How Well Do You Know 30 Rock?

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30 Rock was a truly unique and brilliant comedy series. It showed us a side to Alec Baldwin that we’d never seen before. It took Tina Fey from SNL favorite and propelled her into superstardom, solidifying her in comedy history. We already knew that Tracy Morgan was hilarious from his standup and his days on SNL, but 30 Rock gave him a platform to further showcase it and really go crazy. The writing of the show was always on point, with a pop culture reference or timely political joke every twenty seconds, and the storytelling was strong enough to rival the likes of Seinfeld. Todd VanDerWerff of The AV Club wrote that the show had “the manic pacing of a live-action cartoon.” That’s some feat to pull off for a network sitcom with budget and scheduling restrictions. That’s all from the commitment of the cast and directors, and it really paid off.

30 Rock was something truly special, and it was sad to see it go after such a fantastic run. It’s now been four years since the satisfying series finale aired on NBC, so how well do you remember the show? Test your knowledge now by seeing how many of these questions you can answer correctly!

Question 1

What is Liz’s favorite night-time food?

Liz has a tradition of wrapping up in a snuggie and eating a particular food late at night. She also sings a little song when she does it that plays on Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” The use of “Night Moves” cost NBC, according to the show’s music supervisor, “like $50,000.” Liz’s night eating habit became a highly popular phenomenon when it first aired, kind of ridiculously so, considering what a simple and dumb idea it is. But what food is it?

Question 2

What is Liz’s hot assistant called?

Katrina Bowden played Liz Lemon’s sexy but clueless assistant on 30 Rock. She was a small character, but highly utilized throughout the show. Liz is the only one in the writer’s room who can see how useless she is, because all the rest of the writing staff are men leering at her. This assistant would always wear skimpy and revealing outfits that served to grab the men’s attention, distract them from her incompetence, and put Liz to shame all in one go. But what was the character’s name?

Question 3

What is Liz’s catchphrase?

Liz Lemon had a sweet and endearing (and childish) catchphrase that she would say whenever she got excited about something. The reason it sounds so childish is that it came from the mouth of Tina Fey’s young daughter, Alice. Alice also used the word “tooken,” which Fey almost used as the title for her Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt before changing it to the longer, less catchy, but ultimately probably better title. But anyway, what was Liz Lemon’s babyish catchphrase?

Question 4

What tongue-twisting indie movie did Jenna star in?

Throughout the first season of 30 Rock, Jenna is promoting an indie movie that she starred in. The title of the movie is kind of a tongue twister that Liz and the rest of the TGS writer’s room struggle to wrap their heads around. Jenna appears on The View as part of the promotional tour for the movie, and according to Tina Fey, the title “came out of a discussion in the writer’s room” when she asked, “you know what two words I cannot pronounce properly?” But what was it?

Question 5

What did Liz want the guy hitting on her to buy?

One time on 30 Rock, Liz and Jenna were hanging out at a bar and a man approached Liz. Jenna, being the more socially conscious and less awkward of the two, came over to Liz and told her, “That guy wanted to buy you a drink.” Confused, Liz said, “Really?” and then she said, “But I already have a drink.” But Liz didn’t want to pass up the free purchase that the man was offering, so she asked Jenna, “Do you think he’d buy me...” what bar food instead?

Question 6

At which Olympics did Kenneth work as a page?

Kenneth is a loyal and enthusiastic page at NBC, exactly the kind of page that NBC wants. According to Mindy Kaling’s book, they’re not interested in ambitious writers who want to get their foot in the door at a big network. They want Kenneths, who have a smarmy, infectious smile and a sweet personality, whose whole dream in life is to be a page at NBC. In season 2, Kenneth travels to another country to be a page at their Olympics. Which games was it?

Question 7

What does Tracy think brunch is?

The way in which Tracy Jordan’s mind works is often astounding (in very hilarious ways). Brunch, obviously, is a mid-morning meal that combines the joys of breakfast with the joys of lunch. But Tracy doesn’t get that. He says at one point in the show, “I don’t get why people like brunch. What’s the benefit of combining...?” And he doesn’t end that sentence with “breakfast and lunch.” So, what two things does Tracy believe that brunch is a combination of?

Question 8

Which poet did Liz named her cat after?

Liz adopted a cat and named it after a famous poet. She also claimed that she was able to fit the cat’s entire head in her mouth. This was just another part of Liz’s transformation into the crazy, babbling old lady with all the cats from The Simpsons. The name of the cat was an inspired choice, as it called back to one of the greatest and most influential poets who ever lived. But which one of these poets was it?

Question 9

Who played Jack’s biological father?

Jack Donaghy spent a lot of the series searching for his biological father. Unfortunately, he did know his awful mother, but he never knew his father until they met in the final two episodes of the show’s third season. Jack’s father’s name was Milton Greene and he was played by a brilliant, famous actor who recently showed off a previously unseen versatility in Louis CK’s original series Horace and Pete. He’s great as Jack’s father, too. But which actor was it?

Question 10

Which character speaks the final line in the series?

The first and last moments of a TV series are always two of the most important – if not the most important – because the first is your very first impression of the series that you could be watching for years to come, and the last is the very last thing you’ll see of the series you’ve been watching for many years. Think of the first and last moments of Lost. They’re exactly the same, but that’s what makes it perfect. In 30 Rock, Liz had the very first line – but who had the last?

Question 11

What does Jack propose to get fired from his government job?

Jack Donaghy is a well known conservative. At one point in the show, he had a story arc where he had a romantic relationship with a Congresswoman of the Democratic Party and that led to some politically hilarious mishaps. Toward the end of season 2, Jack takes a government job in Washington DC, but he hates it. So, he plans to use a ridiculously left-wing and absurd sounding proposal to get himself fired from the job. But what is it?

Question 12

Who did Jack insert into all of the network’s shows?

In the second season premiere of 30 Rock, Jack has a revelation when he realizes that NBC has a huge library of stock footage featuring one of the stars of one of their biggest hit shows. So, he decides to insert the actor into some of their current shows to boost ratings. Eventually the actor himself shows up to protest it. The actor attracted criticism for shamelessly plugging a movie they had out at the time in the episode. Jack makes a month of programming with the actor’s name in it called “___Vision.” But whose name was it?

Question 13

What kind of pornography did Tracy try to make?

In the season 2 episode “Succession,” Jack is overlooked for a promotion to CEO and he’s unhappy about that, and Tracy attempts to make a new type of pornography. He thinks he’s onto a billion dollar idea when he comes up with it, but despite the huge investment of his own money, it doesn’t quite go to plan, as with a lot of Tracy’s schemes and ideas. So, what revolutionary kind of pornography did Tracy try to make in season 2?

Question 14

How many seasons of 30 Rock were there?

A popular show with high ratings like 30 Rock can pretty much run for however long the producers want it to. Some shows struggle to stay alive and the network are gunning to cancel it and each season could be its last. But when it’s successful, the producers get to decide when it’s the right moment to end it. They could eek out every last penny until no one wants to watch the show anymore (a la Big Bang Theory) or they could turn down huge offers to prevent the series’ decline (a la Seinfeld). So, how many seasons did 30 Rock have?

Question 15

What is Jack’s job title?

Over the course of 30 Rock’s run, Alec Baldwin’s role as Jack Donaghy earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Television Critics Association Award. Later in the series, Jack is promoted to President of NBC after the network is bought out by Kabletown, but when the series begins, he has a different title. His original job title begins, “Vice President of East Coast Television and...” what strange other thing comes next?

Question 16

Which politician DIDN’T cameo in 30 Rock?

It was an ongoing tradition in 30 Rock lore to have real life politicians appear as themselves in small cameo roles. Some appeared more than once, some appeared with a big, grand entrance in the season finale, and some had a romantic entanglement with Jack Donaghy. This is quite uncommon for sitcoms, whose guest stars are usually just confined to famous actors and musicians. So, which of these four real world politicians did NOT have a guest appearance in an episode or more of 30 Rock?

Question 17

What is Dennis’ nickname?

Dean Winters (aka Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s “The Vulture”) played Dennis Duffy on 30 Rock, Liz’s worst ever boyfriend who was once featured on an episode of To Catch a Predator. Everyone hates him and they have a good reason, because he’s a jerk. He slept with Jenna behind Liz’s back. He is a salesman of a particular product, and his nickname proclaims him “The King” of that product after the previous King killed himself. So anyway, what exactly is his nickname?

Question 18

Which Mount Rushmore figure is Tracy descended from?

When Tracy traced back his family history, he found that one of his ancestors from way, way back also happens to be one of the guys whose faces are featured in the American landmark Mount Rushmore. I know what you’re thinking: Tracy’s black! That’s because the President of the United States he’s descended from had an affair with slave Sally Hemings, and that’s how Tracy Jordan came to be. But just which President of the United States was it exactly?

Question 19

Which African-American actor does a snooty Englishman on 30 Rock share his name with?

On 30 Rock, Michael Sheen guest starred as a snooty British guy who also happened to share his name with a popular African American actor. He is unhappy about this, as he believes that the name is better suited to a “pasty, un-athletic British man.” Liz met him at the dentist’s office and they hit it off under the influence of nitrous oxide, even saving each other in their phones as “Future Wife” and “Future Husband.” That was a big mistake. So, which actor does he share his name with?

Question 20

Which fast food franchise does Jack own?

Jack is many things. He has many job titles and responsibilities. Among the titles he has held or still does, there’s Homeland Security Director of Crisis and Weather Management, President of NBC, President of TWINKS, President of Telemundo, Chairman of Kabletown, Chairman of General Electric – and he also owns a franchise of one particular American fast food chain. He got a “full stake” in the franchise he and his wife bought in his divorce settlement. But which fast food chain is it?

Question 21

What are the names of Jack’s fists?

It’s a tried and true tradition in comedy writing to eek a joke out of a character naming their fists. In Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ron calls his fists Jack Johnson and Tom O’Leary. And in 30 Rock, Jack has names for his fists, too. But what are they? His personality traits play into it. He’s a staunch conservative in terms of politics, and when it comes to religion, he’s a staunch Irish Catholic. So, what did he name his fists?

Question 22

What is the name of Tracy’s wife’s Bravo reality show?

In one episode of 30 Rock, toward the end of its fifth season, Tracy’s wife Angie had a camera crew following her around for her own vapid reality show on Bravo. It was a brilliantly searing parody of Bravo reality television and reality television as a whole, really. Also, interestingly, the episode features Tituss Burgess, now better known as Titus from Tina Fey’s other show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But what was the name of Angie Jordan’s reality show on Bravo?

Question 23

Which host’s talk show did Tracy go on and hallucinate?

Back in season 1 of 30 Rock, they were still playing around with being meta. Pretty much every sitcom is meta these days, but 30 Rock – along with Community – was one of the first. Well, The Dick Van Dyke Show was really the first. But anyway, in one season 1 episode, Tracy appears on a late night talk show, a time tested American tradition, and experienced hallucinations. It was a side effect of some medications from Dr. Spaceman. One hallucination featured Rachel Dratch as Blue Dude. But which late night host’s show was it?

Question 24

Which Spanish soap opera’s villain does Jack resemble?

In the season 3 episode, “Generalissimo,” Jack is dating a Latina woman whose grandmother hates him. Why? Because he looks exactly like the bad guy in her favorite Spanish language soap opera. It’s not just a vague resemblance either. Alec Baldwin plays the villain as well as playing Jack, so it’s hard for the grandmother to shake it. It was also the episode where Liz met future boyfriend Drew and Tracy went out partying with the TGS interns. But what was the name of the telenovela soap opera?

Question 25

What was Carrie Fisher’s obligatory Star Wars reference?

The late, great Carrie Fisher guest starred in an episode of 30 Rock in its second season. She played a writer called Rosemary Howard who was one of Liz’s big writing influences and she appeared on the show to get across a serious message about how comedy changes from generation to generation. However, despite this powerful message and the fact that Fisher wasn’t playing herself, this is 30 Rock, the show that references Star Wars every five minutes, so there was an obligatory Princess Leia reference. So, what reference did she make?

Question 26

Which Game of Thrones actor played one of Liz’s boyfriends?

Liz had a lot of boyfriends over the years, and they were played by everyone from Jon Hamm to Matt Damon to Dean Winters to James Marsden. Her romantic life was a flurry of failures, and even when she found success, it was always doomed. One actor who played a guy she dated would later find astronomical success of the ratings record breaking hit fantasy drama Game of Thrones, currently in its seventh season. But which GoT cast member was it?

Question 27

Which astronaut played himself on 30 Rock?

We all know that Liz’s ideal dream fantasy boyfriend is Astronaut Mike Dexter, but there was also a real life astronaut affiliated with 30 Rock. Quite possibly the reason that Liz’s dream is to date an astronaut, the real world astronaut guest star was evidently the first love of Liz Lemon’s mother, Margaret (who was played by guest actress Anita Gillette). This astronaut is a big, famous one with a lot of achievements to his name. But which astronaut was it?

Question 28

What is the name of Tracy’s Ebony Magazine column?

Based on Tracy’s responses to the TGS scripts and even the slightest level of intellectual conversation with Grizz and Dot-Com or the TGS writers, you might think he was incapable of stringing together a tangible sentence. Sure, he seems like a moron and one wonders how he came so far in his life. However, he has shown a knowledge of proper grammar: “Superman does good; you’re doing well.” He writes a column in Ebony Magazine filled with his thoughts and ideas. What is it called?

Question 29

What drug lord was Tracy’s high school named after?

Despite his now lavish champagne lifestyle as a ludicrously popular movie star, Tracy Jordan comes from humble beginnings. He was born in Yankee Stadium on an undetermined date (because he has no birth certificate) and grew up in a low class family. He lived in a rough area of The Bronx and went to middle school in an Exxon station. The high school he attended was named after an infamous historical drug kingpin. But which drug kingpin was it exactly?

Question 30

Which boxer did Tracy name his son after?

Tracy has a loving family who he once imagined in a Cosby Show type scenario that would not be acceptable today given the current legal situation of its star. But that’s not the important thing about Tracy’s family. His wife’s name is Angie and his kids are Tracy, Jr., Virginia, and his unofficially adopted Donald. He also has another son who he named after a famous professional boxer with a legendary career. But which boxer was his son named after?

Question 31

Which actress played Kim Jong-il?

At a certain point in the history of 30 Rock, Jack’s wife was captured by North Korean forces and the dictator Kim Jong-il was holding her. He was the Kim who had a sense of humor, not like Kim Jong-un, who threatens World War III when Seth Rogen brings out a dumb comedy about killing him. He also was a man, and yet in 30 Rock (and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the casting team got a woman to play him. But which standup comedienne and actress played Kim in 30 Rock?

Question 32

Which of these is NOT one of Frank’s hats?

Man-child Frank Rossitano, played by the lovably dopey Judah Friedlander, always wore trucker hats throughout the series, which had a different phrase on them in each and every episode. Friedlander designed all of the hats himself, and they always said something funny or just plain absurd, like “Balls,” for example. It was the height of sharp wit. There were over 100 episodes of 30 Rock and every single one had a different hat. But which of these phrases was NOT on one of Frank’s hats?

Question 33

What was the original title of TGS?

The sketch show that Liz, Toofer, Jenna, Frank, and the gang all work on was not always titled TGS with Tracy Jordan. It was Jack Donaghy who brought Tracy on in the pilot because he’s a big movie star and he would attract higher ratings. TGS used to stand for something, the same way its real life model SNL stands for Saturday Night Live. So, what did TGS stand for? What was the show called before NBC brass hired Jack and his meddling ways?

Question 34

Which future guest star auditioned for the role of Jack Donaghy?

Tina Fey originally wrote the role of Jack Donaghy, the new right-wing head of NBC with whom Liz Lemon clashes, with Alec Baldwin in mind. Therefore, as soon as Baldwin became available, pretty much every other actor who had auditioned for the part could kiss it goodbye. But one brilliant and beloved actor auditioned to play Jack in the early, pre-Baldwin stages and would later be brought on as a guest star in later seasons of 30 Rock. Who was it?

Question 35

Which was the only character NOT written with the actor in mind?

When Tina Fey was first putting together her script for the pilot episode of what would eventually become 30 Rock, she was developing the characters that we know and love today mostly with the actors in mind for the parts. This is common practice for screenwriters, but rarely do they manage to fill the cast with as many of their desired actors as Fey did. There was just one character whose actor she didn’t have in mind whilst writing. Which one was it?

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