The sixth season of ''
30 Rock'', an American
television comedy
Television comedy is a category of broadcasting that has been present since the early days of entertainment media. While there are several genres of comedy, some of the first ones aired were variety shows. One of the first United States television ...
series on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
network in the United States, began airing on January 12, 2012. ''30 Rock'' was renewed for a sixth season by NBC on November 15, 2010.
The season began airing mid-season to accommodate
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
's pregnancy. On November 14, 2011, NBC announced that ''30 Rock'' would return at the new time of 8:00 pm.
This season was initially expected to be Alec Baldwin's last, as he had announced he would be looking to expand into other forms of media. However, in January 2012, Baldwin confirmed that he would remain for the seventh and final season of ''30 Rock''. Season six received positive reviews and 13
Emmy Award nominations.
Synopsis
The story arcs of season six include: Liz has a new relationship and emotionally matures; Jack continues to attempt to recover his wife from
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
and find his identity at Kabletown; Kenneth moves up (and later down) the corporate ladder; and Jenna reaches a new level of fame thanks to being a judge on a reality show, and considers settling down with boyfriend Paul.
Cast
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
portrays
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television series ''30 Rock''. She created and writes for the fictional comedy-sketch show ''The Girlie Show'' and later ''TGS with Tracy Jordan''.
She is po ...
, the
head writer of a fictional live sketch-comedy television series ''TGS''.
The ''TGS'' cast consists of two main actors. The lead actor is the loose cannon movie star
Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan is a fictional character in the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by the actor Tracy Morgan. The character is a movie star whose personality traits and life events are taken from Morgan's own life. In 2010, ''Entertain ...
, portrayed by
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his television work as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1996–2003) and for his role as Tracy Jordan in the sitcom ''30 Rock'' (2006 ...
.
His co-star is the extremely narcissistic
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney (born Yustrepa Gronkowitz; February 24, 1969) is a fictional character on the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by Jane Krakowski.
For her portrayal of Maroney, Krakowski was nominated four times for the Prime time E ...
, portrayed by
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress, comedienne, and singer. She is best known for her starring role as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four ...
.
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian, who gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in '' 30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'' he was ...
plays the naïve
NBC page
The NBC Page Program is a 12-month paid fellowship at the NBCUniversal's studios in New York City and Universal City, California. Over the course of one year, pages gain exposure to various areas of the NBCUniversal portfolio. Pages contribute to ...
, and later janitor,
Kenneth Parcell
Andromakennethamblesorton "Kenneth" Ellen Parcell is a fictional character on the NBC comedy television series, ''30 Rock'', portrayed by Jack McBrayer. Originally a supporting character in the first two episodes of the series, the show's produ ...
.
Scott Adsit acts as the witty and wise ''TGS'' producer,
Pete Hornberger
'' 30 Rock'' is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey, which aired on NBC. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series, also airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of t ...
.
[ ] Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander (born March 16, 1969) is an American actor and comedian, known for playing the role of writer Frank Rossitano on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock''. Friedlander is also known for his role as Toby Radloff in the film '' American Splendo ...
portrays
trucker hat
A trucker hat, mesh cap or netback cap is a type of baseball cap. It is also sometimes known as a "gimme s in 'give me'cap" or a "feed cap" because this style of hat originated during the 1970s as a promotional give-away from U.S. feed or farmi ...
-wearing staff writer
Frank Rossitano
''30 Rock'' is an American television comedy Television program, series created by Tina Fey, which aired on NBC. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional Live television, live sketch comedy series, also airing on NBC; the name "3 ...
.
Alec Baldwin plays the NBC network executive
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy ( ) is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', airing from 2006 to 2013. The character was created by series creator Tina Fey, and is portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He was introduced as the Vice President of Ea ...
.
Donaghy's full corporate title for the majority of the season is "Head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming".
Keith Powell
Keith Powell (born August 12, 1979) is an American television actor, writer, director, and web series creator, known for his role as James "Toofer" Spurlock on '' 30 Rock'', and for creating and starring in the web series '' Keith Broke His Leg'', ...
plays the
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
alumnus and ''TGS'' staff writer
James "Toofer" Spurlock
'' 30 Rock'' is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey, which aired on NBC. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series, also airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of t ...
.
[ (No direct link. Browse to "Networks & Programs", "NBC Entertainment", "30 Rock" and click "Credits.")] Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden (born September 19, 1988) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Cerie on the NBC sitcom '' 30 Rock'' (2006–2013) and as Flo Fulton on the CBS daytime soap opera '' The Bold and the Beautiful'' (2019–pre ...
acts as writers' assistant
Cerie Xerox. Other cast members include
Grizz Chapman
Grizzwald "Grizz" Chapman (born April 16, 1974) is an American television actor best known for his recurring role as Grizz on the NBC series ''30 Rock''. A June 2007 interview with rollingout.com lists Chapman's height as . In his commentary f ...
as
Grizz Griswold,
Kevin Brown Kevin Brown may refer to:
Entertainment
* Kevin Brown (blues musician) (born 1950), English blues guitarist
* Kevin Brown (author) (born 1960), American journalist and translator
* Kevin Brown (poet) (born 1970), American poet and teacher
* Kevin ...
as
"Dot Com" Slattery,
and
John Lutz
John Michael Lutz (born April 23, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing J. D. Lutz on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', and for his work as a writer on the NBC series ''Saturday Night Live'' for seven ...
as
J.D. Lutz.
The cast for the season will also feature recurring guest stars
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on '' ...
as Hazel Wassername, a new NBC page who looks up to Liz, and
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor, singer, and former model. Marsden began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), ' ...
as Criss, Liz's new boyfriend.
Main cast
*
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
as
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television series ''30 Rock''. She created and writes for the fictional comedy-sketch show ''The Girlie Show'' and later ''TGS with Tracy Jordan''.
She is po ...
, the head writer of ''TGS'', a live sketch comedy television show. (22 episodes)
*
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his television work as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1996–2003) and for his role as Tracy Jordan in the sitcom ''30 Rock'' (2006 ...
as
Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan is a fictional character in the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by the actor Tracy Morgan. The character is a movie star whose personality traits and life events are taken from Morgan's own life. In 2010, ''Entertain ...
, a loose cannon movie star and cast member of ''TGS''. (22 episodes)
*
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress, comedienne, and singer. She is best known for her starring role as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four ...
as
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney (born Yustrepa Gronkowitz; February 24, 1969) is a fictional character on the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by Jane Krakowski.
For her portrayal of Maroney, Krakowski was nominated four times for the Prime time E ...
, a vain, fame-obsessed ''TGS'' cast member and Liz's best friend. (22 episodes)
*
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian, who gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in '' 30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'' he was ...
as
Kenneth Parcell
Andromakennethamblesorton "Kenneth" Ellen Parcell is a fictional character on the NBC comedy television series, ''30 Rock'', portrayed by Jack McBrayer. Originally a supporting character in the first two episodes of the series, the show's produ ...
, a naïve, television-loving NBC page, and later janitor from
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. (22 episodes)
*
Scott Adsit as Pete Hornberger, the witty and wise producer of ''TGS''. (14 episodes)
*
Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander (born March 16, 1969) is an American actor and comedian, known for playing the role of writer Frank Rossitano on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock''. Friedlander is also known for his role as Toby Radloff in the film '' American Splendo ...
as Frank Rossitano, an immature staff writer for ''TGS''. (18 episodes)
*
Alec Baldwin as
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy ( ) is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', airing from 2006 to 2013. The character was created by series creator Tina Fey, and is portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He was introduced as the Vice President of Ea ...
, a high-flying NBC network executive and Liz's mentor. (22 episodes)
*
Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden (born September 19, 1988) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Cerie on the NBC sitcom '' 30 Rock'' (2006–2013) and as Flo Fulton on the CBS daytime soap opera '' The Bold and the Beautiful'' (2019–pre ...
as Cerie Xerox, the young, attractive ''TGS'' general assistant. (6 episodes)
*
Keith Powell
Keith Powell (born August 12, 1979) is an American television actor, writer, director, and web series creator, known for his role as James "Toofer" Spurlock on '' 30 Rock'', and for creating and starring in the web series '' Keith Broke His Leg'', ...
as James "Toofer" Spurlock, a proud
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
staff writer for ''TGS''. (11 episodes)
*
Kevin Brown Kevin Brown may refer to:
Entertainment
* Kevin Brown (blues musician) (born 1950), English blues guitarist
* Kevin Brown (author) (born 1960), American journalist and translator
* Kevin Brown (poet) (born 1970), American poet and teacher
* Kevin ...
as Walter "Dot Com" Slattery, a member of Tracy's entourage. (9 episodes)
*
Grizz Chapman
Grizzwald "Grizz" Chapman (born April 16, 1974) is an American television actor best known for his recurring role as Grizz on the NBC series ''30 Rock''. A June 2007 interview with rollingout.com lists Chapman's height as . In his commentary f ...
as Warren "Grizz" Griswold, a member of Tracy's entourage. (9 episodes)
*
John Lutz
John Michael Lutz (born April 23, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing J. D. Lutz on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', and for his work as a writer on the NBC series ''Saturday Night Live'' for seven ...
as J.D. Lutz, a lazy, overweight ''TGS'' writer who is often ridiculed by his co-workers. (11 episodes)
Recurring cast
*
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor, singer, and former model. Marsden began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), ' ...
as Criss Chros, an unemployed entrepreneur and Liz's new boyfriend. (9 episodes)
*
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on '' ...
as Hazel Wassername, a new
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
page who becomes obsessed with Liz. (8 episodes)
*
Thomas Roberts as himself (5 episodes)
*
Mary Steenburgen as Diana Jessup, Avery's steely mother who is romantically attracted to Jack. (5 episodes)
*
Will Forte
Orville Willis Forte IV ( ; born June 17, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Forte is known for being a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (2002–2010), a recurring character on the show leading to a feature film ada ...
as Paul L'astnamé, Jenna's boyfriend who also happens to be a Jenna Maroney impersonator. (4 episodes)
*
Chris Parnell as Dr. Leo Spaceman, a physician who practices questionable medical techniques. (4 episodes)
*
Hannibal Buress as Hannibal, a homeless man. (3 episodes)
*Sue Galloway as Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout, a ''TGS'' writer from the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. (3 episodes)
*
Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in '' 1776'' and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show '' The Wh ...
as Hank Hooper, the owner of the fictional company ''Kabletown'' and Jack's boss. (3 episodes)
*Subhas Ramsaywack as Subhas, a janitor working at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. (3 episodes)
*
Dean Winters
Dean Gerard Winters (born July 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Ryan O'Reily on the HBO prison drama '' Oz'' and had roles in TV series'' Rescue Me'', ''30 Rock'', ''Sex and the City'' and '' Law & Order: Special Vict ...
as Dennis Duffy, Liz's immature ex-boyfriend. (3 episodes)
Guest stars
*
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell; February 10, 1974) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the ''Pitch Perf ...
as Avery Jessup, Jack's wife who was kidnapped by
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
. (2 episodes)
*
Tituss Burgess
Tituss Burgess (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in numerous Broadway musicals and is known for his high tenor voice. He is best known for starring as Titus Andromedon on the Netflix comedy series '' Unb ...
as D'Fwan, reality television star and judge on the fictional talent show ''America's Kidz Got Singing''. (2 episodes)
*
Billy Bush
William Hall Bush (born October 13, 1971) is an American radio and television host. He is a member of the Bush family, a nephew of President George H. W. Bush and cousin of President George W. Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush.
After appearin ...
as himself (2 episodes)
*
Margaret Cho
Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...
as
Kim Jong-Il/
Kim Jong-Un, the
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
n dictators. (2 episodes)
*
Jimmy Fallon as himself/young Jack (2 episodes)
*
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...
as himself (2 episodes)
*
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...
as himself (2 episodes)
*
Michael Mosley as Scott Scottsman, a sports journalist who was kidnapped by
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
along with Avery. (2 episodes)
*
Denise Richards
Denise Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, television personality, and former fashion model. Her most recognized roles are Carmen Ibanez in ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), Kelly Van Ryan in '' Wild Things'' (1998) and Bond gi ...
as herself (2 episodes)
*
Fred Armisen
Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, Armisen was the co-creator and co-star of the IFC sketch comedy series '' Portlandia''. ...
as various characters (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
Will Arnett
William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian actor, comedian and producer. He is best known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix series '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and as the titular char ...
as Devon Banks, Jack's nemesis. (Episode: "Idiots Are People Three!")
*
William Baldwin
William Joseph Baldwin (born February 21, 1963), Note: While birthplace is routinely listed as Massapequa, that town has no hospital, and brother Alec Baldwin was born in nearby Amityville, which does. known also as Billy Baldwin,is an American ...
as Lance Drake Mandrell, an actor who is portraying Jack in a television movie. (Episode: "Kidnapped by Danger")
*
Steve Buscemi as Lenny Wosniak, a private investigator. (Episode: "The Tuxedo Begins")
*
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American television host, actor, rapper, and comedian. In television, Cannon began as a teenager on ''All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', ''Wild 'n Out'', ''America's ...
as himself (Episode: "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell")
*
Jim Carrey as Dave Williams, the lead character in the fictional movie ''Leap Dave Williams''. (Episode: "Leap Day")
*
John Cullum
John Cullum (born circa 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and '' On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Mu ...
as Leap Day William, a mythological holiday figure. (Episode: "Leap Day")
*
Ann Curry
Ann Curry (born November 19, 1956) is an American journalist and photojournalist, who has been a reporter for more than 30 years, focused on human suffering in war zones and natural disasters. Curry has reported from the wars in Kosovo, Iraq, S ...
as herself (Episode: "Idiots Are People Two!")
*
Steve Earle as himself (Episode: "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell")
*
Mick Foley
Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador.
Foley worked for m ...
as Mankind, Jenna's friend. (Episode: "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell")
*
Ira Glass
Ira Jeffrey Glass (; born March 3, 1959) is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series ''This American Life'' and has participated in other NPR programs, including ''Morning Edition'', ' ...
as himself (voice role)
pisode: "St. Patrick's Day"*
Donald Glover as young Tracy (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
Jon Hamm
Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televis ...
as various characters (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
Marceline Hugot as Kathy Geiss, Don Geiss' socially awkward middle-aged daughter. (Episode: "Idiots Are People Three!")
*
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne David Jackson (born July 12, 1975) is an American actor and singer. His credits include leading roles in Broadway musicals and other stage roles, as well as film and television roles, concert singing, and music recordings.
After beginni ...
as Danny Baker, a ''TGS'' cast member. (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...
as herself (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
Stacy Keach
Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...
as himself (Episode: "Murphy Brown Lied to Us")
*
Pat Kiernan as himself (Episode: "What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?")
*
Karolina Kurkova
Karolina may refer to:
People
*Karolina (name) Karolina, Karolína or Karolīna is a feminine given name. Karolina is a Croatian language, Croatian, Danish language, Danish, Faroese language, Faroese, Finnish language, Finnish, German language, Ge ...
as herself (Episode: "Leap Day")
*
Adriane Lenox as Sherry, a nanny hired by Jack to look after his daughter. (Episode: "Leap Day")
*
Steve Little as Thad Wormald, Liz's former classmate who is now a billionaire. (Episode: "Leap Day")
*
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...
as Sylvia Rossitano, Frank's stereotypical
Italian-American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
mother. (Episode: "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky")
*
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell's known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. MacDowell has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman ...
as Claire Williams, the wife of Dave Williams in the fictional movie ''Leap Dave Williams''. (Episode: "Leap Day")
*
Rachel Maddow as herself (Episode: "Meet the Woggles!")
*
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
as himself (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beha ...
as himself (Episode: "Dance Like Nobody's Watching")
*
Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards.
She began actin ...
as Kaylie Hooper, Hank Hooper's cunning young granddaughter. (Episode: "Standards and Practices")
*
Bobby Moynihan
Bobby Moynihan (born January 31, 1977) is an American actor, comedian and writer who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 until 2017. He also voiced Louie Duck on Disney's ''DuckTales'' from 2017 to 2021, Panda in ''We Bare Be ...
as Stewart Derr, the foreman of a couch factory purchased by Jack. (Episode: "Murphy Brown Lied to Us")
*
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...
as herself (Episode: "Kidnapped by Danger")
*
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy tro ...
as young Liz (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
*
Suze Orman
Susan Lynn "Suze" Orman ( ; born June 5, 1951) is an American financial advisor, author, and podcast host. In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group. Her work as a financial advisor gained notability with ''The Suze Orman Show'', which ...
as herself (Episode: "Today You Are a Man")
*
Al Roker
Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's '' Today'', and occasionally co-hosts '' 3rd Hour Today''. He has an in ...
as himself (Episode: "St. Patrick's Day")
*
Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2005 ...
as himself (Episode: "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell")
*
Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
as Lynn Onkman, Frank's former teacher and girlfriend. (Episode: "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky")
*
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, broadcaster, and television personality. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the da ...
as Angie Jordan, Tracy's no-nonsense wife and reality television star. (Episode: "Queen of Jordan 2: Mystery of the Phantom Pooper")
*
Emma Stone as herself (Episode: "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell")
*
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...
as Colleen Donaghy, Jack's cold and overbearing mother. (Episode: "Meet the Woggles!")
*
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in fil ...
as Henry Warren, Jack's former colleague. (Episode: "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky")
*
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual. The grandson of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society an ...
as himself (Episode: "What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?")
*
Brian Williams as David Brinkley, a news anchor. (Episode: "Live from Studio 6H")
Episodes
Reception
Critical reception
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the season has an approval rating of 75% with an average score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 16 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "''30 Rock'' feels content to spin its zany wheels in a sixth season that is nevertheless punctuated with great gags and an infectious sense of fun."
Alan Sepinwall
Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...
, writing for ''
HitFix
HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
'', noted that "there's been a lot of discussion
..about how much Liz has or hasn't grown since the series began, and also about whether ''30 Rock'' is a show that needs character development — or if, in fact, that growth would be counter-productive on such a silly, cartoonish show." He opined that "if a comedy is as funny as ''30 Rock'' is capable of being — and as it's been so frequently in this late-in-life season — I'm fine with the characters being virtually identical now to the way they were in the pilot."
Indrapramit Das, writing for ''
Slant Magazine'', awarded the season three stars out of four and commented that "there's something to be said for ''30 Rock's'' unrepentant adherence to formula. By now, the characters' repeated bumbling through the cyclical purgatory at 30 Rockefeller Plaza has attained a certain rhythm, a comforting familiarity akin to long-running sitcoms like ''
Friends''." He concluded that "the cast's unfailing enthusiasm points to an ensemble that's only strengthening with age", but commented that the talents of guest star
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on '' ...
had been "wasted".
Dan Forcella, reviewing for ''TV Fanatic'', opined that "television shows, especially sitcoms, normally lose some of their luster as time goes on. Whether it be that the series actually gets worse, or simply our perception of it does because the novelty has worn off, more often than not, things are not going to be the same by season six. Because of that fact, ''30 Rock'' should be commended for how good its sixth season has been. There have been misses
..and big hits
..but all in all, this spring has been a solid run for the veteran sitcom."
Writing for ''Splitsider'', Jesse David Fox called the series "the best comedy of the 2011–2012 season" and went on to remark "next season is the show's last but it's not because of an overstayed welcome. The show is as sharp as ever, as gutsy as ever, as strange as ever, as funny as ever. Guys, it's the best."
Ratings
The sixth-season premiere, "
Dance Like Nobody's Watching", attracted an audience of 4.5 million viewers.
This demonstrated an increase from the fifth-season finale, "
Respawn
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character, item or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of an entity from the game ...
", which had drawn an audience of 4.2 million,
but a significant decrease from the fifth-season premiere, "
The Fabian Strategy
"The Fabian Strategy" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series '' 30 Rock'', and the 81st overall episode of the series. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, and written by series creator, executive pr ...
", which had drawn 5.9 million.
Four episodes of the sixth season demonstrated new series lows: "
Idiots Are People Three!" (3.8 million), "
Today You Are a Man" (3.2 million), "
The Shower Principle
"The Shower Principle" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 117th overall episode of the series. It was directed by Stephen Lee Davis, and written by Tom Ceraulo. The episode ...
" (3.1 million) and "
Nothing Left to Lose" (2.8 million).
The nineteenth episode of the season, "
Live from Studio 6H", was broadcast
live and demonstrated a six-week high in the ratings,
with an audience of 3.5 million.
However, the
first live show, broadcast during the previous season, had attracted an audience of 6.7 million.
Overall, with the inclusion of
DVR viewership, the season averaged 4.6 million viewers, ranking one hundred and thirtieth for the year, according to
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
.
Awards and nominations
The sixth season received 13
Emmy Award nominations. The series obtained its sixth consecutive nomination for
Outstanding Comedy Series.
Alec Baldwin was nominated for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The award is presented to the best performance by a lead actor in a television comedy series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emm ...
and
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
for
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Will Arnett
William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian actor, comedian and producer. He is best known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix series '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and as the titular char ...
was nominated for
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Devon Banks in "
Idiots Are People Three!" and
Jon Hamm
Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televis ...
was also nominated for his roles as Abner and David Brinkley in "
Live from Studio 6H".
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell; February 10, 1974) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the ''Pitch Perf ...
was nominated for
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Avery Jessup and
Margaret Cho
Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...
was nominated for her role as
Kim Jong-il, both for "
The Return of Avery Jessup
"The Return of Avery Jessup" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 124th overall episode of the series. It was directed by John Riggi, and written by Josh Siegal and Dylan M ...
". The season received seven other Emmy nominations.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:30 Rock (Season 6)
2012 American television seasons