Let's Stay Together (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"Let's Stay Together" is the third episode of the fifth season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
, and the 83rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by co-executive producer John Riggi
and written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) network in the United States on October 7, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include John Amos
, Todd Buonopane, Reg E. Cathey
, Queen Latifah
and Rob Reiner
.
In the episode, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) must appear before Congress to discuss NBC's merger with the fictitious company network KableTown. He hopes that he will charm celebrity members for the deal to go through, but one Congresswoman (Latifah) demands more diversity in the NBC programming lineup. As a result, Jack enlists Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) to come up with some new development ideas. Meanwhile, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
), the head writer of the fictitious sketch show The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) is fed up with the criticism her writing staff gives her, and finally Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) helps Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) reapply in the competitive NBC page
program.
This episode of 30 Rock was generally, though not universally, well-received among television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
, it was watched by 4.90 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.1 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
(Alec Baldwin
) attends a Congressional hearing in Washington D.C. regarding the Kabletown-NBC merger deal. He is able to consolidate support for the deal, until Representative Regina Bookman (Queen Latifah
) calls out NBC for being racist and demands that there be more diversity in the programming lineup. Following the hearing, Jack goes back to New York and asks Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) and "Dot Com" Slattery (Kevin Brown
) to produce a program for the African-American community. Dot Com suggests a show called Let's Stay Together, about an African-American family in the 1970s, but when Grizz Griswold (Grizz Chapman
) suggests that a talking dog be added to the show, Tracy orders Dot Com to incorporate it into the rewrite, much to Dot Com's dismay.
Meanwhile, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
), the head writer of the sketch show TGS with Tracy Jordan, is unhappy about the lack of respect she gets from her writing staff and complains to Jack, her boss, about the situation. Jack asks her if staff writer James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
) can be promoted to co-head writer in an effort to diversify NBC. Liz accepts, seeing this as an opportunity for someone else to get the lack of respect and complaints she does. She gets upset, though, when Toofer gets a television interview as head writer, and insists that she herself should also be there as she is co-head writer. The two appear on Rutherford Rice's (Reg E. Cathey
) talk show Right On, a show aimed toward African-American audiences. Liz gets visibly upset when Rice gives Toofer all of the credit she deserves, and as a result of her behavior she is escorted off the set by a security guard.
At the same time, Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
), a former NBC page
, is back at NBC and wants to reapply to the page program, but notes that it has become a pageant. When Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) hears of this, she volunteers to help him win the pageant using her own pageant experience. Jenna treats Kenneth as her mother Verna (Jan Hooks
) treated her during her pageant years. After a failed, over-the-top performance in front of Human resources mediator Jeffrey Weinerslav (Todd Buonopane), Jenna vows to get Kenneth his job back. She goes to Jack to ask him for his help, and Jack orders Jeffrey to hire Kenneth back.
When Representative Bookman makes an unexpected visit to New York, Jack tries to show NBC's commitment to diversity, but is thwarted when Bookman sees signs next to two bathrooms that read "Colored" and "White" that were really intended for the paper recycling bins that had been removed only moments ago, and Jeffrey informing Jack and Bookman that the minority slot in the page program was filled by Kenneth. Jack tries to improve the situation by giving "head writer" Toofer a medal for his work, but Bookman sees right through this, and discovers that Liz is the only one that truly deserves her respect, and congratulates her. After more grandstanding, Bookman tells Jack she will vote no on the Kabletown-NBC deal unless he gives her reason not to.
The episode ends with a taping of the Let's Stay Together rewrite, including the talking dog.
and directed by co-executive producer and staff writer John Riggi
. This was Burditt's thirteenth writing credit after "Jack Meets Dennis
", "The Baby Show", "The Fighting Irish
", "Cleveland
", "Rosemary's Baby
", "Subway Hero
", "Sandwich Day
", "The One with the Cast of Night Court
", "St. Valentine's Day
", "The Ones
", "Kidney Now!
", and "Don Geiss, America and Hope
". This was Riggi's fourth helmed episode, having directed "Goodbye, My Friend
", "The Problem Solvers
" and "The Moms
". This episode of 30 Rock originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 7, 2010, as the third episode of the show's fifth season
and the 83rd overall episode of the series.
In September 2010, it was announced that actress and singer Queen Latifah would guest star on the show as a Congresswoman named Regina Bookman who demands from Alec Baldwin's character, Jack Donaghy, more diversity in its NBC programming lineup. Latifah is a fan of the show and big fan of Baldwin and series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. She said in an interview she was "out of my mind" excited to guest star. Latifah is due to appear in a future episode of 30 Rock. In addition, it was also confirmed that actor/director Rob Reiner
would appear as himself, and in "Let's Stay Together" he played a Congressman. Michael Ausiello
of Entertainment Weekly
reported in August 2010 that the show set a casting call "for an African-American male in the 30s-60s age range" to play a fictitious host named Rutherford Rice, a well-spoken host of Right On, a fictitious talk show focusing on African-American issues. In this episode, Rutherford Rice was played by actor Reg E. Cathey, best known for his role on the HBO drama The Wire
as Norman Wilson. Actor John Amos
made a brief appearance in the episode in which he stars in one scene from the Let's Stay Together show alongside a talking dog named Stanley the Dog. This was actor Todd Buonopane's fourth appearance as the character Jeffrey Weinerslav, an NBC Human resource mediator. Buonopane previously appeared in the season three
episodes "Believe in the Stars
", "Cutbacks", and "Jackie Jormp-Jomp
".
In an August 2010 interview, co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock
was asked if the series would continue to make reference of the real-life acquisition of NBC Universal
by cable company Comcast
—which occurred in November 2009—to which Carlock replied that their version of the acquisition was in the "works". Carlock noted that the NBC-Comcast deal would not change the show's "reason for existence", explaining that since the merger has occurred it has made things "even funnier" for the staff writers. "To us it's great, we've been able to do our version of 'ripped from the headlines,' which a lot of comedies don't get to do." In the episode, Representative Bookman called out NBC for being racist in regards to its programming lacking diversity. This subplot was based on real-life in which Jeff Zucker
, then-President and CEO of NBC Universal, who attended the House Judiciary Committee
hearing in February 2010 in discussions of the NBC-Comcast deal, was asked by United States Representative
Maxine Waters
why the NBC network had not attempted to create shows that would appeal to the black community.
, wore a red and green sweater with a fedora. This is a reference to the fictional horror villain from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series
Freddy Krueger
's appearance. During the hearing in Washington D.C., Representative Rob Reiner says "The acclaimed director of When Harry Met Sally...
would never do that!", a reference to Reiner who directed the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally....
One of the applicants to become an NBC page plays a keyboard and sings in the tune of musician Billy Joel
's 1989 song "We Didn't Start the Fire
". After returning from the hearing in Washington, in which Representative Bookman accused NBC of being racist, Jack tells Liz that during the hearing he did not pay attention to Bookman's heartfelt speech as he was too busy trying to remember the name "of the black kid on Community
", a reference to actor Donald Glover
who stars in Community—another NBC program—and who Jack is referring to. In addition, Glover was a former writer on 30 Rock. Coincidentally, guest star Queen Latifah executive produces the romantic comedy television series Let's Stay Together
that airs on BET
.
30 Rock and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
—both of which debuted on 2006–07 NBC lineup—revolved around the off-camera happenings on a sketch comedy series. The first season
episode "Jack the Writer
" contained a self-referencing walk and talk
sequence, which was commonly used on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Sorkin's previous series The West Wing
. In this episode, the walk and talk sequence is seen here in which Jack, before departing to Washington, has a discussion with Liz.
. It received a 2.1 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic, that is 2.1 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, "When It Rains, It Pours
", which was watched by 5.688 million American viewers.
Andy Greenwald of New York
magazine called "Let's Stay Together" a "pretty great episode for a show that ... seems to have gotten its groove back." Television columnist Alan Sepiwall for HitFix who enjoyed the previous week's episode as he believed the show was back in peak, noted that the show "was back to more uneven, but still funny, territory" with this episode. Sepinwall felt that parts of the episode "worked just fine", and enjoyed Liz's disastrous appearance on Right On. He, however, did not like Jenna and Kenneth's pageant story. A contributor from the The Huffington Post
said the episode had a "ton of hilarious moments", and that Queen Latifah "was the highlight of the show". Vanity Fair
s Juli Weiner enjoyed Maulik Pancholy
's appearance as Jack's assistant Jonathan, writing that Jonathan is "perhaps the most underutilized character on the show, and we were happy to see him get some screen time this episode." Further in her recap, Weiner said "Thank you, Jenna and Jack, for mercifully putting an end to the tension-less Kenneth's-rehiring narrative." Meredith Blake from the Los Angeles Times
deemed it a "wildly clever and satiric episode" that also "delivered an important critique about the limitations of diversity programs." Blake said that Jane Krakowski's Jenna was on fire in "Let's Stay Together". Scott Eidler of The Cornell Daily Sun
commented that the show has always dealt with racism issues "pretty well" and that the issue featured here "was no exception." Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad reported that "Let's Stay Together" was one of his favorite episodes of the season, and that it was a "massively pleasing episode." Caitlan Smith of The Atlantic wrote that Latifah "stole the show" and "drove the action" as her character Regina Bookman in this episode of 30 Rock.
The A.V. Club
s Nathan Rabin called this episode "clumsy and tired", explaining it was "misfiring on all cylinders. The satire was toothless, the playing strained and the whole enterprise reeked of mild desperation." He continued in his recap that "Let's Stay Together" had a "golden opportunity to comment insightfully and hilariously about the tricky intersection of politics, power, race and privilege", however "it recycled jokes that were unfunny and overly familiar the first time around". In conclusion, Rabin gave it a C grade rating. Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student
opined that the show's writing "is still sharp – not 'as sharp as ever,' but sharp – but a lot of the most interesting plots have already played out, and a lot of the new plots aren't interesting." Sanders said that the stories featured here had "a few big laughs ... but they're assembled so haphazardly and put into such a bulky framework that the train just never gets enough steam to salvage the episode."
30 Rock (season 5)
The fifth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series on the NBC network in the United States, began airing on September 23, 2010. NBC announced on March 5, 2010 that 30 Rock would be returning for a fifth season in the 2010–2011 television season...
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 83rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by co-executive producer John Riggi
John Riggi
John Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
and written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt
Jack Burditt
Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
. 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 7, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include John Amos
John Amos
John Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
, Todd Buonopane, Reg E. Cathey
Reg E. Cathey
Reginald "Reg" E. Cathey is an American stage, film and television actor.Cathey is a native of Huntsville, Alabama and a graduate of J.O. Johnson High School. He spent his childhood in West Germany. His favourite band is Blur....
, Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
and Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
.
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...
) must appear before Congress to discuss NBC's merger with the fictitious company network KableTown. He hopes that he will charm celebrity members for the deal to go through, but one Congresswoman (Latifah) demands more diversity in the NBC programming lineup. As a result, Jack enlists 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 come up with some new development ideas. Meanwhile, 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...
), the head writer of the fictitious sketch show The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) is fed up with the criticism her writing staff gives her, and finally 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...
) helps 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"...
) reapply in the competitive 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...
program.
This episode of 30 Rock was generally, though not universally, well-received among 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...
, it was watched by 4.90 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.1 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
Plot
NBC executive Jack DonaghyJack 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...
) attends a Congressional hearing in Washington D.C. regarding the Kabletown-NBC merger deal. He is able to consolidate support for the deal, until Representative Regina Bookman (Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
) calls out NBC for being racist and demands that there be more diversity in the programming lineup. Following the hearing, Jack goes back to New York and asks 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:...
) and "Dot Com" Slattery (Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown (actor)
Kevin 'Dot Com' Brown is an American comedian, film and television actor, best known for his role on the series 30 Rock as "Dot Com".Brown also appeared as the lead in Marq Overton's one-man play Die Laughing in 2008 at the Diversity Players of Harlem and as an actor and executive producer of the...
) to produce a program for the African-American community. Dot Com suggests a show called Let's Stay Together, about an African-American family in the 1970s, but when Grizz Griswold (Grizz Chapman
Grizz Chapman
Grizzwald "Grizz" Chapman is an American television actor best known for his recurring role as Grizz on the NBC series 30 Rock. A June 2007 interview with rollingout.com lists Chapman's height as 6'10". In his commentary for the episode "Tracy Does Conan," Tracy Morgan revealed that they met when...
) suggests that a talking dog be added to the show, Tracy orders Dot Com to incorporate it into the rewrite, much to Dot Com's dismay.
Meanwhile, 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...
), the head writer of the sketch show TGS with Tracy Jordan, is unhappy about the lack of respect she gets from her writing staff and complains to Jack, her boss, about the situation. Jack asks her if staff writer 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...
) can be promoted to co-head writer in an effort to diversify NBC. Liz accepts, seeing this as an opportunity for someone else to get the lack of respect and complaints she does. She gets upset, though, when Toofer gets a television interview as head writer, and insists that she herself should also be there as she is co-head writer. The two appear on Rutherford Rice's (Reg E. Cathey
Reg E. Cathey
Reginald "Reg" E. Cathey is an American stage, film and television actor.Cathey is a native of Huntsville, Alabama and a graduate of J.O. Johnson High School. He spent his childhood in West Germany. His favourite band is Blur....
) talk show Right On, a show aimed toward African-American audiences. Liz gets visibly upset when Rice gives Toofer all of the credit she deserves, and as a result of her behavior she is escorted off the set by a security guard.
At the same time, 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"...
), a former 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...
, is back at NBC and wants to reapply to the page program, but notes that it has become a pageant. When 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...
) hears of this, she volunteers to help him win the pageant using her own pageant experience. Jenna treats Kenneth as her mother Verna (Jan Hooks
Jan Hooks
Janet V. "Jan" Hooks is an American actress and comedienne best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live , on which she appeared from 1986 to 1991...
) treated her during her pageant years. After a failed, over-the-top performance in front of Human resources mediator Jeffrey Weinerslav (Todd Buonopane), Jenna vows to get Kenneth his job back. She goes to Jack to ask him for his help, and Jack orders Jeffrey to hire Kenneth back.
When Representative Bookman makes an unexpected visit to New York, Jack tries to show NBC's commitment to diversity, but is thwarted when Bookman sees signs next to two bathrooms that read "Colored" and "White" that were really intended for the paper recycling bins that had been removed only moments ago, and Jeffrey informing Jack and Bookman that the minority slot in the page program was filled by Kenneth. Jack tries to improve the situation by giving "head writer" Toofer a medal for his work, but Bookman sees right through this, and discovers that Liz is the only one that truly deserves her respect, and congratulates her. After more grandstanding, Bookman tells Jack she will vote no on the Kabletown-NBC deal unless he gives her reason not to.
The episode ends with a taping of the Let's Stay Together rewrite, including the talking dog.
Production
"Let's Stay Together" was written by co-executive producer Jack BurdittJack Burditt
Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
and directed by co-executive producer and staff writer John Riggi
John Riggi
John Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
. This was Burditt's thirteenth writing credit after "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...
", "The Baby Show", "The Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish
"The Fighting Irish" is the seventeenth episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt and it was directed by Dennie Gordon. It aired on March 8, 2007 in the United States...
", "Cleveland
Cleveland (30 Rock)
"Cleveland" is the twentieth episode of the first season of 30 Rock. It was written by one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt, and one of the season's executive producers, Robert Carlock. It was directed by Paul Feig. It first aired on April 19, 2007 on the NBC network in the...
", "Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby (30 Rock)
"Rosemary's Baby" is the fourth episode of the second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-fifth episode overall. It was written by Jack Burditt and was directed by Michael Engler. The episode first aired on October 25, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States...
", "Subway Hero
Subway Hero
"Subway Hero" is the twelfth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt, one of the series' co-executive producers, and executive producer Robert Carlock. It was directed by Don Scardino. It aired on April 17, 2008 on the NBC...
", "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...
", "The One with the Cast of Night Court
The One with the Cast of Night Court
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" is the third 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 Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United...
", "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...
", "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...
", "Kidney Now!
Kidney Now!
"Kidney Now!" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 58th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by show producers Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock...
", and "Don Geiss, America and Hope
Don Geiss, America and Hope
"Don Geiss, America and Hope" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 73rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Stephen Lee Davis, and written by Jack Burditt and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the...
". This was Riggi's fourth helmed episode, having directed "Goodbye, My Friend
Goodbye, My Friend
"Goodbye, My Friend" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 49th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by co-executive producer John Riggi. The episode originally aired on the...
", "The Problem Solvers
The Problem Solvers
"The Problem Solvers" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 63rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by co-executive producer John Riggi. It originally aired on the National...
" and "The Moms
The Moms
"The Moms" is the twentieth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 78th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Kay Cannon and co-show runner and executive producer Robert Carlock. The episode was directed by co-executive producer...
". This episode of 30 Rock originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 7, 2010, as the third episode of the show's fifth season
30 Rock (season 5)
The fifth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series on the NBC network in the United States, began airing on September 23, 2010. NBC announced on March 5, 2010 that 30 Rock would be returning for a fifth season in the 2010–2011 television season...
and the 83rd overall episode of the series.
In September 2010, it was announced that actress and singer Queen Latifah would guest star on the show as a Congresswoman named Regina Bookman who demands from Alec Baldwin's character, Jack Donaghy, more diversity in its NBC programming lineup. Latifah is a fan of the show and big fan of Baldwin and series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. She said in an interview she was "out of my mind" excited to guest star. Latifah is due to appear in a future episode of 30 Rock. In addition, it was also confirmed that actor/director Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
would appear as himself, and in "Let's Stay Together" he played a Congressman. Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello is an American television industry journalist and actor. He was a Senior Writer at TV Guide and its companion website, TVGuide.com. On May 28, 2008, Ausiello left TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly and posted his first blog for Entertainment Weekly on July 2, 2008...
of 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...
reported in August 2010 that the show set a casting call "for an African-American male in the 30s-60s age range" to play a fictitious host named Rutherford Rice, a well-spoken host of Right On, a fictitious talk show focusing on African-American issues. In this episode, Rutherford Rice was played by actor Reg E. Cathey, best known for his role on the HBO drama The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
as Norman Wilson. Actor John Amos
John Amos
John Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
made a brief appearance in the episode in which he stars in one scene from the Let's Stay Together show alongside a talking dog named Stanley the Dog. This was actor Todd Buonopane's fourth appearance as the character Jeffrey Weinerslav, an NBC Human resource mediator. Buonopane previously appeared in the season three
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...
episodes "Believe in the Stars
Believe in the Stars
"Believe in the Stars" is the second episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 38th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the...
", "Cutbacks", and "Jackie Jormp-Jomp
Jackie Jormp-Jomp
"Jackie Jormp-Jomp" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by executive story editor Kay Cannon and script co-coordinator Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National...
".
In an August 2010 interview, co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
was asked if the series would continue to make reference of the real-life acquisition of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
by cable company Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
—which occurred in November 2009—to which Carlock replied that their version of the acquisition was in the "works". Carlock noted that the NBC-Comcast deal would not change the show's "reason for existence", explaining that since the merger has occurred it has made things "even funnier" for the staff writers. "To us it's great, we've been able to do our version of 'ripped from the headlines,' which a lot of comedies don't get to do." In the episode, Representative Bookman called out NBC for being racist in regards to its programming lacking diversity. This subplot was based on real-life in which Jeff Zucker
Jeff Zucker
Jeffrey "Jeff" Zucker is an American television executive and former President and CEO of NBCUniversal.-Personal life:Zucker was born to Jewish-American parents in Homestead, Florida, near Miami. His father was a cardiologist, and his mother, Arlene, was a school teacher...
, then-President and CEO of NBC Universal, who attended the House Judiciary Committee
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
hearing in February 2010 in discussions of the NBC-Comcast deal, was asked by United States Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 29th district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
why the NBC network had not attempted to create shows that would appeal to the black community.
Cultural references
In the beginning of the episode, Liz tells Jack that her writing staff have been replacing her name-plate title with various names including "F. Krueger." She explains that the name refers to a time in which she got a chemical peelChemical peel
A chemical peel is a body treatment technique used to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the dead skin to slough off and eventually peel off. The regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin. Thus the term chemical...
, wore a red and green sweater with a fedora. This is a reference to the fictional horror villain from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series
A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American horror franchise that consists of nine slasher films, a television show, novels, and comic books. The franchise began with the film series created by Wes Craven. The franchise is based on the fictional character Freddy Krueger, introduced in A Nightmare on...
Freddy Krueger
Freddy Krueger
Frederick Charles "Freddy" Krueger is a fictional, horrifying character from the Nightmare on Elm Street series of horror films. He first appears in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street as a disfigured dream stalker who uses a glove armed with razors to kill his victims in their dreams,...
's appearance. During the hearing in Washington D.C., Representative Rob Reiner says "The acclaimed director of When Harry Met Sally...
When Harry Met Sally...
When Harry Met Sally... is a 1989 American romantic comedy film written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. It stars Billy Crystal as Harry and Meg Ryan as Sally. The story follows the title characters from the time they meet just before sharing a cross-country drive, through twelve years or...
would never do that!", a reference to Reiner who directed the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally....
One of the applicants to become an NBC page plays a keyboard and sings in the tune of musician Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
's 1989 song "We Didn't Start the Fire
We Didn't Start the Fire
"We Didn't Start the Fire" is a song by Billy Joel. Its lyrics are made up from rapid-fire brief allusions to over a hundred headline events between March 1949 and 1989, when the song was released on his album Storm Front...
". After returning from the hearing in Washington, in which Representative Bookman accused NBC of being racist, Jack tells Liz that during the hearing he did not pay attention to Bookman's heartfelt speech as he was too busy trying to remember the name "of the black kid on Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
", a reference to actor Donald Glover
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
who stars in Community—another NBC program—and who Jack is referring to. In addition, Glover was a former writer on 30 Rock. Coincidentally, guest star Queen Latifah executive produces the romantic comedy television series Let's Stay Together
Let's Stay Together (TV series)
Let's Stay Together is an American romantic comedy television series created by Jacque Edmonds Cofer. It premiered on BET on January 11, 2011. The series premiere drew 4.4 million viewers. On April 20th, BET, announced that the show is renewed for a second season which is set to air 22 episodes...
that airs on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
.
30 Rock and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
—both of which debuted on 2006–07 NBC lineup—revolved around the off-camera happenings on a sketch comedy series. The first season
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...
episode "Jack the Writer
Jack the Writer
"Jack the Writer" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American situation comedy 30 Rock, which aired on November 1, 2006 on the NBC network in the United States, and on November 1, 2007 in the United Kingdom. The episode was written by Robert Carlock and was directed by Gail Mancuso...
" contained a self-referencing walk and talk
Walk and talk
Walk and talk is a distinctive storytelling-technique used in filmmaking and television production in which a number of characters have a conversation en route. The most basic form of walk and talk involves a walking character that is then joined by another character. On their way to their...
sequence, which was commonly used on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Sorkin's previous series The West Wing
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
. In this episode, the walk and talk sequence is seen here in which Jack, before departing to Washington, has a discussion with Liz.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Let's Stay Together" was watched by 4.90 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...
. It received a 2.1 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic, that is 2.1 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, "When It Rains, It Pours
When It Rains, It Pours (30 Rock)
"When It Rains, It Pours" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 82nd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-show runner and executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino...
", which was watched by 5.688 million American viewers.
Andy Greenwald of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine called "Let's Stay Together" a "pretty great episode for a show that ... seems to have gotten its groove back." Television columnist Alan Sepiwall for HitFix who enjoyed the previous week's episode as he believed the show was back in peak, noted that the show "was back to more uneven, but still funny, territory" with this episode. Sepinwall felt that parts of the episode "worked just fine", and enjoyed Liz's disastrous appearance on Right On. He, however, did not like Jenna and Kenneth's pageant story. A contributor from the The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
said the episode had a "ton of hilarious moments", and that Queen Latifah "was the highlight of the show". Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
s Juli Weiner enjoyed Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Sanjay on Weeds from 2005 to present, and his role as Jonathan on 30 Rock, which he has played since the show began in 2006....
's appearance as Jack's assistant Jonathan, writing that Jonathan is "perhaps the most underutilized character on the show, and we were happy to see him get some screen time this episode." Further in her recap, Weiner said "Thank you, Jenna and Jack, for mercifully putting an end to the tension-less Kenneth's-rehiring narrative." Meredith Blake from 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....
deemed it a "wildly clever and satiric episode" that also "delivered an important critique about the limitations of diversity programs." Blake said that Jane Krakowski's Jenna was on fire in "Let's Stay Together". Scott Eidler of The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University. It is the oldest independent college daily in the United States....
commented that the show has always dealt with racism issues "pretty well" and that the issue featured here "was no exception." 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 reported that "Let's Stay Together" was one of his favorite episodes of the season, and that it was a "massively pleasing episode." Caitlan Smith of The Atlantic wrote that Latifah "stole the show" and "drove the action" as her character Regina Bookman in this episode of 30 Rock.
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...
s Nathan Rabin called this episode "clumsy and tired", explaining it was "misfiring on all cylinders. The satire was toothless, the playing strained and the whole enterprise reeked of mild desperation." He continued in his recap that "Let's Stay Together" had a "golden opportunity to comment insightfully and hilariously about the tricky intersection of politics, power, race and privilege", however "it recycled jokes that were unfunny and overly familiar the first time around". In conclusion, Rabin gave it a C grade rating. Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student
Indiana Daily Student
The Indiana Daily Student is an independent, student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana since 1867. The IDS is free and distributed throughout the campus and city.- Circulation :...
opined that the show's writing "is still sharp – not 'as sharp as ever,' but sharp – but a lot of the most interesting plots have already played out, and a lot of the new plots aren't interesting." Sanders said that the stories featured here had "a few big laughs ... but they're assembled so haphazardly and put into such a bulky framework that the train just never gets enough steam to salvage the episode."