Hiatus (30 Rock)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Hiatus
Series = 30 Rock


Caption = Liz, Colleen and Phoebe visit Jack in the hospital.
Season = 1
Episode = 21
Airdate = Start date|2007|04|26
Production = 121
Writer = Tina Fey
Director = Don Scardino
Music =
Photographer = Vanja Černjul
Guests = Katrina Bowden
Kevin Brown
Owen Burke
Grizz Chapman
Matt Dickinson
Rachel Dratch
Brittany Felton
Hannah Flynn
Sean Hayes
Lester Holt
Emily Mortimer
Chris Parnell
Portia
Lonny Ross
Justin Smith
Elaine Stritch
Jason Sudeikis
Nikki E. Walker
Episode list = "30 Rock" (season 1)
List of "30 Rock" episodes
Prev = Cleveland
Next = SeinfeldVision

"Hiatus" is the twenty-first episode of NBC's first season of "30 Rock". It was written by series creator and executive producer Tina Fey, and was directed by Don Scardino.cite web |url=http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/171713/64602/Hiatus.html?dataSet=1 |title="30 Rock" — "Hiatus" — Synopsis, Credits, Companies |accessdate=2008-07-23 |work= |publisher="Variety" |date= ] It first aired on April 26, 2007 in the United States.cite press release |title="30 Rock" "Hiatus" 04-26-2007 9:00PM |publisher="NBC Universal Media Village" |date= |url=http://nbcumv.com/listing_detail.nbc/nbc-20070426210000.html |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-07-24 |quote= ] Guest stars in the episode included Katrina Bowden, Kevin Brown, Owen Burke, Grizz Chapman, Matt Dickinson, Rachel Dratch, Brittany Felton, Hannah Flynn, Sean Hayes, Emily Mortimer, Chris Parnell, Portia, Lonny Ross, Justin Smith, Elaine Stritch, Jason Sudeikis and Nikki E. Walker. Lester Holt appeared as himself in this episode.

The episode focuses on the imminent season finale of "TGS with Tracy Jordan", a fictional sketch comedy series which airs live on Friday nights.cite episode |title=Corporate Crush |episodelink= |series=30 Rock |serieslink=30 Rock |credits=John Riggi (writer); Don Scardino (director) |network=NBC Universal |station=NBC |airdate=2007-04-12 |season=1 |seriesno= |number=19 |minutes= ] Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) is frantic due to the fact that Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) is still missing and Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) health threatens his marriage to Phoebe (Emily Mortimer).

Plot

After going on the run from The Black Crusaders, Tracy has traveled to Needmore, Pennsylvania to stay with Kenneth Parcell's (Jack McBrayer) cousin, Jesse Parcell (Sean Hayes). Liz is stressed as the season finale of "TGS with Tracy Jordan" is nearing, and Tracy cannot be found. Liz and Jack force Tracy's whereabouts from Kenneth, who they send to bring him back. Tracy realizes that he wants to go back to the city, but Jesse kidnaps him. Kenneth, accompanied by Dot-Com and Grizz, manages to rescue Tracy and get him back in time for the show's finale.

Jack is livid when his mother, Colleen Donaghy (Elaine Stritch), visits him when she is in town to attend, his ex-wife, Bianca's (Isabella Rossellini) wedding to Vincent Folley. Colleen takes an immediate dislike to Jack's fiancée, Phoebe, but takes a liking to Liz whom she originally mistakes for Phoebe. The stress of his approaching wedding and the arrival of his mother prompt Jack to have a heart attack. While at the hospital, Colleen uses a heart monitor as a lie detector, on Jack, which leads him to revealing that he does not love Phoebe. They break off their engagement.

Liz and Floyd (Jason Sudeikis) are struggling to maintain a long distance relationship, since Floyd's move to Cleveland. Liz later reveals to Jack that she and Floyd have separated.

Production

Rachel Dratch, longtime comedy partner and fellow "Saturday Night Live" alumna of Fey, was originally cast to portray Jenna. Dratch played the role in the show's original pilot, but in August 2006, Jane Krakowski was announced as Dratch's replacement. [cite news | url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-janekrakowskijoins30rock,0,1779072.story | title="Ally" Cat Krakowski Joins "30 Rock" | accessdate=2007-10-16 | date=2006-08-17 |publisher="Zap2it"] Executive producer Lorne Michaels announced that while Dratch would not be playing a series regular, she would appear in various episodes in a different role.cite news |first=Michael |last=Schneider |title=Inside Move: Dratch latched to multiple "Rock" roles |url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleID=VR1117948462&cs=1 |publisher="Variety" |date=2006-08-14 |accessdate=2008-03-02] In this episode, Dratch played Dr. Beauvoir, Liz's doctor.cite episode |title=Hiatus |series=30 Rock |serieslink=30 Rock |credits=Tina Fey (writer); Don Scardino (director) |network=NBC Universal |station=NBC |airdate=2007-04-26 |season=1 |number=21]

Jason Sudeikis, who played Floyd in this episode, has appeared in the main cast of "Saturday Night Live",cite news |first=Whitney |last=Matheson |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=A chat with ... "30 Rock" and "SNL" star Jason Sudeikis |url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2007/04/a_chat_with_30_.html |work= |publisher="USA Today" |date=2007-04-19 |accessdate=2008-07-20 ] a weekly sketch comedy series which airs on NBC in the United States.cite web |url=http://nbcumv.com/entertainment/program_detail.nbc/saturdaynightlive.html |title="Saturday Night Live" Saturdays on NBC (11:30 p.m.endash1 a.m. ET) |accessdate=2008-07-20 |publisher="NBC Universal Media Village"] Tina Fey was the head writer on "Saturday Night Live" from 1999 until 2006.cite web |url=http://tv.yahoo.com/tina-fey/contributor/37979/bio;_ylt=Ah959xCzyoM_PeagipGdFJlaz9EF |title=Tina Fey Biography |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher="Yahoo!"] Various other cast members of "Saturday Night Live" have appeared on "30 Rock". These cast members include: Rachel Dratch,cite news |first=Michael |last=Schneider |title=Inside Move: Dratch latched to multiple "Rock" roles |url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleID=VR1117948462&cs=1 |publisher="Variety" |date=2006-08-14 |accessdate=2008-03-02] Fred Armisen,cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/835/835821p1.html |title="30 Rock": "Somebody to Love" Review |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last=Canning |first=Robert |coauthors= |date=2007-11-16 |work= |publisher=IGN] Kristen Wiig, Will Forte,cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/30-Rock/February-1-2007/700017220 |title=February 1, 2007: "It Feels Good to Laugh" |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last=Webb Mitovich |first=Matt |coauthors= |date=2007-02-02 |work= |publisher="TV Guide"] Chris Parnellcite news |first=Annie |last=Barrett |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=What "SNL" alums besides Chris Parnell should guest on "30 Rock"? |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2006/12/what_snl_alums_.html |work= |publisher="Entertainment Weekly" |date=2006-12-07 |accessdate=2008-07-20 ] and Molly Shannon. Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan have both been part of the main cast of "Saturday Night Live".cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/736/736916p1.html |title=IGN Interview: "30 Rock"'s Tracy Morgan |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last=Fickett |first=Travis |coauthors= |date=2006-10-17 |work= |publisher=IGN] Alec Baldwin has also hosted "Saturday Night Live" thirteen times, the second highest amount of episodes of any host of the series.cite episode |title=Alec Baldwin/Christina Aguilera |episodelink= |series=Saturday Night Live |serieslink=Saturday Night Live |credits= |network=NBC Universal |station=NBC |airdate=2006-11-11 |season=32 |seriesno= |number=5 |minutes= ]

The scenes set in the fictitious Needmore, Pennsylvania were actually filmed in Douglaston, Queens. Similarly, the scenes in Cleveland from the previous episode were filmed in Battery Park City, Manhattan.cite news |first=Matt |last=Webb Mitovich |title=Funny Business: Tina Fey Previews "30 Rock"'s Future |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/funny-business-tina/070612-02 |publisher="TV Guide" |date=2007-06-12 |accessdate=2007-10-14]

Reception

"Hiatus" brought in an average of 4.7 million viewers. The episode also achieved a 2.4/6 in the key 18–49-year-old demographic.cite press release |title= NBC Ratings Results For The Week Of April 23–29 |publisher="NBC Universal Media Village" |date=2007-05-01 |url=http://nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070501000000-nbcratingsresults.html |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-07-24 |quote=Thursday from 9-9:31 p.m. ET, "30 Rock" averaged a 2.4/6 in 18–49 and 4.7 million viewers overall.] The 2.4 refers to 2.4% of all people of ages 18–49 years old in the U.S., and the 6 refers to 6% of all people of ages 18–49 years old watching television at the time of the broadcast in the U.S. This episode was watched by 200,000 people upon its original broadcast in the United Kingdom. [cite news |first=Leigh |last=Holmwood |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Channel 4 shifts "Brothers and Sisters" to E4 |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/28/channel4.television |work= |publisher="Media Guardian" |date=2008-03-28 |accessdate=2008-07-29 ]

Robert Canning of IGN said that this episode left him feeling "a bit cheated." He said that this was because "the storylines we've loved for weeks all failed to come to a satisfying end." He added that "after a string of stellar episodes, it's not surprising "30 Rock" eventually faltered." Canning rated this episode with a "6.5 out of 10."cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/784/784057p1.html |title="30 Rock": "Hiatus" Review |accessdate=2008-07-24 |last=Canning |first=Robert |coauthors= |date=2007-04-27 |work= |publisher=IGN] Matt Webb Mitovich of "TV Guide" wrote that he "didn't find this episode "quite" as manic as the previous few, but that's probably because it had actual story to progress and threads to tie up."cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/30-Rock/April-26-2007/800013726 |title=April 26, 2007: "I Nearly Wet My Other Pair of Underpants!" |accessdate=2008-07-24 |last=Webb Mitovich |first=Matt |coauthors= |date=2007-04-27 |work= |publisher="TV Guide"]

Elaine Stritch's appearance in this episode earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.cite press release |title=Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 59th Primetime Emmy Awards |publisher="Academy of Television Arts & Sciences" |date=2007-09-16 |url=http://www.emmys.org/downloads/2007/pte59emmywinners.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-02-18] Stritch would later appear, for a second time, as Colleen in the episode "Episode 209," which was part of season two.cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/841/841543p1.html |title="30 Rock": "Episode 209" Review |accessdate=2008-07-24 |last=Canning |first=Robert |coauthors= |date=2007-12-14 |work= |publisher=IGN]

References