Live From New York, It’s “30 Rock”
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30 Rock (photo courtesy of NBC)
The idea of a live “30 Rock” first came during the writer’s strike of 2008, when the cast performed a semi-staged live episode for a charity event. It went over so well that the idea of doing a live broadcast was filed away for a later date.
With headlining stars like Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan holding "Saturday Night Live" pedigrees, and a range of other actors who have stage experience, the live setting shouldn’t faze anyone on the show too much.
All involved parties are keeping tight-lipped about the plot details, other than revealing that they will do a slightly different version for the East and West feeds.
In looking forward to the show’s broadcast tonight, it’s worth looking back at other scripted shows that have tried walking the tightrope on live TV. Both sitcoms and dramas have given it a go, with varying results.
The product isn’t always great—I’d argue it is more marketing gimmick than truly creative endeavor—but it does manage to put the show, and the clearly nervous actors, in a very different light.
ER--Season 4 Premiere
In 1997, ER was the hottest thing on television, 20 million viewers tuned in weekly to watch the primetime doctors save lives, make tough decisions, and cry about it. So when the show announced they were doing a live episode for the fourth season premiere-- the first major network show to ever broadcast live-- the TV world went ballistic. It was heavily touted in the weeks leading up to the event, including multiple mentions on NBC’s NFL broadcasts. You couldn’t avoid it.
And at 9:00 that Thursday when it aired, the country was treated to…a pretty boring hour of TV. As insurance against any actor screw-ups the episode had a frame narrative of a film crew that was filming a PBS documentary about the hospital. Only it wasn’t a documentary, it was real, or rather, scripted real. Like “The Hills” only, maybe less self-aware.
David Letterman, in summing up everyone’s confusion defined it as “faux cinema verité.” Actors, yes, including George Clooney and William H. Macy, hammed it up in front of the cameras and the conceit never felt natural. When the hour ended, no storylines were played out and nothing really had happened to advance the plot of the show.
After all that buildup, critics were vicious; the New York Times dubbed it, “terminally dull.” Indeed, the episode was so maligned that it might as well have killed the special live episode genre in its infancy, except for one thing. It was a huge hit. 45 million people watched the episode, making it at the time the 3rd most watched drama episode ever.
Despite the success, ER never attempted another live episode again. Still waiting on that PBS doc though. (Strange aside: the “producer” of the documentary in the episode is played by Lisa Edelstein, who later went on to star in “House M.D” as hospital director Lisa Cuddy. Guess she learned a lot.)
Will and Grace-- Season 8 Premiere
The show boasted a cast of theater veterans, and as such they took the live version in a theatrical kinda way. The episode, “Alive and Schticking” began in the control booth where the director cut to a wide shot of the audience, and zoomed into the stage containing the show’s familiar set. Jokes were aimed out at the live audience, and, given the show’s broad humor, the concept made good sense.
Megan Mullally in particular excelled in the setting, relishing the comedy beats that a good theater crowd can offer. Debra Messing did the worst here, missing a few cues (you can hear a stage director at one point saying “GO!” to her), flubbing lines, and laughing throughout most of her scenes with Sean Hayes.
But if you’re one of those types who could never get enough of Jimmy Fallon’s “SNL” giggle attacks, then this live episode is your ecstasy.
It garnered “Will and Grace” 10 million viewers and they did another one later in the season. (Strange aside: Alec Baldwin plays a bit role in the episode. Perhaps he’ll give tips to his “30 Rock” mates for tonight. Something like: “don’t do a live episode with Debra Messing.”)
The Drew Carey Show--Season 5, Episode 8
Drew Carey populated his eponymous sitcom with all his buddies from his ABC improv show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Likewise, the live episode was essentially an improvised sitcom. Games from “Whose Line” were peppered throughout, and actors had to change up lines, sing songs, and play with props.
The looseness of it all made the live elements fairly secondary. It wasn’t particularly funny, either for an episode of “Drew Carey” or “Whose Line,” but the actors seemed to be having a good time with it all. They did a handful more of these things throughout the remainder of the show’s run.
The West Wing—Season 7, Episode 7
The political drama had long passed its days of powerhouse ratings; it was in the final season, creator Aaron Sorkin had left the show, and it was limping to the close.
But they still had some genius left in reserve and this episode, a live debate between two presidential candidates, was up there with some of The West Wing’s best moments.
A debate format was a brilliant choice to make the stiffness of live television seem natural. And even though the actors were reading from a script, it fell perfectly into the valley of the uncanny viewers expect from politicians in the setting.
Alan Alda was fantastic as conservative Republican Senator Arnold Vinick. He commanded the stage and delivered his lines with the right amount of authority, condescension and gravitas. Jimmy Smits did well too, as the liberal candidate Matthew Santos.
In the course of the debate the two touch on a number of legitimate political topics and, true to the show’s form, discuss it accurately and in depth.
All these years later it’s still hard to imagine that NBC once had a highly successful primetime show that made drama out of wonky conversations, political discourse, and the “walk-and-talk.”
