Reprising a stunt that it first pulled off last year, NBC's 30 Rock cast performed Thursday night's episode... live. Staging it twice — once for each coast — Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and Jane Krakowski cracked wise alongside an impressive guest-star roster including Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, Fred Armisen, and Jon Hamm. (Kim Kardashian and Brian Williams showed up for the West Coast airings.) The plot centered around a cost-saving measure to scrap live tapings of 30 Rock's SNL-like show-within-a-show, with the characters rallying to prove that live TV can still be exciting. Did the episode make the same case?
It was brilliant: 30 Rock shines in this live format, says Chris Harnick at The Huffington Post. The cast (particularly Jane Krakowski) seemed more energized and enthusiastic than usual, delivering some of the season's best performances. The guest stars rocked out, too, with Poehler as teenage Liz Lemon a brilliant addition. After weeks of headlines centered on falling ratings and Baldwin's possible departure, the live show proved crucially that 30 Rock "still has what it takes to crack smiles and achieve hearty laughs."
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