105 Fun Facts About 30 Rock

On 30 Rock, which real late-night host plays himself when Tracy Jordan is booked as a guest?

Conan O'Brien plays himself in season one and is wary of having Tracy back: on his last visit the star pretended to be a stabbing robot and went for the host.

The title '30 Rock' refers to which real building?

30 Rockefeller Plaza is the Midtown tower whose Studio 8H is home to Saturday Night Live, the real sketch show on which the sitcom's backstage world is modelled.

Which real astronaut plays himself on 30 Rock, revealed as the great lost love of Liz Lemon's mother?

Buzz Aldrin appears as himself in season four after Margaret Lemon admits that he, not Liz's father, was the love of her life; a shaken Liz then goes to talk it over with the man himself.

What was Liz Lemon's sketch show called before Jack Donaghy added Tracy Jordan to the cast?

The Girlie Show was built around Jenna Maroney and aimed at women; Jack brought in Tracy to win over young men, and the title shrank to TGS with Tracy Jordan.

Which comedy star plays Gavin Volure, the reclusive tycoon Liz Lemon briefly dates?

Steve Martin plays Gavin Volure, who tells Liz he is agoraphobic; in truth he is under house arrest for arson and fraud, and he later escapes to ask her to run away with him.

Jack Donaghy's job title when introduced was Vice President of East Coast Television and what?

Jack's title was Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming, a nod to NBC's then-parent General Electric, which also sold kitchen appliances.

On 30 Rock, a DNA test tells Tracy Jordan he is descended from which US president?

Thomas Jefferson turns up in the results of a paternity test in season one; a shaken Tracy dreams of confronting him on a talk show, then plans a film of his life in which he plays every part.

Which date does 30 Rock treat as a major holiday, with a gilled mascot who trades candy for children's tears?

Leap Day has its own Santa figure, Leap Day William, who rises from the Mariana Trench every four years; the episode even cuts to a Jim Carrey film about the holiday.

Which actress plays Liz's best friend and TGS star Jenna Maroney?

Jane Krakowski plays Jenna Maroney; she joined when the pilot was reshot, having earlier starred as Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal.

Who was originally cast as Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock before the role was recast?

Rachel Dratch, Fey's SNL castmate, played Jenna in the unaired pilot; after the recast she turned up in assorted small parts across the first season.

On 30 Rock, which fictional company buys NBC in the later seasons?

Kabletown, a Philadelphia firm, takes over NBC from season four: the writers' stand-in for Comcast, whose real deal for NBC Universal was announced in December 2009.

Which writer created Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the rival backstage drama that debuted alongside 30 Rock in 2006?

Aaron Sorkin's drama was also set behind a sketch show, and many expected NBC to keep only one of the pair; his lasted one season, and he later sent himself up in a walk-and-talk cameo with Liz.

Liz Lemon's on-and-off boyfriend nicknamed 'The Beeper King' is named what?

Dennis Duffy, played by Dean Winters, is New York's last pager salesman, the self-styled Beeper King; Liz dumps him in season one after spotting him on Dateline's 'To Catch a Predator'.

On 30 Rock, which novelty song earned Tracy Jordan a gold record?

Werewolf Bar Mitzvah is on screen for about six seconds, in a spoof 1980s video whose set took three days to prepare; fans replayed it online, and NBC soon posted a full three-minute version.

What is the title of Jenna Maroney's film whose name nobody on 30 Rock can pronounce?

The Rural Juror, a legal thriller from a novel by John Grisham's fictional brother Kevin, defeats everyone who tries to say it; in the series finale Jenna sings its theme as the show's farewell.

On 30 Rock, which Southern town is Kenneth Parcell's home?

Stone Mountain, Georgia is also the real hometown of 30 Rock writer Donald Glover; in season four Jack and Liz fly there hunting for a comedian from outside the big cities.

On 30 Rock, what unusual kind of financial aid does Jack Donaghy say put him through Princeton?

A handsomeness scholarship is Jack's story; he says he topped it up by working the day shift at a graveyard and the graveyard shift at a Days Inn.

On 30 Rock, which General Electric product does Jack Donaghy call his 'greatest triumph'?

The Trivection oven was a real GE product, written into the pilot without the company's knowledge; Jack pitches it as his own invention, and GE then ran ads during the show so viewers would know it was real.

What is the first name of Jack Donaghy's overbearing mother on 30 Rock?

Colleen Donaghy has nagged her son all his life; in the season-one finale she turns his hospital heart monitor into a lie detector to prove he does not love his fiancée.

Which actor plays Liz Lemon's airline-pilot boyfriend, Carol Burnett?

Matt Damon plays Carol Burnett, who meets Liz in the season-four finale; they split after a stand-off aboard his own plane, stuck on the runway for hours.

Which star plays Avery Jessup, the TV reporter who becomes Jack Donaghy's wife on 30 Rock?

Elizabeth Banks plays Avery Jessup, the CNBC host Jack marries; kidnapped in North Korea, she gets home in season six, and the pair end up divorcing at the altar while renewing their vows.

Which actress played Elisa, Jack Donaghy's girlfriend for a run of 30 Rock episodes?

Salma Hayek plays Elisa, the nurse Jack gets engaged to in season three; she then confesses that she killed her first husband for cheating on her, and the wedding is soon off.

Which talk-show host does a sedated Liz Lemon believe she is sitting beside on a flight in season three?

Oprah Winfrey seems to counsel Liz all the way home from Chicago; back at work, the 'Oprah' who arrives to settle a feud turns out to be a 12-year-old girl named Pam.

Who plays Devon Banks, Jack Donaghy's corporate nemesis on 30 Rock?

Will Arnett plays Devon Banks, the rival executive who returns season after season with a new scheme to take Jack's job; the guest role brought Arnett four Emmy nominations.

Chris Parnell plays which recurring quack doctor on 30 Rock?

Chris Parnell plays Dr. Leo Spaceman, the quack on call for the TGS cast; he pronounces his surname 'spuh-CHEM-in', and only Tracy says it like the word spaceman.

Frank Rossitano, the writer played by Judah Friedlander, is known for wearing what?

Trucker hats are Frank's trademark, each with a different slogan; Judah Friedlander made them himself, enough to wear a new one in every scene.

On 30 Rock, Scott Adsit plays which level-headed TGS producer?

Scott Adsit plays Pete Hornberger, Liz's steadiest ally; Pete qualified as an archer for the 1980 Olympics, only for the US boycott of the Moscow Games to keep him home.

On 30 Rock, the writer Toofer is nicknamed for being 'two for one': a Harvard guy and what else?

A Black guy and a Harvard guy in one hire is Jack's reason for the nickname; Toofer, proud of an ancestor who was a Civil War officer, later learns the man fought for the Confederacy.

Which two members make up Tracy Jordan's entourage on 30 Rock?

Grizz and Dot Com shadow Tracy everywhere, and the job has odd duties: Grizz is the one charged with sitting on Tracy when he gets overexcited.

On 30 Rock, what is the name of Liz Lemon's assistant, known for her revealing outfits?

Cerie Xerox, played by Katrina Bowden, is cheerfully unbothered by the job: she tells Liz her real plan is to marry rich and design handbags.

On 30 Rock, what does Tracy Jordan set out to win after finding a diamond-studded necklace?

An EGOT is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony; Miami Vice's Philip Michael Thomas coined the word, the necklace Tracy finds was once his, and the show's running gag made the term famous.

Who composed 30 Rock's theme music?

Jeff Richmond, Tina Fey's husband and a former Saturday Night Live music director, wrote the theme and score, then stepped behind the camera to direct five episodes.

Which sitcom ended 30 Rock's three-year run as the Emmys' Outstanding Comedy Series in 2010?

Modern Family won with its first season; 30 Rock had taken its three awards while struggling in the ratings, never the hit with viewers that it was with Emmy voters.

Which series took 30 Rock's record for a comedy's Emmy nominations in one year?

The Bear drew 23 nominations in 2024, one more than 30 Rock's 22 in 2009, yet it lost the top prize, Outstanding Comedy Series, to Hacks.

Which guest actress won an Emmy for 30 Rock's season-one finale, 'Hiatus'?

Elaine Stritch won the 2007 guest-actress Emmy as Jack's formidable mother, who arrives for his ex-wife's wedding, warms to Liz, whom she first takes for his fiancée, and loathes the real one.

Where were most interior scenes of 30 Rock filmed?

Silvercup Studios in Queens, where The Sopranos was also shot, housed the sets; the two live episodes were instead staged in the real Midtown tower, in SNL's Studio 8H.

How were most 30 Rock episodes shot?

In a single-camera setup, like a film and with no studio audience; the only exceptions were the two live episodes, staged with multiple cameras before a crowd in SNL's studio.

Which job does Jack Donaghy hand to Kenneth Parcell near the end of 30 Rock?

President of NBC: Jack names Kenneth his successor in the final season, making good his season-one remark that in five years they would all be working for him or dead by his hand.

Liz Lemon grew up in which small Pennsylvania town?

White Haven is a real borough in Luzerne County; when a snowstorm strands Jack there with Liz, her old classmates mistake him for a popular former student and he happily plays the part.

Which M*A*S*H star plays Milton Greene, the professor revealed as Jack Donaghy's biological father?

Alan Alda plays Milton Greene in season three; to find him, Liz borrows the plot of Mamma Mia! and summons Jack's three possible fathers to New York.

Which Star Wars line does Liz Lemon's husband Criss quote back to her instead of 'I love you too'?

'I know' is Han Solo's answer in The Empire Strikes Back; Criss gives it the first time Liz says she loves him, words she had never said to any boyfriend before.

Which politician did Tina Fey famously impersonate on Saturday Night Live during 30 Rock's third season?

Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, was Fey's target in autumn 2008; the buzz paid off weeks later when 30 Rock's season premiere drew 8.7 million viewers, then a series best.

In 2020, NBC pulled four 30 Rock episodes from circulation because they depicted what?

Actors in blackface appear in all four episodes, which came off streaming services and out of reruns in June 2020 at the request of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; Fey apologised for them.

What made-up expletive does Liz Lemon blurt when things go wrong?

Blerg is one of Liz's clean stand-ins for swearing, like 'nerds!' and 'what the what?'; years after the finale, a Vulture headline about the cast's 2020 special still opened with it.

Broadway Video, which made 30 Rock with Tina Fey's Little Stranger, is which TV producer's company?

Lorne Michaels founded Broadway Video in 1979, and it also makes Saturday Night Live; Alec Baldwin has said he drew on Michaels to play Jack Donaghy.

Which comedy veteran won an Emmy as Bucky Bright on 30 Rock?

Tim Conway won in 2008 as Bucky Bright, whose cheerfully appalling tales of early television leave Kenneth shaken; it was one of 16 Emmys the show took from 103 nominations.

In which country is Jack and Avery's daughter born on 30 Rock, to her parents' horror?

Canada: Avery goes into labour early on a trip to Toronto, and the couple, who want a child eligible to be US president, race for the border with a meth smuggler before giving in.

Tina Fey originally pitched the show that became 30 Rock as a sitcom about what?

Cable news was the setting of Fey's first pitch; NBC's Kevin Reilly thought it a fig leaf for her own experience and urged her to write what she knew, life behind a sketch show.

Which Reservoir Dogs actor plays private eye Lenny Wosniak on 30 Rock and also directed episodes?

Steve Buscemi plays Lenny Wosniak, the seedy investigator Jack hires to trace his real father; Lenny narrows the search to three men, which sets up the show's Mamma Mia! spoof.

Which phone carrier does Liz Lemon plug on 30 Rock before asking the camera, 'Can we have our money now'?

Verizon gets a gushing plug from Liz in season two; she then turns to the camera and asks, 'Can we have our money now?', sending up the show's own product placement.

The last shot of 30 Rock, an ageless Kenneth gazing at a snow globe, nods to which drama's finale?

St. Elsewhere ended by hinting that its whole story was imagined by a boy staring into a snow globe; Kenneth holds one as Liz's great-granddaughter pitches him a series based on her stories.

Who plays Jonathan, Jack Donaghy's fiercely protective assistant, on 30 Rock?

Maulik Pancholy plays Jonathan, who worships his boss; asked by Jack to create a diversion by playing a stereotypical Indian, he protests, 'But I'm from Palo Alto!'

Which SNL alum plays Floyd DeBarber, Liz's lawyer boyfriend who moves to Cleveland?

Jason Sudeikis plays Floyd DeBarber, the lawyer Liz dates in season one until he takes a job in Cleveland; he returns in season four to marry someone else.

Which veteran actor plays Don Geiss, the GE chief Jack Donaghy reveres as his mentor?

Rip Torn plays Don Geiss, Jack's boss and mentor; Geiss picks Jack as his successor, then slips into a diabetic coma before he can tell the board.

Where had Fey and Jack McBrayer worked together before 30 Rock?

Tina Fey and Jack McBrayer both came up through Second City in Chicago; she wrote the part of Kenneth with him in mind.

Which three real politicians made cameos, including one as Jack's ex-love interest?

Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi and Condoleezza Rice all played themselves: Gore twice, Pelosi in the finale, and Rice as the ex-girlfriend Jack once dumped by text message and now has to ask for help.

On 30 Rock, which group does Tracy Jordan go on the run from in season one?

Tracy flees the Black Crusaders, a secret cabal of Black celebrities he believes is out to get him, in the season-one episodes leading up to 'Hiatus.'

Which actress plays Phoebe, the Christie's auctioneer Jack gets engaged to?

Emily Mortimer plays Phoebe, the Christie's auctioneer who claims 'avian bone syndrome' has left her with hollow bones; the engagement to Jack is over by the end of season one.

What cut 30 Rock's second season from 22 episodes to 15?

A writers' strike that began in November 2007 left season two with 15 episodes instead of 22; during it the cast staged an episode live in a New York theatre as a benefit.

Which stage musical did 30 Rock's Jenna Maroney star in between seasons one and two?

Mystic Pizza: The Musical, a stage take on the 1988 Julia Roberts film, had Jenna eating 32 slices of pizza a week on stage, so she comes back heavier in 'SeinfeldVision.'

Which Sopranos star plays congresswoman C.C. Cunningham, Jack's season-two girlfriend?

Edie Falco plays C.C. Cunningham, the Democratic congresswoman that Jack, a staunch Republican, secretly dates in season two.

Where does Kenneth go to work as a page at the end of season two?

At the end of season two Kenneth leaves to serve as an NBC page at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while Jack is stuck in a Washington job.

Which Friends star played Liz's ex-roommate in season three?

Jennifer Aniston plays Claire Harper, Liz's chaotic old roommate who seduces Jack, in season three's 'The One with the Cast of Night Court.'

Which Mad Men star played Liz's handsome but dim neighbour Drew?

Jon Hamm plays Dr. Drew Baird, who is so handsome that nobody ever tells him how bad he is at everything; the episode about it is called 'The Bubble.'

Which phrase does Liz Lemon use to express longing, usually for food?

'I want to go to there' is Liz's line of pure longing, usually aimed at food; Tina Fey borrowed it from her toddler daughter Alice.

Why was 30 Rock's 2010 live episode staged twice?

Once each for East and West Coast viewers: the cast performed 'Live Show' twice in one night, with a different singer on the theme song and a few changed jokes the second time.

Which actress played Frank's ex-teacher girlfriend on 30 Rock, once jailed over their relationship?

Susan Sarandon plays Lynn Onkman, the former teacher who did jail time for her relationship with teenage Frank and rekindles it in season five.

Who played Liz Lemon in the flashback cutaways of the 2010 episode 'Live Show'?

Julia Louis-Dreyfus stood in as Liz whenever 'Live Show' cut to a flashback, a gag on how cutaways have to work when a broadcast goes out live.

Which teen actress plays Kaylie Hooper, Jack Donaghy's sworn enemy on 30 Rock?

Chloe Grace Moretz plays Kaylie Hooper, the teenage granddaughter of Jack's boss Hank Hooper (Ken Howard), who schemes against Jack over who will one day run the company.

Which comedian played Kim Jong-il, kidnapper of Jack's wife Avery?

Margaret Cho plays Kim Jong-il, who has Avery kidnapped in North Korea and forced to front anti-American propaganda; the turn earned Cho a guest-actress Emmy nomination.

Which Oscar winner appeared as himself in the two-part 100th episode?

Tom Hanks plays himself in the two-part 100th episode of season five, in which a gas leak at 30 Rock sends the staff loopy; Michael Keaton appears in it as a maintenance man.

Why did 30 Rock's sixth season start at midseason, in January 2012?

Tina Fey's second pregnancy led NBC to hold season six back to midseason; the show came back on Thursdays at 8pm, and Community was pulled from the schedule to make room.

Which company does Tracy Jordan mistakenly apologise to in season six?

Told to apologise to GLAAD for anti-gay jokes, Tracy mistakes it for Glad, the plastic-bag maker, in a season-six story that riffed on Tracy Morgan's real 2011 remarks.

Which actress plays Angie, Tracy's formidable wife, on 30 Rock?

Sherri Shepherd plays Angie Jordan, the domineering wife who keeps Tracy in line and later lands a reality show of her own.

Which actress plays Hazel Wassername, the scheming page who torments Kenneth?

Kristen Schaal plays Hazel Wassername, the unhinged page who arrives in season six idolising Liz and goes on to date Kenneth.

Which SNL alum plays Jenna's female-impersonator husband Paul?

Will Forte plays Paul L'astnamé, the Jenna Maroney impersonator Jenna falls for and eventually marries.

Which comedy about making a TV show held the Emmy-nominations record that 30 Rock broke in 2008?

The Larry Sanders Show, Garry Shandling's talk-show satire, held the comedy record with 16 nominations in one year and lost every one of them; 30 Rock topped it with 17.

Which season-two finale earned Tina Fey a writing Emmy in 2008?

'Cooter' won Tina Fey the 2008 comedy-writing Emmy; in it Jack teams up with a hapless bureaucrat called Cooter, played by Matthew Broderick, to get himself fired from a Washington job.

In 30 Rock's 'Reunion', Liz learns she was what in high school?

The bully: Liz turns up expecting to be the lonely nerd and finds her classmates still smarting from her put-downs; Matt Hubbard's script won the 2009 comedy-writing Emmy.

Which two writers won the 2013 Emmy for 30 Rock's finale, 'Last Lunch'?

Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield won the 2013 comedy-writing Emmy for 'Last Lunch', beating 'Hogcock!', the first half of the same hour-long finale, which was nominated against it.

Which real quality-control doctrine does Jack Donaghy treat as gospel, even attending its executive retreat?

Six Sigma is Jack's creed; at its retreat he meets six men who each embody one pillar of the show's version, among them teamwork, brutality and 'handshakefulness.'

Which Ted Danson sitcom started out as a 30 Rock spin-off built around Jack Donaghy?

Mr. Mayor was first developed as a spin-off in which Jack Donaghy became mayor of New York; when its intended star dropped out, Ted Danson took the lead and the setting moved to Los Angeles.

What is the name of the Bravo-style reality show built around Tracy's wife Angie?

Queen of Jordan, Angie Jordan's reality show, takes over two full episodes of 30 Rock shot as a Bravo-style docusoap, one in season five and one in season six.

30 Rock's one-off 2020 special stood in for which annual NBCUniversal industry event?

The upfronts presentation, NBCUniversal's yearly pitch to advertisers, became this special in 2020; many NBC stations refused to air it, objecting to its plugs for the Peacock streaming service.

Which streaming service took over 30 Rock when it left Netflix in 2017?

Hulu took all seven seasons from Netflix on October 1, 2017, under a new deal with NBCUniversal, the studio behind the show.

What is Liz Lemon's middle name?

Liz's full name is Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon; Miervaldis is a Latvian given name, one of the show's odder throwaway details.

Which actress plays Rosemary Howard, the pioneering comedy writer Liz Lemon idolises?

Carrie Fisher plays Rosemary Howard, a one-time Laugh-In writer who has come unstuck; her parting cry, 'Help me, Liz Lemon! You're my only hope!', spoofs Fisher's own most famous film line.

Liz attended the University of Maryland on partial financial aid for what?

Liz says she went to the University of Maryland on a partial scholarship for competitive jazz dance, then majored in theatre tech and left with a student loan she never finished paying.

Which Star Wars character is Liz Lemon's go-to costume, worn even to jury duty?

Princess Leia is Liz's standby costume: she says she wore it four Halloweens in a row, and she turns up to jury selection in it hoping to seem too odd to serve.

Which two children does Liz adopt with Criss?

Liz and Criss adopt Terry and Janet, siblings who uncannily echo Tracy and Jenna, in the final episodes; TGS's cancellation briefly makes Liz a stay-at-home mom.

In which Massachusetts town did Jack Donaghy grow up poor?

Sadchester, a made-up Boston suburb with a fittingly bleak name, is where Jack grew up poor before working his way to Princeton and the top of GE.

Which eco-mascot, played by David Schwimmer, does Jack unveil to cash in on environmentalism?

Greenzo, played by David Schwimmer, is Jack's mascot for NBC's green push; the actor inside lets fame go to his head and starts ranting on air against big companies, GE included.

Whom does Devon Banks get engaged to despite being gay?

Don Geiss's daughter Kathy becomes Devon Banks's fiancée purely so he can seize GE; when Don falls into a coma she is made its figurehead chief while Devon runs things from behind her.

To whom does Jack sell his unmarketable couches, aiding Avery's rescue?

The CIA, as torture devices: Jack unloads his unsellable KouchTown couches on the agency, and one proves so uncomfortable that an interrogated North Korean talks, helping to free Avery.

In 30 Rock's finale, what does Jack do on finding that running the company leaves him unhappy?

Jack resigns to sail the world in search of happiness, but has barely left the dock when he dreams up see-through dishwashers and turns back, an idea that later makes him CEO of GE.

Tracy and Angie's two sons are named Junior and what?

George Foreman Jordan is Tracy Jr.'s brother; the name winks at the real boxer, who called all five of his own sons George.

Which SNL veteran plays Jenna's mother Verna?

Jan Hooks plays Verna Maroney, who returns only to push Jenna into a mother-daughter reality show; Jack quietly pays Verna to keep visiting so that Jenna stays happy.

Which actor's over-the-top attempts to kill Jenna are a running gag?

Jenna repeatedly recounts Mickey Rourke's attempts on her life, such as catapulting her into the Hollywood sign, a running gag about her lurid past.

Jenna's biopic Jackie Jormp-Jomp was based on which singer, whose name was off-limits?

Jenna's Janis Joplin biopic lost the rights to Joplin's name and music, so it was retitled 'Jackie Jormp-Jomp' with the songs rewritten.

Jenna's hit 'Muffin Top' reached number one in which country?

Israel is where Jenna says 'Muffin Top' hit number one, with Belgium at number four; when she finally gets to sing it, the show has already gone off the air.

What did Kenneth major and minor in at his Kentucky mountain college?

Television Studies and Bible Sexuality were Kenneth's major and minor at Kentucky Mountain Bible College; when he starts analysing Jack's motives, Jack asks what he studied and replies, 'So, not Psychiatry?'

What was Danny Baker's job before Jack hired him for TGS?

Working as a robotic street performer was Danny's trade when TGS found him; born Jack Baker, the newcomer played by Cheyenne Jackson was renamed Danny so the show would not have two Jacks.

Which actor plays Criss Chros, the easygoing boyfriend Liz Lemon marries late in 30 Rock's run?

James Marsden plays Criss Chros, whom Liz at first hides from Jack because she is sure he will disapprove; the two marry in season seven.

On 30 Rock, Liz Lemon briefly dates a white Englishman who shares his name with which American action-film star?

Wesley Snipes, played by Michael Sheen, is the insufferable Englishman Liz keeps running into in season four; sharing a name with the Blade star is one of the show's celebrity-name gags.

In 30 Rock's opening scene, what does Liz buy $150 worth of to spite a queue-jumper?

Hot dogs open the series: when a man cuts the line at a street cart, Liz buys $150 worth and hands them out to passers-by and colleagues; the pilot aired on October 11, 2006.