Larry King (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"Larry King" is the twelfth episode of the third season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard
and directed by Constantine Makris
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) in the United States on February 26, 2009. Salma Hayek
, Ajay Naidu
, Brian Stack
, and Rip Torn
guest star in "Larry King", and there are cameo appearances by Larry King
and Meredith Vieira
.
In the episode, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) considers taking the next step in his relationship with his girlfriend Elisa Pedrera (Salma Hayek
). Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) appears on Larry King Live
and inadvertently triggers mayhem in New York City when responding to questions about the economy. In addition, Tracy's interview sends the crew members of the fictitious show TGS with Tracy Jordan—Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
), Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
), James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
), and J. D. Lutz (John Lutz
)—on a search of the 30 Rock building for a treasure. At the same time, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) loses her cellphone and must go with NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) to Queens to recover it where it is being held for ransom by a taxi driver (Naidu).
"Larry King" has received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
, the episode was watched by 6.4 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.9 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
(Tracy Morgan
) appears on Larry King Live
. During his appearance on the program, a breaking story interrupts his interview with show host Larry King
—it is being reported that the Asian stocks are falling. Larry King asks Tracy's opinion on the this story, which results in Tracy giving chaos-inducting views, including, "New York as we know it will no longer exist tomorrow" and he calls for panic, sending the people of New York into madness. At the 30 Rock studios, the TGS with Tracy Jordan staff, Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
), Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
), James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
), and J. D. Lutz (John Lutz
), try looking for money that Tracy has hidden in the building after revealing this on Larry King Live. Pete calls the program asking Tracy where he stores the money. Tracy reveals that the safest place he has it hidden has "a hard top and soft bottom, no matter where it moves, the cash stays in the same place." This clue is of no help to Pete, Frank, Toofer, and Lutz.
Meanwhile, NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) escorts Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) to Queens to retrieve the cellphone she left in a cab. The taxi driver, Asif (Ajay Naidu
), finds an adult picture of her and threatens to send it to everyone in her address book unless she pays him $2,000. While on their way to get the phone, chaos is happening around them, which prompts Kenneth to want to turn back. Trying to change his mind, Liz lies to Kenneth, telling him that her phone has sentimental value, although she later tells Kenneth the real reasons she wants her phone back. Feeling betrayed by Liz, Kenneth abandons her and returns to 30 Rock. Liz arrives at the taxi depot and tells Asif that she does not have the money to pay him because rioting children took her handbag
. Then Kenneth shows up and they watch Tracy reveal his secret to the whereabouts of his money, prompting Kenneth to realize that the money is stored in his page blazer
. Kenneth pays Asif and Liz's phone is returned.
Finally, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) decides to be committed to his girlfriend, Elisa Pedrera (Salma Hayek
), as Elisa wants to take their relationship to the next level. Jack persuades Elisa to cancel her annual trip to Puerto Rico so that the two can spend time together. As a result, Jack devotes a whole week to Elisa at exactly the same time as the economic crisis unfolds, forcing Jack to steer General Electric
(GE) through the Asian market crash. After a video tape of GE CEO Don Geiss (Rip Torn
) surfaces—taped in the event of a financial meltdown—Geiss says "it is the end, and love is all that matters", which makes Jack realize his love for Elisa. He proposes marriage to her, which she accepts. The day after, Elisa leaves Jack for Puerto Rico.
, and directed by Constantine Makris
. This was Hubbard's sixth writing credit, and Makris' first directed episode. "Larry King" originally aired in the United States on February 26, 2009 on NBC as the twelfth episode of the show's third season
and the 48th overall episode of the series.
In November 2008, it was reported that television talk show host Larry King
had "quietly filmed an appearance" as himself on 30 Rock. This episode was actress Salma Hayek
's fifth appearance as Elisa on the show. She first appeared in the episode "Señor Macho Solo
" as a nurse for Jack Donaghy
's mother and love interest for Jack. She made appearances in the episodes "Flu Shot
", "Generalissimo
", and "St. Valentine's Day
". Her last guest spot was in the episode "The Ones
" in which Elisa and Jack end their relationship. Actor Rip Torn
made his seventh appearance on the series as GE CEO Don Geiss. "Larry King" would become Torn's final appearance on the show, as it is revealed in the fourth season
episode "Future Husband
" that his character has died. Comedian actor Brian Stack
made his third appearance as Howard Jorgensen, a GE executive and associate of Jack's. Stack previously appeared in the episodes "Jack Meets Dennis
" and "Succession
". Actor Ajay Naidu
played Asif, the taxi driver holding Liz's phone for ransom in "Larry King". "Larry King" was Today show co-host Meredith Vieira
's second guest appearance as herself, having appeared in the November 8, 2007, episode "Greenzo
" that aired during the show's second season
. In the episode, the night after the economic crisis unfolded, Tracy appears on The Today Show. There, Vieira tells him that he is to blame for the panic that ensued around the city. She asks Tracy's opinion on the matter, only for Tracy to advertise TGS, the show he stars in, when and what time it airs.
. While on Larry King Live, Tracy recounts the entire plot of the film Teen Wolf
(1985). Tracy reveals that he was to appear in the movie Rush Hour, but was replaced by Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan
. Liz lies to Kenneth that her phone has a recording of her deceased grandmother singing a lullaby, to which later Kenneth makes her sing the song and his realization that she was singing the song "99 Luftballons
", a protest song from German singer Nena
.
When Pete calls in on Larry King Live, Tracy believes Pete is Peter Frampton
, a British musician. When Jack realizes his true feelings for Elisa, he decides to stop her from going to Puerto Rico, but when he sees her outside the 30 Rock building, he tells her, "I was about to do the whole run to the airport thing, like Ross did on Friends and Liz Lemon did in real life", a reference to the Friends
television character Ross Geller
doing this in the series finale episode "The Last One", and as Liz similarly does in the season two
episode "Sandwich Day
", where she heads to the airport to make things right with her ex-boyfriend, Floyd DeBarber (Jason Sudeikis
).
. This episode earned a 2.9 rating/7 share in the 18 and 49 demographic, meaning that 2.9 percent of all people in that group, and 7 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. This was a decrease from the previous episode, "St. Valentine's Day
", which was watched by 7.6 million American viewers. Nonetheless, 30 Rock ranked number 7 among all primetime programs—during the original broadcasting of this episode—in adults aged between 18 and 34, averaging a 3.4 rating/10 share in that demographic.
Since airing, "Larry King" has received generally positive reviews from television critics. Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad wrote that "Larry King" was the "best of the season so far", saying that there was a "really nice balance" in the episode's plots. Sassone said that Hayek was "fine", but much preferred the Jack character single. Alan Sepinwall, television columnist for The Star-Ledger
, complimented the episode, reporting that it was "much better" and perhaps the first episode he enjoyed "unreservedly." He added that the entire cast was used "well" and that it "gave us a Jack story that balanced comedy with some genuine emotion, got some good mileage out of a rare Liz/Kenneth story ... and employed the guest stars as well as they have all season." IGN
contributor Robert Canning admitted in his recap that he was "thrilled" after reading the sypnosis of the episode, regarding to Tracy causing mayhem in New York, but after the airing, "I was a bit disappointed" as it "wasn't as over-the-top", but overall, "this was still a fun and funny episode." Canning gave the episode an 8 out of 10 rating. Time
contributor James Poniewozik
enjoyed Liz and Kenneth's story as it "felt more emotionally real" and "allowed Kenneth to get to show a bit more spine than usual, standing up to Liz on their journey to darkest Queens". Poniewozik noted that it was "nice" to see the Pete character back, as Scott Adsit
had not appeared on 30 Rock for quite some time.
Not all reviews were positive. Matt Mitovich from TV Guide
wrote that "Larry King" was "pretty blah. Something about it just seemed drab and lifeless, as if the writers and cast were in a mad dash to break for Christmas." The A.V. Club
' s Scott Tobias believed that the episode was not up to "30 Rock' s high standards" and commented that a "big problem" was Jack and Elisa's storyline. "The concept of rich, superficial, commitment-phobic workaholic Jack falling for his exact opposite isn't a bad one, but Hayek's run has been more or less a wash." Tobias further added that Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek "are an odd couple" citing that they do not have much chemistry together.
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...
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 48th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard
Matt Hubbard
Matt Hubbard is an American television writer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows. He graduated from Beverly High School, in Beverly, Massachusetts in the class of 1996, where he excelled in the English Department. He later went on to attend Harvard University where he was an...
and directed by Constantine Makris
Constantine Makris
Constantine Makris A.S.C. is a Greek-American cinematographer, television director and television producer who has mainly worked on Dick Wolf's series...
. 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) in the United States on February 26, 2009. Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
, Ajay Naidu
Ajay Naidu
Ajay Kalahastri Naidu is an American actor.Naidu was born in Evanston, Illinois He attended Evanston Township High School. As an actor, he trained with the American Repertory Theater's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.His first professional acting job was the film ...
, Brian Stack
Brian Stack
Brian Stack is an American actor, writer and comedian best known for his sketch comedy work on all three Conan O'Brien late-night talk shows, previously working on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and currently on O'Brien's newest show, Conan on TBS.-Early...
, and Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
guest star in "Larry King", and there are cameo appearances by Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
and Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
.
In the episode, 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...
) considers taking the next step in his relationship with his girlfriend Elisa Pedrera (Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
). 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:...
) appears on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
and inadvertently triggers mayhem in New York City when responding to questions about the economy. In addition, Tracy's interview sends the crew members of the fictitious show TGS with Tracy Jordan—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,...
), Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.-Early life:...
), James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
Keith Powell
Keith Powell is an American television actor who is best known for his role as James "Toofer" Spurlock on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.-Career:Powell was the Producing Artistic Director of Contemporary Stage Company, a summer theater in Wilmington, Delaware...
), and J. D. Lutz (John Lutz
John Lutz (television writer)
John Lutz is an American actor, writer and comedian.-Biography:The son of a Lutheran minister, Lutz grew up in suburban Chicago and Detroit. He attended Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, majoring in psychology and minoring in...
)—on a search of the 30 Rock building for a treasure. At the same time, 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:...
(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...
) loses her cellphone and must go with 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"...
) to Queens to recover it where it is being held for ransom by a taxi driver (Naidu).
"Larry King" has received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, the episode was watched by 6.4 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.9 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
Plot
Tracy JordanTracy 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:...
) appears on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. During his appearance on the program, a breaking story interrupts his interview with show host Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
—it is being reported that the Asian stocks are falling. Larry King asks Tracy's opinion on the this story, which results in Tracy giving chaos-inducting views, including, "New York as we know it will no longer exist tomorrow" and he calls for panic, sending the people of New York into madness. At the 30 Rock studios, the TGS with Tracy Jordan staff, 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,...
), Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.-Early life:...
), James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
Keith Powell
Keith Powell is an American television actor who is best known for his role as James "Toofer" Spurlock on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.-Career:Powell was the Producing Artistic Director of Contemporary Stage Company, a summer theater in Wilmington, Delaware...
), and J. D. Lutz (John Lutz
John Lutz (television writer)
John Lutz is an American actor, writer and comedian.-Biography:The son of a Lutheran minister, Lutz grew up in suburban Chicago and Detroit. He attended Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, majoring in psychology and minoring in...
), try looking for money that Tracy has hidden in the building after revealing this on Larry King Live. Pete calls the program asking Tracy where he stores the money. Tracy reveals that the safest place he has it hidden has "a hard top and soft bottom, no matter where it moves, the cash stays in the same place." This clue is of no help to Pete, Frank, Toofer, and Lutz.
Meanwhile, 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"...
) escorts 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:...
(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...
) to Queens to retrieve the cellphone she left in a cab. The taxi driver, Asif (Ajay Naidu
Ajay Naidu
Ajay Kalahastri Naidu is an American actor.Naidu was born in Evanston, Illinois He attended Evanston Township High School. As an actor, he trained with the American Repertory Theater's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.His first professional acting job was the film ...
), finds an adult picture of her and threatens to send it to everyone in her address book unless she pays him $2,000. While on their way to get the phone, chaos is happening around them, which prompts Kenneth to want to turn back. Trying to change his mind, Liz lies to Kenneth, telling him that her phone has sentimental value, although she later tells Kenneth the real reasons she wants her phone back. Feeling betrayed by Liz, Kenneth abandons her and returns to 30 Rock. Liz arrives at the taxi depot and tells Asif that she does not have the money to pay him because rioting children took her handbag
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
. Then Kenneth shows up and they watch Tracy reveal his secret to the whereabouts of his money, prompting Kenneth to realize that the money is stored in his page blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
. Kenneth pays Asif and Liz's phone is returned.
Finally, 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...
) decides to be committed to his girlfriend, Elisa Pedrera (Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
), as Elisa wants to take their relationship to the next level. Jack persuades Elisa to cancel her annual trip to Puerto Rico so that the two can spend time together. As a result, Jack devotes a whole week to Elisa at exactly the same time as the economic crisis unfolds, forcing Jack to steer 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...
(GE) through the Asian market crash. After a video tape of GE CEO Don Geiss (Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
) surfaces—taped in the event of a financial meltdown—Geiss says "it is the end, and love is all that matters", which makes Jack realize his love for Elisa. He proposes marriage to her, which she accepts. The day after, Elisa leaves Jack for Puerto Rico.
Production
"Larry King" was written by 30 Rock supervising producer Matt HubbardMatt Hubbard
Matt Hubbard is an American television writer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows. He graduated from Beverly High School, in Beverly, Massachusetts in the class of 1996, where he excelled in the English Department. He later went on to attend Harvard University where he was an...
, and directed by Constantine Makris
Constantine Makris
Constantine Makris A.S.C. is a Greek-American cinematographer, television director and television producer who has mainly worked on Dick Wolf's series...
. This was Hubbard's sixth writing credit, and Makris' first directed episode. "Larry King" originally aired in the United States on February 26, 2009 on NBC as the twelfth episode of 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...
and the 48th overall episode of the series.
In November 2008, it was reported that television talk show host Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
had "quietly filmed an appearance" as himself on 30 Rock. This episode was actress Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
's fifth appearance as Elisa on the show. She first appeared in the episode "Señor Macho Solo
Señor Macho Solo
"Señor Macho Solo" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
" as a nurse for 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....
's mother and love interest for Jack. She made appearances in the episodes "Flu Shot
Flu Shot (30 Rock)
"Flu Shot" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Jon Pollack, and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on January 15, 2009...
", "Generalissimo
Generalissimo (30 Rock)
"Generalissimo" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Todd Holland. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on February 5, 2009...
", and "St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day (30 Rock)
"St. Valentine's Day" is the eleventh episode of the third season, and forty-seventh episode overall, of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this...
". Her last guest spot was in the episode "The Ones
The Ones (30 Rock)
"The Ones" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode aired in the United States on April 23, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company . Guest...
" in which Elisa and Jack end their relationship. Actor Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
made his seventh appearance on the series as GE CEO Don Geiss. "Larry King" would become Torn's final appearance on the show, as it is revealed in the 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...
episode "Future Husband
Future Husband
"Future Husband" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United...
" that his character has died. Comedian actor Brian Stack
Brian Stack
Brian Stack is an American actor, writer and comedian best known for his sketch comedy work on all three Conan O'Brien late-night talk shows, previously working on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and currently on O'Brien's newest show, Conan on TBS.-Early...
made his third appearance as Howard Jorgensen, a GE executive and associate of Jack's. Stack previously appeared in the episodes "Jack Meets Dennis
Jack Meets Dennis
"Jack Meets Dennis" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Juan J. Campanella. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on...
" and "Succession
Succession (30 Rock)
"Succession" is the thirteenth episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fourth episode overall. It was written by Andrew Guest and one of the seasons' co-executive producers, John Riggi; it was directed by Gail Mancuso. It first aired on April 24, 2008 in the United States...
". Actor Ajay Naidu
Ajay Naidu
Ajay Kalahastri Naidu is an American actor.Naidu was born in Evanston, Illinois He attended Evanston Township High School. As an actor, he trained with the American Repertory Theater's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.His first professional acting job was the film ...
played Asif, the taxi driver holding Liz's phone for ransom in "Larry King". "Larry King" was Today show co-host Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
's second guest appearance as herself, having appeared in the November 8, 2007, episode "Greenzo
Greenzo
"Greenzo" is the fifth episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and twenty-sixth episode overall. It was written by Jon Pollack and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It aired on November 8, 2007 in the United States...
" that aired during the show's second season
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...
. In the episode, the night after the economic crisis unfolded, Tracy appears on The Today Show. There, Vieira tells him that he is to blame for the panic that ensued around the city. She asks Tracy's opinion on the matter, only for Tracy to advertise TGS, the show he stars in, when and what time it airs.
Cultural references
"I'm new to this country. Is that a real thing?", asks Asif, after Liz tells him that she would pay him on Opposite DayOpposite Day
Opposite Day, also known as Opposites Day is a word game where speech is modified so that meaning is inverted. Once Opposite Day is declared, statements mean the opposite of what they usually mean. Usually, a person would say, "After this phrase is over, it will be officially opposite day," and...
. While on Larry King Live, Tracy recounts the entire plot of the film Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf...
(1985). Tracy reveals that he was to appear in the movie Rush Hour, but was replaced by Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
. Liz lies to Kenneth that her phone has a recording of her deceased grandmother singing a lullaby, to which later Kenneth makes her sing the song and his realization that she was singing the song "99 Luftballons
99 Luftballons
"99 Luftballons" is a protest song by the German pop-rock band Nena from their 1983 self-titled album. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons" for their album 99 Luftballons in 1984...
", a protest song from German singer Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
.
When Pete calls in on Larry King Live, Tracy believes Pete is Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
, a British musician. When Jack realizes his true feelings for Elisa, he decides to stop her from going to Puerto Rico, but when he sees her outside the 30 Rock building, he tells her, "I was about to do the whole run to the airport thing, like Ross did on Friends and Liz Lemon did in real life", a reference to the Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
television character Ross Geller
Ross Geller
Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television series Friends, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovable demeanor.- Origin :...
doing this in the series finale episode "The Last One", and as Liz similarly does in the season two
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...
episode "Sandwich Day
Sandwich Day
"Sandwich Day" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fifth episode overall. It was written by one of the season's executive producers, Robert Carlock, and one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt. The episode was directed by one of the season's...
", where she heads to the airport to make things right with her ex-boyfriend, Floyd DeBarber (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...
).
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Larry King" was watched by 6.4 million households, according to the Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
. This episode earned a 2.9 rating/7 share in the 18 and 49 demographic, meaning that 2.9 percent of all people in that group, and 7 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. This was a decrease from the previous episode, "St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day (30 Rock)
"St. Valentine's Day" is the eleventh episode of the third season, and forty-seventh episode overall, of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this...
", which was watched by 7.6 million American viewers. Nonetheless, 30 Rock ranked number 7 among all primetime programs—during the original broadcasting of this episode—in adults aged between 18 and 34, averaging a 3.4 rating/10 share in that demographic.
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 "Larry King" was the "best of the season so far", saying that there was a "really nice balance" in the episode's plots. Sassone said that Hayek was "fine", but much preferred the Jack character single. Alan Sepinwall, television columnist for 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...
, complimented the episode, reporting that it was "much better" and perhaps the first episode he enjoyed "unreservedly." He added that the entire cast was used "well" and that it "gave us a Jack story that balanced comedy with some genuine emotion, got some good mileage out of a rare Liz/Kenneth story ... and employed the guest stars as well as they have all season." 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 admitted in his recap that he was "thrilled" after reading the sypnosis of the episode, regarding to Tracy causing mayhem in New York, but after the airing, "I was a bit disappointed" as it "wasn't as over-the-top", but overall, "this was still a fun and funny episode." Canning gave the episode an 8 out of 10 rating. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
contributor James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
enjoyed Liz and Kenneth's story as it "felt more emotionally real" and "allowed Kenneth to get to show a bit more spine than usual, standing up to Liz on their journey to darkest Queens". Poniewozik noted that it was "nice" to see the Pete character back, as 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,...
had not appeared on 30 Rock for quite some time.
Not all reviews were positive. Matt Mitovich from 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...
wrote that "Larry King" was "pretty blah. Something about it just seemed drab and lifeless, as if the writers and cast were in a mad dash to break for Christmas." The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
External links
- "Larry King," at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...