Tonight, 30 Rock will take another crack at a live episode, meaning that we’ll be biting our nails while we watch Tina and Alec perform without the benefit of sweet, sweet editing. According to the NBC plot synopsis, the show will center around TGS airing live shows vs. pre-taped ones– very meta:
“When their Kabletown bosses announce they will no longer pay for TGS to be a live show, Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy realize their lives will actually be easier if they shoot canned episodes fast and cheap. Only Kenneth the Page objects, urging that nothing can replace the communal experience of live television.”
The last live episode was chock-full of special guests (Jon Hamm, Rachel Dratch, Bill Hader, Matt Damon, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and we’re lizzing at the prospect of more surprise cameos. We only know for sure that Cheyenne Jackson, the underutilized and terminally foxy actor who has played TGS cast member Danny, will be back in this episode.
Live episodes can crackle with energy, or they can be awkward, packed with dead air and missed cues. Do you like the live eps, or do they seem like ratings stunts?
