Subway Hero
Encyclopedia
"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 network in the United States. Guest stars in this episode include Michael Bloomberg
, Tim Conway
and Dean Winters
. The Lord Stanley Cup
is also jokingly listed as a guest star. Dennis Duffy's actions in this episode were modeled after real New York City Subway Hero Wesley Autrey
.
The episode revolves around Liz's former boyfriend, Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters), becoming a local celebrity when he saves somebody's life at a subway station. Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) is looking for a celebrity to be the face of the Republican Party
and Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) meets one of his idols, Bucky Bright (Tim Conway
).
(Tina Fey
) is asked whether or not she would mind having her former boyfriend, Dennis, appear on TGS with Tracy Jordan, a fictional sketch comedy
series. Since they last met, Dennis saved somebody's life at a subway station and has become a local celebrity. Liz and Dennis meet up where she agrees to let him appear on the show. Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) is wary and warns Liz not to let herself fall in love with Dennis again. When Liz realizes she does still have feelings for him, an excuse to get rid of him is presented when Dennis' "15 minutes of fame
" are up and Liz revokes her invitation. Liz later follows him to 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center subway station where he tries to regain his subway hero title by throwing her onto the tracks of an oncoming train.
Jack is looking for a famous face to represent the Republican political party. After struggling to find somebody, he selects Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) for the position. One of Jack's failed candidates, Bucky Bright, befriends Kenneth during a tour of 30 Rockefeller Plaza
; Bucky shares a number of stories about the early days of television that initially repel and confuse Kenneth.
" aired on April 10 instead. On the newspaper shown to Liz by Jenna, the front page article states that Kay Cannon
wrote the article. Kay Cannon is a writer of various episodes of 30 Rock. Upon working with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Dean Winters described Bloomberg as "fun" and that "he was cool. And he's a natural."
The scene that takes place at the Rockefeller Center subway station was actually filmed on the 42nd Street Shuttle platform at the Grand Central subway station, with prop signs reading "47–50 Sts – Rockefeller Center" placed over the original signage, and a Shuttle train relabeled as a D
train.
"Subway Hero" brought in an average of 6.4 million viewers. This was the highest rated episode since the episode "Somebody To Love" which aired on November 15, 2007. The episode also achieved a 2.8/8 in the key 18-49 year old demographic. The 2.8 refers to 2.8% of all 18–49 years olds in the U.S. and the 8 refers to 8% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast, in the U.S. This episode built by 0.2 points, in the 18-49 demographic, from the episode of My Name Is Earl
, named "No Heads And A Duffel Bag," which aired prior to it.
Claire Zulkey of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "In some ways the episode almost felt too comfortable, with the familiar story lines and even the obligatory fantasy featuring Baldwin as a former president. The show, thus far post-strike, hasn't seemed like it has distinguished itself too much from Season 1. But is that really so bad?" Ann Oldenburg of USA Today
said that "As always, [this episode of] 30 Rock was filled with fast one-liners." Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly
thought that "Even for the always politically astute 30 Rock, last night's episode was unusually so." Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad said that "[This] episode of 30 Rock had more jokes and one-liners - the kind where you actually smile and laugh out loud" and that "There's no other comedy that's running on all cylinders like 30 Rock is right now." Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
said that "[the episode] was filled not with just great laughs, but also some heart. Damn the roller coaster that is the crazy Dennis-and-Liz on-again/off-again thing!"
Robert Canning of IGN
wrote that "this is why 30 Rock is still a show you can't miss. Even the weaker episodes can be damn funny." Canning rated the episode 7.7 out of 10. The Daily Herald's Ted Cox wrote that "[he has] to insist that it sure seems to me that not just Fey and Liz, but most of all viewers at home deserve better." Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
said that "I saw "Subway Hero" a while back, and as I wrote in my column last week, my reaction to it was roughly the same as it was to "MILF Island": a number of very funny individual moments, but an episode that was less than the sum of its parts." David Hinckley of The New York Daily News said that there were "a lot of former-boyfriend gags that are, once again, well-formulated" in this episode and that "They work." Hinckley also wrote that "the real reason ["Subway Hero"] is must-see TV is a guest spot by Tim Conway as an old-time television star whose deadpan recollections of the "good old days" keep getting weirder and funnier. He darn near steals the show." Conway won an Emmy
in "Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series" for this episode.
30 Rock (season 2)
The second season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, originally aired between October 4, 2007 and May 8, 2008 on NBC in the United States. 30 Rock takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name refers to 30 Rockefeller...
of 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by 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...
, one of the series' co-executive producers, 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:...
. It was directed by Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
. It aired on April 17, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States. Guest stars in this episode include Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, Tim Conway
Tim Conway
Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway is an American comedian and actor, primarily known for his roles in sitcoms, films and television. Conway is best known for his role as the inept second-in-command officer, Ensign Charles Parker, to Lt...
and Dean Winters
Dean Winters
Dean Winters is an American actor, who has portrayed Ryan O'Reily on HBO's Oz, Johnny Gavin on FX Network's Rescue Me, and Dennis Duffy on NBC's 30 Rock...
. The Lord Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
is also jokingly listed as a guest star. Dennis Duffy's actions in this episode were modeled after real New York City Subway Hero Wesley Autrey
Wesley Autrey
Wesley Autrey is a New York construction worker and Navy veteran who in 2007 achieved international recognition after he saved Cameron Hollopeter, a 20-year-old film student who had suffered a seizure and fallen onto the tracks, from being...
.
The episode revolves around Liz's former boyfriend, Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters), becoming a local celebrity when he saves somebody's life at a subway station. Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) is looking for a celebrity to be the face of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and 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"...
) meets one of his idols, Bucky Bright (Tim Conway
Tim Conway
Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway is an American comedian and actor, primarily known for his roles in sitcoms, films and television. Conway is best known for his role as the inept second-in-command officer, Ensign Charles Parker, to Lt...
).
Plot
When invited to Jack's office, Liz LemonLiz 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...
) is asked whether or not she would mind having her former boyfriend, Dennis, appear on TGS with Tracy Jordan, a fictional sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series. Since they last met, Dennis saved somebody's life at a subway station and has become a local celebrity. Liz and Dennis meet up where she agrees to let him appear on the show. 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...
) is wary and warns Liz not to let herself fall in love with Dennis again. When Liz realizes she does still have feelings for him, an excuse to get rid of him is presented when Dennis' "15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame is short-lived, often ephemeral, media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to...
" are up and Liz revokes her invitation. Liz later follows him to 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center subway station where he tries to regain his subway hero title by throwing her onto the tracks of an oncoming train.
Jack is looking for a famous face to represent the Republican political party. After struggling to find somebody, he selects 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:...
) for the position. One of Jack's failed candidates, Bucky Bright, befriends Kenneth during a tour of 30 Rockefeller Plaza
GE Building
The GE Building is an Art Deco skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the midtown Manhattan section of New York City. Known as the RCA Building until 1988, it is most famous for housing the headquarters of the television network NBC...
; Bucky shares a number of stories about the early days of television that initially repel and confuse Kenneth.
Production
Some scenes of "Subway Hero" were filmed on March 10, 2008. This episode was originally expected to air on April 10, 2008 but was rescheduled to air on April 17. The episode "MILF IslandMILF Island
"MILF Island" is the eleventh episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and thirty-second episode overall. It was written by the series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey and producer Matt Hubbard. The director of the episode was Kevin Rodney Sullivan. It aired on April 10, 2008...
" aired on April 10 instead. On the newspaper shown to Liz by Jenna, the front page article states that Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon is an American television writer and actress who is best known for her work as an Emmy nominated writer and producer for the NBC series 30 Rock.-Biography:...
wrote the article. Kay Cannon is a writer of various episodes of 30 Rock. Upon working with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Dean Winters described Bloomberg as "fun" and that "he was cool. And he's a natural."
The scene that takes place at the Rockefeller Center subway station was actually filmed on the 42nd Street Shuttle platform at the Grand Central subway station, with prop signs reading "47–50 Sts – Rockefeller Center" placed over the original signage, and a Shuttle train relabeled as a D
D (New York City Subway service)
The D Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
train.
Reception
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
, named "No Heads And A Duffel Bag," which aired prior to it.
Claire Zulkey of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "In some ways the episode almost felt too comfortable, with the familiar story lines and even the obligatory fantasy featuring Baldwin as a former president. The show, thus far post-strike, hasn't seemed like it has distinguished itself too much from Season 1. But is that really so bad?" Ann Oldenburg of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said that "As always, [this episode of] 30 Rock was filled with fast one-liners." Jeff Labrecque 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...
thought that "Even for the always politically astute 30 Rock, last night's episode was unusually so." 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 said that "[This] episode of 30 Rock had more jokes and one-liners - the kind where you actually smile and laugh out loud" and that "There's no other comedy that's running on all cylinders like 30 Rock is right now." Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
said that "[the episode] was filled not with just great laughs, but also some heart. Damn the roller coaster that is the crazy Dennis-and-Liz on-again/off-again thing!"
Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that "this is why 30 Rock is still a show you can't miss. Even the weaker episodes can be damn funny." Canning rated the episode 7.7 out of 10. The Daily Herald
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...
said that "I saw "Subway Hero" a while back, and as I wrote in my column last week, my reaction to it was roughly the same as it was to "MILF Island": a number of very funny individual moments, but an episode that was less than the sum of its parts." David Hinckley of The New York Daily News said that there were "a lot of former-boyfriend gags that are, once again, well-formulated" in this episode and that "They work." Hinckley also wrote that "the real reason ["Subway Hero"] is must-see TV is a guest spot by Tim Conway as an old-time television star whose deadpan recollections of the "good old days" keep getting weirder and funnier. He darn near steals the show." Conway won an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in "Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series" for this episode.
External links
- "Subway Hero," at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- "Subway Hero," 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...