Cleveland (30 Rock)

Last updated
"Cleveland"
30 Rock episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 20
Directed by Paul Feig
Written by Jack Burditt
Robert Carlock
Featured music"Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner, is Liz's ringtone.
Cinematography byVanja Černjul
Production code120
Original air dateApril 19, 2007 (2007-04-19)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Corporate Crush"		Next →
"Hiatus"
30 Rock season 1
List of episodes

"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 United States. Guest stars in this episode included Jennifer Bassey, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Lester Holt, Traci Hovel, Emily Mortimer, Maulik Pancholy, and Jason Sudeikis.

Contents

In this episode, Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) and Floyd (Jason Sudeikis) visit Cleveland, Ohio when Floyd says he wishes that he could live there. Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) goes on the run from The Black Crusaders. Liz discovers that Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) fiancée, Phoebe (Emily Mortimer), is keeping some deceiving secrets.

Plot

When Floyd (Jason Sudeikis) loses out on a possible job promotion to Alan Garkel (Eric Dysart)—an African-American candidate in a wheelchair—he informs Liz Lemon of his aspirations to move back home to Cleveland. After Floyd asks Liz about her own future in New York, she begins to notice all the problems she has with the city and so they plan a visit to Floyd's hometown.

Meanwhile, Jack returns from a weekend in Paris with Phoebe, his new fiancée, and insists that Liz should get to know Phoebe better. He tells her to take Phoebe and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) on a girls' day out. As their day progresses Liz senses Phoebe is not who she claims to be. Liz's suspicions are confirmed when she covertly follows Phoebe to a restaurant and spies her holding hands with an older gentleman. This is alarming for two reasons: first, Phoebe is already engaged to Jack, and secondly, she has previously claimed to be afflicted by "Avian Bone Syndrome," a result of which is that her purportedly brittle bones would not be able to stand such intense physical contact. Even though Liz tries to remain inconspicuous at the restaurant, Phoebe notices her. Knowing that Liz is on to her deceptions, Phoebe confronts Liz, who is not interested in Phoebe's excuses and tells her that she has a choice: tell Jack about her cheating or Liz will do so herself. Phoebe becomes angry and then shocks Liz when she drops her British accent. Liz tries to tell Jack about her suspicions, but he is immediately offended by her seemingly unfounded and slanderous comments about his fiancée, which puts a heavy strain on their working relationship.

Finally, Tracy has somehow become entangled in a character assassination plot. When Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander) tells Tracy that he read in a magazine that Bill Cosby hates him, Tracy realizes that The Black Crusaders, a cabal of powerful African Americans (a reference to the 2006 conspiracy theory hoax regarding a similar group called the Dark Crusaders driving Dave Chappelle off his Comedy Central show), [1] are out to destroy his career. The Black Crusaders have managed to put a stop to all productions featuring Tracy. Fearing for his life, Tracy goes on the run to Cleveland and, from there, into Needmore, Pennsylvania.

Production

This episode was the fourth episode written by Jack Burditt and also the fourth episode written by Robert Carlock. It was the first episode directed by Paul Feig. The scenes set in Cleveland, Ohio were actually filmed in Battery Park City, Manhattan. [2] Similarly, the scenes in the town of Needmore, Pennsylvania in the following episode, "Hiatus", were filmed in Douglaston, Queens. [2] Jason Sudeikis and Tina Fey sing the montage when touring Cleveland.

Reception

"Cleveland" brought in an average of 5.2 million viewers upon its original broadcast in the United States. It also achieved a 2.5/7 in the key 18- to 49-year-old demographic. [3] The 2.5 refers to 2.5% of all people of ages 18–49 years old in the U.S., and the 7 refers to 7% of all people of ages 18–49 years old watching television at the time of the broadcast in the U.S..

Robert Canning of IGN thought that this episode "was by far the funniest, laugh-out-loud, near genius episode of 30 Rock this season." He wrote that "there wasn't a moment wasted in the entire half hour, which not only gave us plenty of laughs, but it continued the ongoing storylines with fantastic pacing and ease." Canning stated that "the best part of this episode by far was Tracy's paranoia over The Black Crusaders" and he rated the episode 9.7 out of 10. [4] Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide wrote regarding Emily Mortimer's guest appearance that "she's not the first thought for most sitcoms looking to fill a vacancy. But here, she's obviously relishing (as Isabella Rossellini did) the chance to go a bit bonkers. When she lapsed out of the accent, what fun." [5] Anna Johns of AOL's TV Squad wrote that she "didn't find 'Cleveland' nearly as funny as the super-sized 'Fireworks' episode two weeks ago, but it was still pretty good. The best sources of humor in this show are Kenneth the Page and Tracy Jordan, neither of which had a very prominent role this week." [6]

Related Research Articles

"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. Guest stars in this episode include Katrina Bowden, Keith Powell, Maulik Pancholy, Tom Broecker, Jonathan Lutz, James Anderson and Sharon Wilkins.

"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 NBC in the United States on November 30, 2006. Guest stars in this episode include Michael Blackson, Katrina Bowden, Teddy Coluca, Rachel Dratch, Keith Powell, Ali Reza, Lonny Ross, Brian Stack, and Dean Winters.

"Jack-Tor" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American situation comedy 30 Rock, which aired on November 16, 2006 on the NBC network in the United States, and on November 8, 2007 in the United Kingdom. The episode was written by Robert Carlock and was directed by Don Scardino. Guest stars in this episode include Katrina Bowden, Lonny Ross, Keith Powell, Maulik Pancholy, Teddy Coluca, Donald Glover, Doug Moe, and Matthew Stocke.

"Tracy Does Conan" is the seventh episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer, Tina Fey and it was directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Adam Bernstein. It first aired on December 7, 2006, in the United States and November 29, 2007, in the United Kingdom. Guest stars in the episode included Katrina Bowden, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Rachel Dratch, Dave Finkel, Maulik Pancholy, Chris Parnell, Aubrey Plaza, Keith Powell, and Dean Winters. Conan O'Brien appeared as himself in this episode. The episode marks the first appearance of Chris Parnell as recurring character, Dr. Leo Spaceman.

"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. Guest stars who appear in this episode are Dan Bakkedahl, Katrina Bowden, Anna Chlumsky, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Nathan Lane, Boris McGiver, Brian Murray, Maulik Pancholy, Lonny Ross, Molly Shannon, Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Sudeikis.

"Corporate Crush" is the nineteenth episode of the first season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 12, 2007. Guest stars in this episode include Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, John Lutz, Emily Mortimer, Maulik Pancholy, Jason Sudeikis, and Rip Torn.

"SeinfeldVision" is the first episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the twenty-second episode of the series. It was written by the series' creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey and directed by producer Don Scardino. The episode first aired on October 4, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States.

<i>30 Rock</i> season 1 Season of television series

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. The season was produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger and NBC Universal, and the executive producers were series creator Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, JoAnn Alfano, Marci Klein, and David Miner.

"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. Guest stars in this episode include Carrie Fisher, Paul Scheer, and Stuart Zagnit.

"Hiatus" is the twenty-first and season finale 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. It first aired on April 26, 2007 in the United States. Guest stars in the episode included Katrina Bowden, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Rachel Dratch, Sean Hayes, Emily Mortimer, Chris Parnell, Lonny Ross, Elaine Stritch, and Jason Sudeikis. Lester Holt appeared as himself in this episode.

"Up All Night" is the thirteenth episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer Tina Fey, and was directed by Michael Engler. It first aired on February 8, 2007 in the United States. Guest stars in this episode include Katrina Bowden, Rachel Dratch, Rachel Hamilton, John Lutz, Maulik Pancholy, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, Isabella Rossellini, Sherri Shepherd, Jason Sudeikis and Mark Zimmerman. Joy Behar appeared as herself in the episode.

"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 producers, Don Scardino. The episode first aired on May 1, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States. Guest stars in this episode included Brian Dennehy, Marceline Hugot, Jason Sudeikis, and Rip Torn. The episode earned Tina Fey the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

"Fireworks" is the eighteenth episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by two of the season's co-executive producers Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, and it was directed by Beth McCarthy. It first aired on April 5, 2007 in the United States. Guest stars in this episode include Will Arnett, Kay Cannon, Dave Finkel, Chris Parnell, Maulik Pancholy, Maury Povich, Keith Powell, Al Roker, Kissy Simmons, and Jason Sudeikis.

"The Break-Up" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producers Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, and directed by Scott Ellis. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 14, 2006. Guest stars in this episode include Rachel Dratch, Chris Hansen, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, and Dean Winters.

"Believe in the Stars" is the second episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. The 38th overall episode of the series was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 6, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Remy Auberjonois, Todd Buonopane, Raven Goodwin, and Oprah Winfrey.

"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. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Alan Alda, Kay Cannon, Donald Glover, Napiera Groves, Chris Parnell, Paula Pell, and Sherri Shepherd. In addition, "Kidney Now!" featured many musical guest stars including Clay Aiken, Elvis Costello, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, the Beastie Boys, Steve Earle, Adam Levine, Sara Bareilles, Wyclef Jean, Norah Jones, Talib Kweli, Michael McDonald, Rhett Miller, Moby, Robert Randolph, Rachael Yamagata and Cyndi Lauper, all as themselves.

"The Baby Show" is the ninth 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 Michael Engler. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 4, 2007. Guest stars in this episode include Katrina Bowden, Rachel Dratch, John Lutz, Bridget Moloney, Maulik Pancholy, Chris Parnell, Keith Powell, and Lonny Ross.

"The Source Awards" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Robert Carlock and Daisy Gardner, and directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 1, 2007. "The Source Awards" featured appearances by Wayne Brady, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Ghostface Killah, LL Cool J, and Jason Sudeikis.

"Floyd" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 74th overall episode of the series. It was written by series producer Paula Pell, and directed by Millicent Shelton. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 25, 2010. Cheyenne Jackson, Kristin McGee, and Jason Sudeikis guest star in this episode, and there are cameo appearances by Kathie Lee Gifford, Lester Holt, Hoda Kotb, and Meredith Vieira.

"Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 79th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 13, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include John Anderson, Elizabeth Banks, Jon Hamm, Kristin McGee, Julianne Moore, Michael Sheen, Jason Sudeikis, and Dean Winters.

References

  1. ↑ "The Dave Chappelle conspiracy theory: Oprah threats, Farrakhan thugs??". HongPong. 2005-12-19. Archived from the original on 2013-06-01. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
  2. 1 2 Webb Mitovich, Matt (2007-06-12). "Funny Business: Tina Fey Previews 30 Rock's Future". TV Guide . Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
  3. ↑ "NBC Ratings Results for the Week of April 16–22". The Futon Critic. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  4. ↑ Canning, Robert (2007-04-20). "30 Rock: "Cleveland" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  5. ↑ Webb Mitovich, Matt (2007-04-19). "April 19, 2007: "By the Hammer of Thor!"". TV Guide . Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  6. ↑ Johns, Anna (2007-04-20). "30 Rock: "Cleveland"". TV Squad . Archived from the original on 2007-05-20. Retrieved 2008-08-13.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.