, explaining that one of the reasons he loves the show "is because it can take something that's in the news and make it the plot of an episode without it feeling weird or forced." Sassone wrote that despite "Season 4" not being the best episode of 30 Rock "it was still very good." TV Guide
s Michael Anthony commented that Steve Buscemi is "so weird and yet does it in such an endearing way." Mary McNamara for the Los Angeles Times
called Kenneth's strike one of the more hilarious strikes in history. Entertainment Weekly
s Margaret Lyons noted that this episode of 30 Rock had strong moments "and was a solid start to the new season". David Zurawik, a contributor for The Baltimore Sun
, liked the episode and enjoyed Buscemi's appearance, noting he "brings just the right mix of sleaze and smiles to the role." The Chicago Sun-Times
Paige Wiser noted, "...tonight's season premiere, the hype is warranted: 30 Rock is in all its glory." Kevin Aeh of Time Out magazine wrote that the best part from "Season 4" was Tracy's storyline after being told to reconnect with his roots.
Not all reviews were positive. David Hinckley of the New York Daily News reported that the season premiere episode "never quite [found] its rhythm." Linda Stasi of the New York Post
said that "Season 4" had "some good laughs here, but there's also the threat that 30 Rock could easily turn into that thing the writers relentlessly make fun of – TV shows and stars that are too smug, too smart and too out-of-touch for their own good." The Kansas City Star
s Aaron Barnhart deemed it as "one of the weakest 30 Rocks" he has ever seen and that he found the episode boring.
30 Rock (season 4)
The fourth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 23 episodes and began airing on October 15, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United States...
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, and the 59th episode overall. It was written by the series creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
and directed by series producer Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(NBC) network in the United States on October 15, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
, Liz Holtan, and Paula Pell.
The episode takes place in 2009 as concerns rise over The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS), a fictitious sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series. Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) is worried that the show no longer appeals to mainstream America. He tells Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) to return to his lower-class roots and Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
(Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) to become more "country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
." Meanwhile, Jack tasks Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Fey) with finding a new cast member for TGS. Finally, NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
(Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) grows angry over Jack's large financial bonus, somewhat similar to the real-world AIG bonus payments controversy
AIG bonus payments controversy
The AIG bonus payments controversy began in March 2009, when it was publicly disclosed that the American International Group was to pay approximately $218 million in bonus payments to employees of its financial services division....
.
"Season 4" has received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, the episode was watched by 6.312 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 3.0 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
Plot
The episode opens with Jack welcoming Liz, Tracy, and Jenna to "Season 4," a fusion cuisineFusion cuisine
Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not being categorized per any one particular cuisine style, and can pertain to innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.-Categories and types:...
restaurant which serves the best-selling food from the rest of America, "Cheesy Blasters". Jack uses this to "teach ... a lesson" that they have "lost touch with the heartland of consumers." He believes the cast and crew of TGS with Tracy Jordan have become too elitist
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
and need to change to survive in tough economic times. Towards this goal Jack tells Tracy to reconnect with his roots and Jenna suggests that she can "go country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
."
Despite the plans for Tracy and Jenna, Jack tells Liz—the head writer for TGS—to begin searching for a new cast member to help lessen this elitist image. Liz recruits TGS producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit is an American actor, writer and improvisational comedian. He is currently co-starring as Pete Hornberger in the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock and worked in the Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.-1990s:After attending Columbia College Chicago,...
) to help in her search, planning trips to comedy club
Comedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
s to find new talent. Both agree to try and keep the process secret from the cast and crew for fear that they would be angered over the idea of a new actor joining the cast. Liz and Pete give awkward answers trying to explain why they are going places together and ultimately tells the TGS writing staff. They also inadvertently tell Josh Girard (Lonny Ross
Lonny Ross
Lonny Ross is a comedy actor and writer. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work as Josh Girard on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock...
) who, angered by the news, quits the show.
Meanwhile, Kenneth—an NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
—goes to Jack worried that he cannot honestly sign his timesheet
Timesheet
A timesheet is a method for recording the amount of a worker's time spent on each job.-Use:Originally developed for an employer to determine payroll, timesheets are not just for payroll any more. Timesheets may record the start and end time of tasks, or just the duration. It may contain a...
because Kenneth worked many overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
hours but NBC has stopped paying for it to save money. Jack convinces him to sign the sheet, but Kenneth later accidentally receives a large bonus check of Jack's instead of his own paycheck. Kenneth grows angry over the bonus and leads a page strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
. The strike grows in size as other trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s join it, along with Tracy in an attempt to join the common man. Jack hires private detective Lenny Wosniak (Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
) to try and end the strike, but he fails. Finally, Jack admits to Kenneth that he is a "big ol' liar" and Kenneth ends the strike (though he nearly reveals to the other pages it was over a personal matter).
Production
"Season 4" was written by series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey, and directed by series producer Don ScardinoDon Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
. This was Fey's eighteenth writing credit, and Scardino's twenty-second helmed episode. "Season 4" originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 15, 2009, as the season premiere episode of the show's fourth season
30 Rock (season 4)
The fourth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 23 episodes and began airing on October 15, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United States...
and the 59th overall episode of the series. The episode was filmed on August 28, September 1, September 30, and October 9, 2009.
Actor Steve Buscemi reprised his role as private investigator Lenny Wosniak for the fourth time, having appeared in "The Collection
The Collection (30 Rock)
"The Collection" is the third episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-fourth episode overall. It was written by producer Matt Hubbard and directed by producer Don Scardino, and first aired on October 18, 2007 in the United States...
", "The Natural Order
The Natural Order
"The Natural Order" is the twentieth episode of the third season of the American television comedy show 30 Rock. It was written by series creator Tina Fey with co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Scott Ellis. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company network in...
", and "Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia (30 Rock)
"Mamma Mia" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 57th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National...
". Buscemi directed the 30 Rock episode "Retreat to Move Forward
Retreat to Move Forward
"Retreat to Move Forward" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive story editor Tami Sagher and directed by Steve Buscemi. The episode originally aired on the National...
" that was broadcast on January 22, 2009, during the show's third season
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
. Paula Pell, a producer and writer on the show, made her third appearance as the character Paula Hornberger, the wife of Pete Hornberger, played by Scott Adsit.
The episode somewhat parodies the AIG bonus payments controversy
AIG bonus payments controversy
The AIG bonus payments controversy began in March 2009, when it was publicly disclosed that the American International Group was to pay approximately $218 million in bonus payments to employees of its financial services division....
that occurred in March 2009 when it was publicly disclosed that AIG
American International Group
American International Group, Inc. or AIG is an American multinational insurance corporation. Its corporate headquarters is located in the American International Building in New York City. The British headquarters office is on Fenchurch Street in London, continental Europe operations are based in...
—an American insurance corporation—was paying approximately $200 million in bonus payments to employees of its financial services division. In the episode, NBC page Kenneth Parcell, along with other pages, wants to be paid for overtime, however, NBC has stopped paying for it to save money. Later, Kenneth receives General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
executive Jack Donaghy's large bonus check by accident and is angered by this, and as a result, Kenneth rallies all the pages to strike. Despite hiring Lenny to try and end the strike, Jack finally gives in to Kenneth's demand. Television reviewer Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
noted that the strike here was similar to that of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
.
Part of this episode featured Liz Lemon and Pete going around comedy clubs looking to cast a new individual on TGS after Jack, Liz and Pete's boss, explained that the show's staff have become too elitist and need to change to survive in tough economic times, and that the addition of a new cast member would help lessen this elitist image. The search for a new cast member would continue throughout the season. The scene with Jenna Maroney pulling her intern's (Liz Holtan) earring off, as Jenna believed that her intern wanted to be an actress, was originally meant for the season three episode "Gavin Volure
Gavin Volure
"Gavin Volure" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 40th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
", but was instead featured on 30 Rocks season three DVD as part of the deleted scenes in the Bonus feature.
Two filmed scenes from "Season 4" were cut out from the airing. Instead, the scenes were featured on 30 Rocks season four DVD as part of the deleted scenes in the Bonus feature. In the first scene, in the TGS make-up room, Jenna asks Liz for a ride to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
so that she can buy a Confederate Flag so that she can wear as a tube top
Tube top
A tube top is a shoulderless, sleeveless "tube" that wraps the torso. Such a top is generally very tight over the breasts in order to prevent the garment from falling...
on her appearance on Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends is an American morning television show on the Fox News Channel.-History:The show begins at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time with the latest Fox News Live headlines and analyzes the news of the morning...
, however, Liz cannot give her a ride as she is busy. Kenneth stops by and informs Jenna that actress Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
is on the phone and wants to speak with her. Jenna, however, tells Kenneth to tell Barton that the deal is off as she has decided to go country. In the second scene, Jack and Lenny go through Kenneth's page desk, while Kenneth is participating in the page strike. The two hope to find something that would damage Kenneth's reputation but instead the two come up empty.
Reception
According to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, "Season 4" was watched by 6.312 million households in its original American broadcast, and earned a 3.0 rating/8 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 3.0 percent of all 18–49 years olds, and 8 percent of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This season premiere episode was down by 2.4 million from the previous season's premiere
Do-Over
"Do-Over" is the first episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the thirty-seventh episode overall. It was written by the series' creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey and directed by series producer Don Scardino...
which had 8.7 million viewers and was at the time the highest rated episode of the series. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
noted that the 2009 Major League Baseball playoffs were a "competitive factor" for ratings on the episode's original air date. 30 Rock
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
, by comparison, did not premiere until October 30, 2008, a day after the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
had ended.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor Robert Canning reviewed the episode, giving it high marks saying it "proves yet again that 30 Rock is worthy of the Best Comedy Emmy
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
" and scored the episode a 9.2 out of 10. Sean Gandert of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine also reviewed "Season 4", saying it did "little to disappoint and in fact starts the show off on much stronger footing than the first couple episodes of season 3." Gandert said the episode "doesn't have quite as many truly classic moments as the show's peaks in seasons one and two" but that "it also never really hits a sour note." Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad enjoyed the economic crisis, cutbacks, and corporate bonuses theme in the episode, explaining that one of the reasons he loves the show "is because it can take something that's in the news and make it the plot of an episode without it feeling weird or forced." Sassone wrote that despite "Season 4" not being the best episode of 30 Rock "it was still very good." TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s Michael Anthony commented that Steve Buscemi is "so weird and yet does it in such an endearing way." Mary McNamara for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called Kenneth's strike one of the more hilarious strikes in history. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Margaret Lyons noted that this episode of 30 Rock had strong moments "and was a solid start to the new season". David Zurawik, a contributor for The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
, liked the episode and enjoyed Buscemi's appearance, noting he "brings just the right mix of sleaze and smiles to the role." The Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
Paige Wiser noted, "...tonight's season premiere, the hype is warranted: 30 Rock is in all its glory." Kevin Aeh of Time Out magazine wrote that the best part from "Season 4" was Tracy's storyline after being told to reconnect with his roots.
Not all reviews were positive. David Hinckley of the New York Daily News reported that the season premiere episode "never quite [found] its rhythm." Linda Stasi of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
said that "Season 4" had "some good laughs here, but there's also the threat that 30 Rock could easily turn into that thing the writers relentlessly make fun of – TV shows and stars that are too smug, too smart and too out-of-touch for their own good." The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star is a McClatchy newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes...
s Aaron Barnhart deemed it as "one of the weakest 30 Rocks" he has ever seen and that he found the episode boring.