SeinfeldVision
Encyclopedia
"SeinfeldVision" is the first episode of the second season
of 30 Rock
and the twenty-second episode of the series. It was written by the series' creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey
and directed by producer Don Scardino
. The episode first aired on October 4, 2007 on the NBC
network in the United States.
This episode takes place in the Fall of 2007, as TGS with Tracy Jordan, a fictitious sketch comedy
series, is about to air its season premiere. Liz Lemon
(played by Fey) is seeking closure after breaking up with her boyfriend, Floyd (Jason Sudeikis
) while Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) is planning to launch a month of programming called SeinfeldVision. Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) has to deal with her obesity
, which she developed over the summer. Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) becomes Tracy Jordan
's (Tracy Morgan
) "office wife" and Cerie Xerox (Katrina Bowden
) continues to prepare for her wedding to Aris. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics and fans.
As Liz is returning to studio 6H, the TGS with Tracy Jordan studio, she meets Jack. In his office, he tells her about a promotion he is planning to launch called SeinfeldVision, a month of programming starring Jerry Seinfeld
made possible with footage from his sitcom, Seinfeld
, being edited into programs. After hearing of Jack's plan, Jerry Seinfeld arrives at 30 Rock to confront Jack. Jack and Jerry agree to shorten the promotion to just one night.
Liz is seeking closure after breaking up with her boyfriend Floyd during the summer and a chance encounter with Seinfeld gives her the advice she needs, so she calls Floyd only for another woman to pick up the phone. While dealing with her problems, Liz and Jenna are invited to be Cerie's maids of honour. They accept the invitation. Cerie takes them shopping for her wedding dress, and when asked to try one on, Liz decides to buy one.
After performing in Mystic Pizza
: The Musical, Jenna has become fat and is trying to distract people from noticing it, to no avail. Tracy has separated from his wife, Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd
) and is living in his dressing room having Kenneth as his "office wife," to take care of the non-sexual acts that Tracy's wife would normally perform.
, at the annual Television Critics Association
tour in July 2007 that Jerry Seinfeld would be appearing in the season premiere of 30 Rock. Seinfeld had only appeared in two television acting roles since his own sitcom ended in 1998. Those roles were in Mad About You
and Newsradio
.
The scenes featuring Jerry Seinfeld were filmed on August 20, 2007. Seinfeld wore a wig in the episode to make him look more like the character version of Jerry Seinfeld
. Upon first wearing the wig, Seinfeld said "This looks weird," but his wife assured him that "That's what [he] looked like [in Seinfeld]." This episode effectively ended the story arc of Liz's relationship with Floyd, which began mid-way through season one
. There was a joke in this episode in which Cerie's surname was revealed as Xerox
, a reference to the Xerox Corporation, but the joke was cut. This is the first episode in which Katrina Bowden (as Cerie Xerox), Keith Powell (James "Toofer" Spurlock) and Lonny Ross
(Josh Girard) receive star billing
.
," which garnered 8.13 million viewers. This episode achieved a 3.4/9 in the key 18–49 demographic, a series high in that category. The 3.4 refers to 3.4% of all 18–49 years olds in the U.S. and the 9 refers to 9% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast, in the U.S.
.jpg)
Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly
wrote that "SeinfeldVision was a clever and ironic way to incorporate Seinfeld." Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
said that "['SeinfeldVision'] was a solid start to the new, fought-for season" and that it did have "some great, great moments." Despite this praise, Webb Mitovich criticised Kenneth and Tracy's "office wife" storyline saying that "we've seen this shtick before on countless other sitcoms, so it was a bit empty and filled with 'easy' jokes." Criticism was also received regarding the "striped outfit... it didn't work. No," referring to a joke involving Jenna trying to distract the TGS writers from her newly gained weight. Lisa Schmeiser of Television Without Pity graded this episode as a "B+." Rick Porter of Zap2it thought that this episode "started off [30 Rock's ] second season on a pretty strong note." Porter said that this episode wasn't the best episode of 30 Rock but it was still "one of the sharpest and wittiest comedies on television." Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad wrote that "SeinfeldVision" "was a really funny beginning to the second season." Sassone also notes that the appearance of Seinfeld did not feel like stunt casting. He also said that the joke about Jerry being able to buy NBC for $4 million was "one of the many reasons [he, Sassone, loves] this show." Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
wrote that this episode "proves the low-rated show's best comedy Emmy win was no undeserved fluke." Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
described this episode as "really funny" and thought that "everyone is played in a style that's believable within [the series]." Linda Stasi of The New York Post said that "the on-going story of the regulars that had me laughing so hard I almost fell out of bed." Jake Brooks of The New York Observer thought that this episode was "a rather poor 22 minutes of television (well, only [Jerry Seinfeld's] portion of it, the rest was pretty great)." Robert Canning of IGN
said that "30 Rock delivers a fantastic episode to open the season. Let's hope they can also deliver an audience to keep this great show on the air." Canning also awarded this episode a rating of 9.4 out of 10. Brian Lowry of Variety
said that it "neatly highlights this series' strengths and weaknesses, elevated by moments of inspiration and Alec Baldwin's brilliance and leavened by considerably-less-flattering silliness." Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times
thought that "SeinfeldVision" "is mostly a reminder that even the most talented actors and writers sometimes slip under pressure." Seinfeld was criticized as using his appearance in this episode as a plug for his upcoming feature film
Bee Movie
. Seinfeld, NBC and General Electric
stated that this was done as metahumor
.
30 Rock (season 2)
The second season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, originally aired between October 4, 2007 and May 8, 2008 on NBC in the United States. 30 Rock takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name refers to 30 Rockefeller...
of 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 twenty-second episode of the series. 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 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 first aired on October 4, 2007 on the NBC
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...
network in the United States.
This episode takes place in the Fall of 2007, as TGS with Tracy Jordan, 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, is about to air its season premiere. 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:...
(played by Fey) is seeking closure after breaking up with her boyfriend, Floyd (Jason Sudeikis
Jason Sudeikis
Daniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor and comedian currently starring as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Sudeikis was born Daniel Jason Sudeikis in Fairfax, Virginia, the son of Kathryn , a travel agent who was president of the American Society of Travel Agents, and Dan...
) while 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 planning to launch a month of programming called SeinfeldVision. 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...
) has to deal with her obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
, which she developed over the summer. 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"...
) becomes 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:...
's (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:...
) "office wife" and Cerie Xerox (Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden is an American actress. She is known for her short role as Britney Jennings on One Life to Live and for her role as Cerie in 30 Rock .- Education :...
) continues to prepare for her wedding to Aris. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics and fans.
Plot
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
made possible with footage from his sitcom, Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, being edited into programs. After hearing of Jack's plan, Jerry Seinfeld arrives at 30 Rock to confront Jack. Jack and Jerry agree to shorten the promotion to just one night.
Liz is seeking closure after breaking up with her boyfriend Floyd during the summer and a chance encounter with Seinfeld gives her the advice she needs, so she calls Floyd only for another woman to pick up the phone. While dealing with her problems, Liz and Jenna are invited to be Cerie's maids of honour. They accept the invitation. Cerie takes them shopping for her wedding dress, and when asked to try one on, Liz decides to buy one.
After performing in Mystic Pizza
Mystic Pizza
Mystic Pizza is a 1988 American coming of age film directed by Donald Petrie and starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, and Lili Taylor.The title of the film was based on a pizza shop that caught the eye of Hollywood screen writer, Amy Holden Jones...
: The Musical, Jenna has become fat and is trying to distract people from noticing it, to no avail. Tracy has separated from his wife, Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. She is one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View, as well as being the current host of the Newlywed Game and having a recurring role as Angie Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock...
) and is living in his dressing room having Kenneth as his "office wife," to take care of the non-sexual acts that Tracy's wife would normally perform.
Production
It was announced, by Fey and executive producer Lorne MichaelsLorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels, CM is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it.-Early life:...
, at the annual Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
tour in July 2007 that Jerry Seinfeld would be appearing in the season premiere of 30 Rock. Seinfeld had only appeared in two television acting roles since his own sitcom ended in 1998. Those roles were in Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
and Newsradio
NewsRadio
NewsRadio is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1995 to 1999. The series was created by executive producer Paul Simms, and was filmed in front of a studio audience at CBS Studio Center and Sunset Gower Studios...
.
The scenes featuring Jerry Seinfeld were filmed on August 20, 2007. Seinfeld wore a wig in the episode to make him look more like the character version of Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
. Upon first wearing the wig, Seinfeld said "This looks weird," but his wife assured him that "That's what [he] looked like [in Seinfeld]." This episode effectively ended the story arc of Liz's relationship with Floyd, which began mid-way through season one
30 Rock (season 1)
The first season of the television comedy series 30 Rock originally aired between October 11, 2006 and April 26, 2007 on NBC in the United States...
. There was a joke in this episode in which Cerie's surname was revealed as Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, a reference to the Xerox Corporation, but the joke was cut. This is the first episode in which Katrina Bowden (as Cerie Xerox), Keith Powell (James "Toofer" Spurlock) and 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...
(Josh Girard) receive star billing
Billing (film)
Billing is a performing arts term used in referring to the order and other aspects of how credits are presented for plays, films, television, or other creative works...
.
Reception
"SeinfeldVision" brought in an average of 7.33 million American viewers, making 30 Rock the sixtieth most watched series of the week. This episode was the second highest rated episode of the series, after "PilotPilot (30 Rock)
The pilot episode of the American situation comedy series 30 Rock premiered on October 10, 2006 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, and October 11, 2006 on NBC in the United States...
," which garnered 8.13 million viewers. This episode achieved a 3.4/9 in the key 18–49 demographic, a series high in that category. The 3.4 refers to 3.4% of all 18–49 years olds in the U.S. and the 9 refers to 9% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast, in the U.S.
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...
wrote that "SeinfeldVision was a clever and ironic way to incorporate Seinfeld." Matt Webb Mitovich of 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...
said that "['SeinfeldVision'] was a solid start to the new, fought-for season" and that it did have "some great, great moments." Despite this praise, Webb Mitovich criticised Kenneth and Tracy's "office wife" storyline saying that "we've seen this shtick before on countless other sitcoms, so it was a bit empty and filled with 'easy' jokes." Criticism was also received regarding the "striped outfit... it didn't work. No," referring to a joke involving Jenna trying to distract the TGS writers from her newly gained weight. Lisa Schmeiser of Television Without Pity graded this episode as a "B+." Rick Porter of Zap2it thought that this episode "started off [30 Rock
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 wrote that "SeinfeldVision" "was a really funny beginning to the second season." Sassone also notes that the appearance of Seinfeld did not feel like stunt casting. He also said that the joke about Jerry being able to buy NBC for $4 million was "one of the many reasons [he, Sassone, loves] this show." Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
wrote that this episode "proves the low-rated show's best comedy Emmy win was no undeserved fluke." Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
described this episode as "really funny" and thought that "everyone is played in a style that's believable within [the series]." Linda Stasi of The New York Post said that "the on-going story of the regulars that had me laughing so hard I almost fell out of bed." Jake Brooks of The New York Observer thought that this episode was "a rather poor 22 minutes of television (well, only [Jerry Seinfeld's] portion of it, the rest was pretty great)." Robert Canning of 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...
said that "30 Rock delivers a fantastic episode to open the season. Let's hope they can also deliver an audience to keep this great show on the air." Canning also awarded this episode a rating of 9.4 out of 10. Brian Lowry of 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...
said that it "neatly highlights this series' strengths and weaknesses, elevated by moments of inspiration and Alec Baldwin's brilliance and leavened by considerably-less-flattering silliness." Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
thought that "SeinfeldVision" "is mostly a reminder that even the most talented actors and writers sometimes slip under pressure." Seinfeld was criticized as using his appearance in this episode as a plug for his upcoming feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
Bee Movie
Bee Movie
Bee Movie is a 2007 computer animated family comedy film starring Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Megan Mullally, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, and Patrick Warburton. Produced by DreamWorks Animation, it is directed by Simon J...
. Seinfeld, NBC and 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...
stated that this was done as metahumor
Meta-joke
Meta-joke refers to several somewhat different, but related categories: self-referential jokes, jokes about jokes , and joke templates.-Self-referential jokes:...
.