live live fourth episode fifth season american television comedy series 30_rock episode overall directed written series creator tina_fey showrunner executive producer episode originally aired live nbc television network united_states october separate east_coast television audience west_coast live featured appearances rock follows production fictional sketch comedy program tracy_jordan tgs episode night head writer liz_lemon grows increasingly infuriated remember 40th birthday tgs live taping tracy_jordan decides break character workers television executive jack_donaghy struggles consequences promise drinking girlfriend pregnant child live experiment rock filming multiple camera setup studio audience broadcast live episode received positive reviews nostalgia showed classic sitcom conventions humor instance guest star portrays liz_lemon scenes physically impossible series regular fey separate stages episode ratings success improving audience rock grown season plot liz_lemon head writer tracy_jordan tgs preparing air episode tgs angry workers forgotten 40th birthday tracy_jordan deciding break character live broadcast homage carol tgs star jenna_maroney determined let tracy declares deliberate wardrobe malfunction bare breast live television tracy stop goes tracy jenna liz forced cut away regularly scheduled programming commercials new album erotic ballads cure public service announcement hand surgery jack_donaghy struggles promise girlfriend drink alcohol entire pregnancy solidarity instead takes stage magic finds urge drink strong begins paint cans jenna breath alcohol tgs liz gets phone boyfriend airline pilot carol informing going extreme crash plane final act jack cast crew liz minute birthday surprise wants appear planned carol safely lands plane rushes greet liz set muster short notice band large cake gifts intended celebrate birthday proceeds ruin tgs tear cake bare hands jack office liz jack share drink liz birthday wish final scene jack takes drink program pre recorded segment jack says like episode ends live tgs stage cast episode saturday night live production live written series creator executive producer lead actress fey showrunner executive producer directed long time television director worked fey sketch comedy saturday night live july nbc network announced episode rock fifth season filmed broadcast live occasions evening october decision ratings nbc line idea originally conceived writers guild america strike cast performed live versions season episode secrets lies benefit new_york_city asked entertainment_weekly reason live episode fey said live performance think fun live episode far come going interview fey revealed episode performed live audience exciting live audience live laughter fey noted experience fun feel different timing live audience response don single camera interview fey revealed staff talked live years felt sort interesting personnel following conclusion writers strike spoke nbc performing live attempted film fourth season unable schedule fifth season writing staff began planning live performance waited recurring rock director available helm fey said separate discussions decision episode rock based cast having theater improvisation experience alec_baldwin previously performed east west live broadcasts season premiere episode alive prior broadcast cast rehearsed live days rehearsal live audience day broadcast separate broadcasts episode resulted live telecast american viewers east west coasts united_states viewers receiving east_coast feed live standard broadcasting practice crew briefly considered broadcast decided initial east_coast broadcast included theme song sung jane_krakowski later west_coast version song performed performed warm crowd rehearsal addition episodes scripted differences lyrics song liz_lemon jack_donaghy office assistant referring character east_coast broadcast west_coast airing subtitle additionally fictional commercial featured different east_coast broadcast given hand executed black man west_coast broadcast woman hand episode marks appearance rock season work giving birth son august connection television live broadcast live recorded cameras edited live video film stock video quality episode noticeably different standard episodes 30_rock jack acknowledges start episode asking looks like mexican soap opera episode characters broke fourth wall tracy_jordan acting tgs episode jack references video quality portrayal liz cut away sequences standard sitcom plot elements addition connections fey morgan director alumni fellow alumnus asked reprise recurring bitch hunter character scheduling conflict filmed studio live audience ending sequence good night cast credits credits font leading episode voiced long time announcer music episode tgs sequences incidental provided live house band direction fey husband furthermore long time producer attended rehearsal performances advice commercial break emergency commercial break tgs including fictional commercial fake nbc technical difficulties screen reception live drew largest audience rock season million viewers reached season high nielsen rating share adults increase previous episode increase season premiere trailed cbs competitor timeslot leader dad says rating highest december episode secret santa highest overall nbc thursday timeslot non sports events december critical reception episode largely positive todd_vanderwerff writing gave episode noting nostalgia classic television specifically camera episode displayed pace tone live different standard episode 30_rock considers episode experiment weird hybrid rock old sitcom saturday night live ultimately success wrote episode uneven successful tribute television squad impressed episode specifically fey performance imitation liz_lemon positive reviews noted lack mistakes comic timing performance strength guest stars performers ability pace expected 30_rock episode associated_press gave episode negative review calling slice self excess considered episode script live television experiment reviewers considered success particularly reference live broadcast experiments nbc drama episode ambush entertainment_weekly declaring like funny reviewing best television programs named rock number cited episode best year nominated primetime emmy award outstanding directing comedy series episode march baldwin announced interview extra second live episode live studio air following april
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