"30 Rock" Ludachristmas (2007)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Don Scardino

Writers:

Tina Fey (creator)
Tami Sagher (writer)

TV Series:

"30 Rock" (2006)

Original Air Date:

13 December 2007 (Season 2, Episode 9)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Jack gets attached to Liz's nurturing parents because they provide the love and support he never got from his mom. The staffers get ready for their raunchy holiday party, but Kenneth changes their plans at the last minute. |

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Sitcom | Boss | Sketch | Writer

Cast

Tina Fey	...	Liz Lemon
Tracy Morgan	...	Tracy Jordan
Jane Krakowski	...	Jenna Maroney
Jack McBrayer	...	Kenneth Parcell
Scott Adsit	...	Pete Hornberger
Judah Friedlander	...	Frank Rossitano
Alec Baldwin	...	Jack Donaghy
Katrina Bowden	...	Cerie
Keith Powell	...	Toofer
Lonny Ross	...	Josh Girard
Elaine Stritch	...	Colleen Donaghy
Anita Gillette	...	Margaret Lemon
Andy Richter	...	Mitch Lemon
Buck Henry	...	Dick Lemon
Maulik Pancholy	...	Jonathan

Trivia:

Frank's trucker hat reads "Shower Scene" and "Ho Ho Horny".

Quotes:

Tracy Jordan: The holidays without drinkin' is rough. Turns out football is boring, my wife's sister ain't as cute as I though she was and I can not play the guitar.

Movie Connections:

References Wall Street (1987)

Hello, Elaine!

Ah, Christmas: the time of year where everyone is supposed to be kind and loving with everyone. Unless you're a) in a Tim Burton movie; b) Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa; or c) Colleen Donaghy. If it's the last one, then it also means twenty minutes of solid gags and another Emmy nomination for the terrific Elaine Stritch (too bad she didn't win this time, but what the hell, Kathryn Joosten in Desperate Housewives is the only actress who can compete with her in the comedy guest category).

Christmas at TGS tends to mean one thing only: a raunchy party (as witnessed by the writing on Frank's hat: "Ho Ho Horny!"). Unfortunately, Kenneth has other plans, since he believes the holidays shouldn't be mocked in some profane way. For Liz, however, Christmas means something else entirely: a visit from her parents and little brother Mitch, who had an accident years before and believes it's still 1985. jack is intrigued by that (he thinks Reagan was the best President ever) and quickly develops an attachment to the Lemons, who give all the love and support he never received from his mother. This is confirmed when she shows up and insists on spending the day with them.

Christmas episodes are, by nature, effortlessly charming, probably because of the joyous context (maybe that's why they're called Christmas Specials in the UK). That this one features an acting duel between Alec Baldwin and Elaine Stritch is just the icing on the cake. In any sane universe, she will have to appear at least once in every season. I mean, even The Sopranos, which stayed perfect for the entirety of its run, was still never quite the same after Nancy Marchand's death. It's a scientific fact: cranky mothers are funny (and get nominated for an Emmy).