The seventh and final season of ''

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...

'', 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 Television in the United ...

series on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

network in the United States, began airing on October 4, 2012. ''30 Rock'' was renewed for a seventh and final season of 13 episodes on May 10, 2012, to air on Thursdays at 8:00 pm. The hour-long series finale wrapped filming on December 19, 2012, and aired on January 31, 2013.

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...

reportedly approached NBC and offered to cut his pay in order for ''30 Rock'' to be renewed for a full seventh and eighth season. He stated the following (via Twitter) on October 4, 2012: "I offered NBC to cut my pay 20% in order to have a full 7th and 8th seasons of ''30 Rock''. I realize times have changed". The season received critical acclaim and drew 13

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominations, the most of any comedy series for the year 2013. It ultimately won two, including one for

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 ...

and Tracey Wigfield's writing for the series finale, "

Last Lunch "Last Lunch" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', the 138th overall episode, and the second part of the one-hour series finale. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and written b ...

" and another for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series.

Synopsis

Season 7 continues to develop the relationship between Liz and Criss (

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 the pair try for children and consider getting married. Meanwhile, Jack attempts to improve his future prospects at the company, first by trying to "tank"

and convince Kabletown

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Hank Hooper (

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 Whit ...

) to sell it, and later by plotting to discredit his granddaughter and future CEO, Kaylee Hooper (

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 ...

). Ultimately, however, he begins to wonder if he is truly happy. Elsewhere, Tracy has found success with his new movie studio, which produces comedy films mostly starring

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 ens ...

actors, in similar fashion to

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...

; Jenna prepares to marry her longterm boyfriend Paul (

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 ...

), and Kenneth has started a relationship with Hazel (

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 ''F ...

), unaware that she is using him to get her moment on ''TGS''.

Cast

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 A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...

of a fictitious 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, ''Entertainm ...

, 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 no ...

plays the naïve, perpetually cheerful NBC page

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 Robert Scott Adsit (born November 26, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Adsit joined the mainstage cast of Chicago's The Second City in 1994 after attending Columbia College Chicago. He app ...

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 the ...

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 Splendor' ...

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 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 the ...

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 E ...

. 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'', f ...

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 higher le ...

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–prese ...

acts as writers' assistant

Cerie Xerox ''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 the ...

. 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 s ...

as J.D. Lutz.

Maulik Pancholy Maulik Navin Pancholy (, born January 18, 1974) is an American actor and author who is best known for his roles as Jonathan on ''30 Rock'', Baljeet Tjinder in ''Phineas and Ferb'', Neal in the first season of ''Whitney'', and as a character named ...

returned to the main cast this season after having left the cast before season six. The cast for the season also featured recurring guest stars

as Hazel Wassername, a new NBC page obsessed with making it in show business, and

as Criss Chros, Liz's boyfriend, and later husband.

Main cast

(13 episodes) *

as Pete Hornberger (7 episodes) *

as Frank Rossitano (12 episodes) *

(13 episodes) *

as Cerie Xerox (7 episodes) *

as James "Toofer" Spurlock (5 episodes) *

as Walter "Dot Com" Slattery (7 episodes) *

as Warren "Grizz" Griswold (6 episodes) *

as Jonathan (4 episodes) *

as J.D. Lutz (7 episodes)

Recurring cast

as Criss Chros (4 episodes) * Sue Galloway as Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout (3 episodes) * Bethany Hall as Bethany (3 episodes) *

Steve Higgins Steve Higgins (born August 13, 1963) is an American writer, producer, announcer, actor, and comedian. He currently serves as the announcer of ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' and as a writer and producer of ''Saturday Night Live''. Prio ...

as Homonym host (3 episodes) *

as Hazel Wassername (3 episodes) *

as Hank Hooper (2 episodes) *

Adrienne C. Moore Adrienne C. Moore is an American actress. She is known for her role as Cindy "Black Cindy" Hayes in the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019). Life and career Moore was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and grew up in ...

as various characters (2 episodes) *

Megan Mullally Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for playing Karen Walker on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'' (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received eight Primetime Emmy Award no ...

as Bev (2 episodes) *

Chris Parnell Thomas Christopher Parnell (; born February 5, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006 and played the role of Dr. Leo Spaceman on ''30 Rock''. In animation, he voices Cyril Figgis ...

as Dr. Leo Spaceman (2 episodes) * Subhas Ramsaywack as Subhas (2 episodes)

Guest stars

Nina Arianda Nina Arianda Matijcio (born September 18, 1984) is an American actress. She won the 2012 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Vanda Jordan in ''Venus in Fur,'' and she was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award for Best Actres ...

as Zarina (Episode: " Stride of Pride") *

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 charact ...

as Devon Banks (Episode: " Game Over") *

Pat Battle Pat Battle (born December 9, 1959) is an American journalist. Since 1996, she has been at WNBC-TV. Early life Patricia (nickname, "Pat") N. Battle was born December 9, 1959. Of African-American descent, she grew up in Neptune Township, New Jer ...

as herself (Episode: "

My Whole Life Is Thunder "My Whole Life Is Thunder" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 133rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Linda Mendoza and written by Jack Burditt and Colleen McG ...

") *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

as himself (Episode: " Mazel Tov, Dummies") *

Richard Belzer Richard Jay Belzer (born August 4, 1944) is a retired American actor, stand-up comedian, and author. He is best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/Sergeant, and DA Investigator John Munch, whom he has portrayed as a regular cast ...

as himself (Episode: "

Hogcock! "Hogcock!" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', the 137th overall episode, and the first part of the one-hour series finale. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and written by Jac ...

") *

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994), ...

as Cooter (Episode: " Governor Dunston") *

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...

as Len Wazniak/Jan Foster (Episode: "Game Over") *

Don Cheadle Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned ...

as himself (Episode: " Unwindulax") *

Gary Cole Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American television, film and voice actor. Cole began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he has had starring roles in the T ...

as Roger (Episode: "Unwindulax") *

Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor and director who is best known for portraying Walter White in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and Hal in the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2 ...

as Ron (Episode: "Governor Dunston") *

Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an American comedian, television host, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the host of the late-night talk show ''The Ton ...

as himself (Episode: "Governor Dunston") *

as Paul L'astnamé (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Judy Gold Judy Gold (born November 15, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, podcaster, television writer, author and producer. She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work as a writer and producer on ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show''. Life and care ...

as herself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Salma Hayek Salma Hayek Pinault ( , ; born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well as the ...

as Elisa (Episode: "Hogcock!") *

Florence Henderson Florence Agnes Henderson (February 14, 1934 – November 24, 2016) was an American actress. With a career spanning six decades, she is best known for her starring role as Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom ''The Brady Bunch''. Henderson also appeare ...

as herself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

John Hodgman John Kellogg Hodgman (born June 3, 1971) is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as '' The Areas of My Expertise'', ''More Information Than You Require'', and '' That Is All'', he is known for ...

as Terry (Episode: "Mazel Tov, Dummies") *

Marceline Hugot Marceline Hugot is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for her work in the films ''Working Girl'', ''Julie & Julia'', '' To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar'', '' United 93''; as well as her work on such television ...

as Kathy Geiss (Episode: "

") * Ice-T as himself (Episode: "Hogcock!") *

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 (Episode: " There's No I in America") *

Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...

as himself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Gayle King Gayle King (born December 28, 1954) is an American television personality, author and broadcast journalist for CBS News, co-hosting its flagship morning program, ''CBS Mornings'', and before that its predecessor ''CBS This Morning''. She is al ...

as herself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Jessica Leccia Jessica Leccia , ; (born January 8, 1976) is an American actress. She is known for her portrayals of Natalia Rivera on '' Guiding Light'' from 2007 to 2009 and of Inez Salinger on '' One Life to Live'' from 2010 to 2011. Early life and educat ...

as Maria (Episode: "There's No "I" in America") *

Ryan Lochte Ryan Steven Lochte ( ; born August 3, 1984) is an American professional swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist. Along with Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, and Jenny Thompson, he is the second-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history measured by to ...

as himself (Episode: "Stride of Pride") *

Kellan Lutz Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor and model. He made his film debut in ''Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has since played Pos ...

as himself (Episode: "Unwindulax") *

Rebecca Mader Rebecca Leigh Mader (born 24 April 1977) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Charlotte Lewis in the ABC series ''Lost'', and as Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West, on ABC's ''Once Upon a Time'', for which she garnered critical ...

as Super Hot Lady (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...

as Bonnie (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Tim Meadows Timothy Meadows (born February 5, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on ''Saturday Night Live'', where he appeared for ten seasons and for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy ...

as Martin Lutherking (Episode: "

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

") *

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: "Game Over") *

as Kaylie Hooper (Episode: "Game Over") *

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, a ...

as Nancy (Episode: "Hogcock!") *

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (19 ...

as himself (Episode: "Last Lunch") *

Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her comedy work on ''Second City Television'' (1976–84) and ''Schitt's Creek'' (2015–2020) and in films such as '' After Hours'' (1985), ''Beetleju ...

as Pearline (Episode: "Governor Dunston") *

Paula Pell Paula Pell (born April 15, 1963) is an American comedy writer, producer, and actress, best known for her work writing for the sketch series ''Saturday Night Live,'' being recognized with a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety ...

as Paula, Pete's wife (Episode: "Last Lunch") *

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...

as herself (Episode: "Hogcock!") * Thomas Roberts as himself (Episode: "Governor Dunston") *

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 ina ...

as himself (Episode: "Last Lunch") *

Amy Sedaris Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Most recently, she has appeared in both ''The Mandalorian'' (2019–2020) and ''The Book of Boba Fett'' (2022) as Peli Motto. She played Jerri Blank in the ...

as Visor Lady (Episode: "Unwindulax") *

Sue Simmons Sue Simmons (born May 27, 1942) is an American retired news anchor who was best known for being the lead female anchor at WNBC in New York City from 1980 to 2012. Her contract with WNBC expired in June 2012 and WNBC announced that it would not ren ...

as herself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Octavia Spencer Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors Gu ...

as herself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

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 (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...

as himself (Episode: "There's No "I" in America") *

Wendy Williams Wendy Williams Hunter ( Wendy Joan Williams; born July 18, 1964) is an American broadcaster and writer. From 2008 to 2021, she hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show ''The Wendy Williams Show.'' Prior to television, Williams ...

as herself (Episode: "My Whole Life is Thunder") *

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 (TV series), Oz'' and had roles in TV series'' Rescue Me (U.S. TV series), Rescue Me'', ''30 Rock'', ''Sex and th ...

as Dennis Duffy (Episode: "Mazel Tov, Dummies!")

Episodes

Reception

Critical reception

''30 Rock''s final season was widely acclaimed. 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 93% with an average score of 8.6 out of 10 based on 30 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "''30 Rock''s final season is an excellent but bittersweet farewell to one of the most hilarious and incisive pop culture satires of its time."

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 th ...

, 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 ...

'', opined that "''30 Rock'' isn't limping to the finish line like so many great sitcoms before it. It's been sprinting through this victory lap season, giving all of its characters happy endings ..revisiting past gags, and making the series' end much harder to accept than if it had stayed a shadow of itself" and concluded that "''30 Rock'' is one of the best comedies to ever appear on the medium it celebrated and mocked with equal measure, and it's going out with one of the best final seasons any comedy has ever had." Roth Cornet, writing for ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'', gave the season an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and commented that "The very best conclusions to stories take us by surprise, in this case make us laugh, and then settle into something that feels inevitable and right. ''30 Rock'' did that." In conclusion, Cornet remarked that "Nothing is perfect, but I laughed hard, cried some and walked away as happy as I could have been with ''30 Rock's'' inevitable end. What is perhaps more surprising, is that a series whose comedy hinged on being unhinged delivered honest life lessons that were as salty as they were sweet. Though never, never saccharine."

Nathan Rabin Nathan Rabin (; born April 24, 1976) is an American film and music critic. Rabin was the first head writer for ''The A.V. Club'', a position he held until he left the ''Onion'' organization in 2013.

, writing for ''The A.V. Club'', commented that "One of the great things about the seventh and ..final season of ''30 Rock'' is that it genuinely feels like an ending, and a very satisfying one at that. ''30 Rock'' could coast on the goodwill generated by the knockout, surprisingly moving Liz Lemon wedding episode but it seems intent on regaining its former glory as it roars its way to a conclusion." He concluded that "After serving as the harried den mother to the ''30 Rock'' gang all these years, Liz thoroughly deserves a happy ending of her own. The same is true of ''30 Rock'' as a whole and this season feels like a send-off worthy to one of the best, most original comedies of the past twenty years." Daniel Goldberg of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' awarded the season a 3.5 out of 4 and remarked "For a comedy whose bag of tricks is so transparent, it's gratifying to see that Fey hasn't written herself into a box."

Ratings

The seventh season premiere, " The Beginning of the End", drew 3.5 million viewers, both a significant decrease from the sixth season premiere, " Dance Like Nobody's Watching" (4.5 million), and a significant increase over the sixth season finale, " What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?" (2.8 million). The third episode of the season, " Stride of Pride", was the lowest-rated in overall viewers, with 3.0 million tuning in, although it was not a series low, a position which continues to be held by the sixth season episode " Nothing Left to Lose", which was seen by 2.8 million. Several episodes demonstrated season highs, with "

Mazel Tov, Dummies! "Mazel Tov, Dummies!" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the American television comedy series '' 30 Rock'', and the 132nd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and written by Tracey Wigfield. The epi ...

" drawing 3.6 million, and " Game Over" and "

A Goon's Deed in a Weary World "A Goon's Deed in a Weary World" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', the 136th overall episode, and the penultimate episode of the series (although the series finale, which aired the ...

" drawing slightly below and above 3.8 million, respectively. These three episodes also, in turn, demonstrated the best overall viewership for ''30 Rock'' since March 2012. The series finale, the hour-long broadcast of "

" and "

", attracted an audience of 4.9 million, demonstrating another season high in overall viewers and an increase of two million viewers over the sixth season finale. These two episodes were also the highest-rated of the series, in overall viewers, for two years. Overall, with the inclusion of DVR viewership, the season averaged 4.6 million viewers, even with the previous season. However, it ranked ninety-ninth for the year, against all other primetime network programming, a thirty-one place improvement over the sixth season.

Awards and nominations

On July 18, 2013, ''30 Rock'''s seventh season received 9 nominations at the

65th Primetime Emmy Awards The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in prime time television programming from June 1, 2012 until May 31, 2013, were held on Sunday, September 22, 2013 at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. CBS televised the cere ...

and 4 nominations at the

65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards The 65th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 15, 2013, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual Primetime Emmy Awards and is presented in recognition o ...

(13 total, the most of any comedy series), including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Fey,

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 Emmy ...

for Baldwin, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Krakowski, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Will Forte, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for

, Directing, two nominations for

Writing Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically Epigraphy, inscribed, Printing press, mechanically transferred, or Word processor, digitally represented Symbols (semiot ...

, and its seventh consecutive nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, bringing the series' total number of Emmy nominations to 112. The series' casting directors won Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series while Tina Fey and

Tracey Wigfield Tracey Wigfield (born June 19, 1983) is an American comedy writer. She created, produced and appeared in the NBC sitcom ''Great News''. She also developed the Peacock teen sitcom ''Saved By The Bell'', a revival of the original series of the sam ...

won for their writing for the series finale, "

". At the

19th Screen Actors Guild Awards The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2012, were presented on January 27, 2013, at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles for the seventeenth consecutive ...

both Fey and Baldwin won for their performances in the

Female Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gamet ...

and

Male Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...

Comedy categories respectively, while the cast received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

References

External links

* * {{30 Rock 2012 American television seasons 2013 American television seasons