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NBC’s 30 Rock went live last night for the second time in its six-season run. Tina Fey and the producers of the sitcom are known to pull out all the stops during these hyped, televised events — wrangling a mixed bag of guest stars to contribute a peek at their beloved faces and a dose of their on-air adrenaline. And last night was no exception.Also, since the show goes live for both coasts, the cast has to perform the whole shebang twice in one night, with some changes thrown in.
The biggest difference between the two versions of “Live From Studio 6H” really comes down to this: Paul McCartney vs. Kim Kardashian. While Paul McCartney graced the set of the East Coast run, Kim Kardashian appeared on the scene for the later, West Coast show. I mean, East Coast, you win.
The West Coast airing slightly made up for this by having NBC’s Brian Williams co-host a spoof of an old news show with Alec Baldwin. In the earlier airing, Jon Hamm joined Baldwin at the desk. Normally, this would be a tough call between which was the better choice, but both coasts were actually treated to Jon Hamm in a parody scene of Alfie & Abner.
Among both shows, highlights include:
-Amy Poehler as a young (shamelessly and inconsistently blonde) Liz Lemon
-Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in a parody of “The Honeymooners” called “The Lovebirds”
-Will Forte’s return as Jenna’s cross-dressing, mirror-image soulmate
-Community’s Donald Glover as a young Tracy Morgan
-Jimmy Fallon as a young Jack Donaghy, running a telethon, with Fred Armisen as a grumpy woman working behind him
-Chris Parnell as the admittedly “Nazi” Dr. Spaceman who, back in the 50’s, was selling cigarrettes for pregnant mothers
Check out both shows on Hulu.
