Apollo, Apollo
Encyclopedia
"Apollo, Apollo" is the sixteenth episode of the third season
of American television comedy series 30 Rock
, and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock
and directed by Millicent Shelton
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) network in the United States on March 26, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Adam West
and Dean Winters
.
The episode is set on the fiftieth birthday of Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
), and much of the plot revolves around his concerns with his age and desire to reclaim the happiness of his childhood. At the same time, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) is forced to deal with her ex-boyfriend Dennis Duffy (Winters) and his self-diagnosis as a sex addict as well as the fact that Dennis slept with her close friend Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
). A final plotline in the episode involves the desire of Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) to travel in space, and the efforts by Liz and Jack to deceive him into thinking he has done so.
"Apollo, Apollo" was generally well-received by television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
, the episode was watched by 7.2 million households during its original broadcast. "Apollo, Apollo" was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Award
s and won the Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
. Robert Carlock won the Writers Guild of America Award
for Episodic Comedy for his work in this episode.
(Tracy Morgan
) on television that he plans to travel to outer space
, and is willing to pay up to thirty million dollars to do so. Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) agrees to help Tracy with his dream of traveling in space, promising to call his friends at NASA
. Instead of doing this, however, he asks The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
) to create a fake space experience for Tracy. Pete and the TGS crew construct a model space shuttle and place Tracy in it after disorienting him by flying him in a helicopter blindfolded. The deception is a success, and Tracy believes that he is, in fact, flying in space.
At the same time, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) is visited by her ex-boyfriend, Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters
), who informs her that he is a sex addict
, now atoning for his past errors. Liz is unimpressed and asks Dennis to leave, before going to work. Later, after arriving at work, Liz answers Jenna Maroney
's (Jane Krakowski
) cellphone, and is surprised to find that Dennis is calling Jenna. Liz pretends to be Jenna and discovers that Jenna and Dennis slept together. Liz is determined not to let this revelation affect her friendship with Jenna, so the two go to confront Dennis about his behavior. During the confrontation, Liz discovers that Jenna and Dennis actually slept together in her bed, leading her to resent Jenna's actions. As a result, she fails to tell Jenna about an improperly attached piece of equipment, leading Jenna to injure her leg.
Meanwhile, Jack's fiftieth birthday is approaching and he has received home videos of some of his earlier birthdays from his mother, Collen Donaghy (Elaine Stritch
). While watching the tapes, Jack discovers just how happy he was when he was younger, and is determined to reclaim that happiness and innocence. After examining a list he made while he was younger, he discovers that he has done all of the things but one, befriending Batman
. Thus, he arranges for actor Adam West
, who played Batman, to come to his birthday party. At the party, however, West calls Jack by the wrong name, leading him to realize that he is in fact unhappy, despite his accomplishments. In an effort to reclaim his happiness, Jack attempts to find the same toy that made him so happy on his tenth birthday, a model of an Apollo Lunar Module
. He buys one from a vintage toy store, but still remains unhappy.
Later, Liz apologizes to Jenna for allowing her to be injured, and agrees to let Jenna tell the TGS writing staff about her role in an advertisement for a phone sex
line. The writers find the ad online, and greatly enjoy watching it. Jack comes in while the writers are watching and laughs so hard that he vomits. The laughter lifts Jack out of his bad mood, and he tells Liz what an important friend she is.
"Apollo, Apollo" was written by executive producer Robert Carlock
, making it his eleventh writing credit after "Jack the Writer
", "Jack-Tor
", "The Source Awards
", "Cleveland
", "Jack Gets in the Game
", "Episode 210
", "Subway Hero
", "Sandwich Day
", "Believe in the Stars
", and "Generalissimo
". This was Millicent Shelton
's first 30 Rock directed episode, and would later return to helm the fourth season
episode "Floyd
". Shelton had spent two years in negotiations with the show's producers before she was hired to direct this episode. "Apollo, Apollo" originally aired in the United States on March 26, 2009, on NBC as the sixteenth episode of the show's third season
and the 52nd overall episode of the series.
In this episode of 30 Rock, actor Dean Winters reprised his role as Dennis Duffy, a former boyfriend of Liz Lemon, for the sixth time, having appeared in "Jack Meets Dennis
", "Tracy Does Conan
", "The Break-Up
", "Subway Hero", and "Cooter
". Actor Adam West played himself on the show, in which he introduces Jack Donaghy by the wrong name at Jack's fiftieth birthday party. Liz's phone sex line commercial, the full-length version, is featured on 30 Rock' s season three DVD as part of the Bonus features.
In a scene in "Apollo, Apollo", Jack wonders what it would be like to see the world through NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
's (Jack McBrayer
) eyes, which is then reveal that Kenneth sees everyone as Muppets
. To accommodate this, Sesame Street
puppeteers Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr
, and Matt Vogel were brought in to do the muppet versions of Jack, Liz, and Tracy Jordan. This angle would later be used again in the show's fourth season episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show
" in which Kenneth appears as a muppet while walking by a high-definition camera
. In addition, the program was parodied by Sesame Street, in the show's 39th season, entitled "30 Rocks".
Star Wars
is frequently referenced in 30 Rock, beginning with the pilot episode
in 2006 where Tracy is seen shouting that he is a Jedi
. Liz admits to being a huge fan of Star Wars, saying that she had watched it many times with Pete Horneberger, and dressed up as the Star Wars character Princess Leia
during four recent Halloweens, and while trying to get out of jury duty in Chicago. Star Wars is also referenced when Tracy takes on the identity of the character Chewbacca
. In "Apollo, Apollo", Tracy reveals to Liz and Jack that going into space has been a childhood dream of his, and that when he is there, he would like to kill the Ewok
. Tina Fey, the series creator of 30 Rock, a fan of Star Wars herself, said that the weekly Star Wars joke or reference "started happening organically" when the crew realized that they had a Star Wars reference "in almost every show". Fey said that from then on "it became a thing where [they] tried to keep it going", and that even though they could not include one in every episode, they still had a "pretty high batting average
". Fey attributed most of the references to Carlock, whom she described as "the resident expert".
, an average of 7.2 million viewers watched "Apollo, Apollo" during its original United States broadcast, placing it in third place for its timeslot. The show also claimed a 3.4 rating/8 share among viewers aged 18 to 49, meaning that 3.4 percent of all people in that group, and 8 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. This was an increase from the previous episode, "The Bubble
", which was watched by 7 million American viewers.
"Apollo, Apollo" was generally, though not universally, well-received among critics. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger
wrote that the episode was "easily the best 30 Rock of the season, and one of the series' best episodes to date". He complimented Robert Carlock for "[zooming] in on the narcissistic worldview" of the Dennis character as it "cranked those qualities up to appropriately absurd 30 Rock proportions." In addition, Sepinwall wrote that all of the elements featured in the episode "all came together". Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad was similarly laudatory, writing that it was "one of the most explosively hysterical and imaginative half hours of TV this season, and one of this show's best episodes ever". Time
contributor James Poniewozik
was favorable to the episode, observing that it was "[e]asily the funniest 30 Rock in months, and probably the whole season." Poniewozik said it "nailed it, from the too-many-good-jokes ... to the sweet heart at the center of each character." The A.V. Club
' s Nathan Rabin enjoyed Adam West's cameo, but noted that Tracy's plot "felt awfully shticky and sitcommy to me." He opined that "Apollo, Apollo" was "pretty great" for Jane Krakowski's Jenna, and in conclusion, Rabin said "I had initially pegged this episode as good but not great and essentially minor in the grand scheme of things but while writing this post I came to realize just how much of it I loved. 30 Rock is pretty great even when it's not that great." Rick Porter, a contributor for Zap2it
, said he "loved" the episode, writing that it made "perfect sense" for Kenneth to see everyone around him as muppets, and noted that Liz's commercial was a "strong ending" to the episode.
Margaret Lyons of Entertainment Weekly
agreed that the episode was "another solid 30 Rock", but was somewhat less positive, writing that it "didn't quite slay me like the last few episodes have." In addition, Lyons was not thrilled with the Jenna character, reporting "It's been a long time since we've seen Jenna do something redemptive – and I'd settle for anything not strenuously vacant and narcissistic. I get that that's her bit, but ... that note is starting to drive me crazy." IGN
contributor Robert Canning also delivered a mixed review of the episode, writing that he laughed "quite a bit" but said it ultimately "felt like it could have been so much more." Canning also concluded his review by stating that it "fell shy of being an absolute classic." Writing for The Palm Beach Post
Kevin D. Thompson said "While last night's episode was far from unwatchable, it wasn't one of the show's best, either. But as I've written before, a so-so 30 Rock is still better than 99 percent of TV's other so-called comedies." Thompson noted that he was not thrilled with the return of Dean Winters as Dennis, and called his plot with Liz and Jenna "the show's least interesting plot".
nominations, winning one; Robert Carlock
, who wrote the script, received a nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, Millicent Shelton
, the director of the episode, got a nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, Matthew Clark, the cinematographer on the show, got an Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series
nomination, and 30 Rock editor Ken Eluto won the Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
.
At the February 2010 ceremony
at the Writers Guild of America Award
s, Carlock won the award for Episodic Comedy for this episode of 30 Rock, tieing with Modern Family
' s Steven Levitan
and Christopher Lloyd
for their work on the pilot episode
. Eluto garnered the Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television title at the 2010 American Cinema Editors
Awards ceremony. In addition, "Apollo, Apollo" was nominated for an Art Directors Guild
Production Design Award in the category for Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series.
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
of American television comedy series 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
and directed by Millicent Shelton
Millicent Shelton
Millicent B. Shelton is an American music video, television and film director.Shelton has directed over a hundred music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R...
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(NBC) network in the United States on March 26, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
and Dean Winters
Dean Winters
Dean Winters is an American actor, who has portrayed Ryan O'Reily on HBO's Oz, Johnny Gavin on FX Network's Rescue Me, and Dennis Duffy on NBC's 30 Rock...
.
The episode is set on the fiftieth birthday of Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
), and much of the plot revolves around his concerns with his age and desire to reclaim the happiness of his childhood. At the same time, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) is forced to deal with her ex-boyfriend Dennis Duffy (Winters) and his self-diagnosis as a sex addict as well as the fact that Dennis slept with her close friend Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
(Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
). A final plotline in the episode involves the desire of Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) to travel in space, and the efforts by Liz and Jack to deceive him into thinking he has done so.
"Apollo, Apollo" was generally well-received by television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, the episode was watched by 7.2 million households during its original broadcast. "Apollo, Apollo" was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
s and won the Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture-Editing for a Comedy Series. It was created in 2003 alongside Outstanding Picture-Editing for a Drama Series...
. Robert Carlock won the Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Episodic Comedy for his work in this episode.
Plot
The episode begins with an announcement by Tracy JordanTracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) on television that he plans to travel to outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
, and is willing to pay up to thirty million dollars to do so. Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) agrees to help Tracy with his dream of traveling in space, promising to call his friends at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. Instead of doing this, however, he asks The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit is an American actor, writer and improvisational comedian. He is currently co-starring as Pete Hornberger in the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock and worked in the Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.-1990s:After attending Columbia College Chicago,...
) to create a fake space experience for Tracy. Pete and the TGS crew construct a model space shuttle and place Tracy in it after disorienting him by flying him in a helicopter blindfolded. The deception is a success, and Tracy believes that he is, in fact, flying in space.
At the same time, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) is visited by her ex-boyfriend, Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters
Dean Winters
Dean Winters is an American actor, who has portrayed Ryan O'Reily on HBO's Oz, Johnny Gavin on FX Network's Rescue Me, and Dennis Duffy on NBC's 30 Rock...
), who informs her that he is a sex addict
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
, now atoning for his past errors. Liz is unimpressed and asks Dennis to leave, before going to work. Later, after arriving at work, Liz answers Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
's (Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) cellphone, and is surprised to find that Dennis is calling Jenna. Liz pretends to be Jenna and discovers that Jenna and Dennis slept together. Liz is determined not to let this revelation affect her friendship with Jenna, so the two go to confront Dennis about his behavior. During the confrontation, Liz discovers that Jenna and Dennis actually slept together in her bed, leading her to resent Jenna's actions. As a result, she fails to tell Jenna about an improperly attached piece of equipment, leading Jenna to injure her leg.
Meanwhile, Jack's fiftieth birthday is approaching and he has received home videos of some of his earlier birthdays from his mother, Collen Donaghy (Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
). While watching the tapes, Jack discovers just how happy he was when he was younger, and is determined to reclaim that happiness and innocence. After examining a list he made while he was younger, he discovers that he has done all of the things but one, befriending Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. Thus, he arranges for actor Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
, who played Batman, to come to his birthday party. At the party, however, West calls Jack by the wrong name, leading him to realize that he is in fact unhappy, despite his accomplishments. In an effort to reclaim his happiness, Jack attempts to find the same toy that made him so happy on his tenth birthday, a model of an Apollo Lunar Module
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...
. He buys one from a vintage toy store, but still remains unhappy.
Later, Liz apologizes to Jenna for allowing her to be injured, and agrees to let Jenna tell the TGS writing staff about her role in an advertisement for a phone sex
Phone sex
Phone sex is a type of virtual sex that refers to sexually explicit conversation between or other persons via telephone, especially when at least one of the participants masturbates or engages in sexual fantasy...
line. The writers find the ad online, and greatly enjoy watching it. Jack comes in while the writers are watching and laughs so hard that he vomits. The laughter lifts Jack out of his bad mood, and he tells Liz what an important friend she is.
Production
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
, making it his eleventh writing credit after "Jack the Writer
Jack the Writer
"Jack the Writer" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American situation comedy 30 Rock, which aired on November 1, 2006 on the NBC network in the United States, and on November 1, 2007 in the United Kingdom. The episode was written by Robert Carlock and was directed by Gail Mancuso...
", "Jack-Tor
Jack-Tor
"Jack-Tor" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American situation comedy 30 Rock, which aired on November 16, 2006 on the NBC network in the United States, and on November 8, 2007 in the United Kingdom. The episode was written by Robert Carlock and was directed by Don Scardino...
", "The Source Awards
The Source Awards (30 Rock)
"The Source Awards" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Robert Carlock and Daisy Gardner, and directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
", "Cleveland
Cleveland (30 Rock)
"Cleveland" is the twentieth episode of the first season of 30 Rock. It was written by one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt, and one of the season's executive producers, Robert Carlock. It was directed by Paul Feig. It first aired on April 19, 2007 on the NBC network in the...
", "Jack Gets in the Game
Jack Gets in the Game
"Jack Gets in the Game" is the second episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and twenty-third episode overall. It was written by Jon Pollack and directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. It first aired on November 8, 2007 in the United States...
", "Episode 210
Episode 210
The untitled tenth episode of the second season of the television series 30 Rock was first broadcast in the United States on January 10, 2008, on the NBC network. The episode was written by show runner Robert Carlock and Donald Glover, and was directed by Richard Shepard...
", "Subway Hero
Subway Hero
"Subway Hero" is the twelfth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt, one of the series' co-executive producers, and executive producer Robert Carlock. It was directed by Don Scardino. It aired on April 17, 2008 on the NBC...
", "Sandwich Day
Sandwich Day
"Sandwich Day" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fifth episode overall. It was written by one of the season's executive producers, Robert Carlock, and one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt. The episode was directed by one of the season's...
", "Believe in the Stars
Believe in the Stars
"Believe in the Stars" is the second episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 38th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the...
", and "Generalissimo
Generalissimo (30 Rock)
"Generalissimo" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Todd Holland. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on February 5, 2009...
". This was Millicent Shelton
Millicent Shelton
Millicent B. Shelton is an American music video, television and film director.Shelton has directed over a hundred music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R...
's first 30 Rock directed episode, and would later return to helm the fourth season
30 Rock (season 4)
The fourth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 23 episodes and began airing on October 15, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United States...
episode "Floyd
Floyd (30 Rock)
"Floyd" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 74th overall episode of the series. It was written by series producer Paula Pell, and directed by Millicent Shelton. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
". Shelton had spent two years in negotiations with the show's producers before she was hired to direct this episode. "Apollo, Apollo" originally aired in the United States on March 26, 2009, on NBC as the sixteenth episode of the show's third season
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
and the 52nd overall episode of the series.
In this episode of 30 Rock, actor Dean Winters reprised his role as Dennis Duffy, a former boyfriend of Liz Lemon, for the sixth time, having appeared in "Jack Meets Dennis
Jack Meets Dennis
"Jack Meets Dennis" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Juan J. Campanella. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on...
", "Tracy Does Conan
Tracy Does Conan
"Tracy Does Conan" is the seventh episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer, Tina Fey and it was directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Adam Bernstein. It first aired on December 7, 2006 in the United States and November...
", "The Break-Up
The Break-Up (30 Rock)
"The Break-Up" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producers Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, and directed by Scott Ellis. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on...
", "Subway Hero", and "Cooter
Cooter (30 Rock)
"Cooter" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-sixth episode of the series. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and was directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. The episode first aired on May 8, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
". Actor Adam West played himself on the show, in which he introduces Jack Donaghy by the wrong name at Jack's fiftieth birthday party. Liz's phone sex line commercial, the full-length version, is featured on 30 Rock
In a scene in "Apollo, Apollo", Jack wonders what it would be like to see the world through NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
's (Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) eyes, which is then reveal that Kenneth sees everyone as Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
. To accommodate this, Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
puppeteers Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr
Carmen Osbahr
Carmen Osbahr is an American actress who has puppeteered Rosita in the popular US children's series Sesame Street, since 1991. Osbahr has also puppeteered Kiki Flores in The Puzzle Place...
, and Matt Vogel were brought in to do the muppet versions of Jack, Liz, and Tracy Jordan. This angle would later be used again in the show's fourth season episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show
Dealbreakers Talk Show
"Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 65th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Kay Cannon and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on the National...
" in which Kenneth appears as a muppet while walking by a high-definition camera
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. In addition, the program was parodied by Sesame Street, in the show's 39th season, entitled "30 Rocks".
Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
is frequently referenced in 30 Rock, beginning with the pilot episode
Pilot (30 Rock)
The pilot episode of the American situation comedy series 30 Rock premiered on October 10, 2006 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, and October 11, 2006 on NBC in the United States...
in 2006 where Tracy is seen shouting that he is a Jedi
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
. Liz admits to being a huge fan of Star Wars, saying that she had watched it many times with Pete Horneberger, and dressed up as the Star Wars character Princess Leia
Princess Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe...
during four recent Halloweens, and while trying to get out of jury duty in Chicago. Star Wars is also referenced when Tracy takes on the identity of the character Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
. In "Apollo, Apollo", Tracy reveals to Liz and Jack that going into space has been a childhood dream of his, and that when he is there, he would like to kill the Ewok
Ewok
Ewoks originate from the Star Wars films. In the series, they are a species of teddy-bear-like hunter-gatherers that inhabit the forest moon of Endor. The Ewoks live in various tree-huts and primitive dwellings. They first appeared in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
. Tina Fey, the series creator of 30 Rock, a fan of Star Wars herself, said that the weekly Star Wars joke or reference "started happening organically" when the crew realized that they had a Star Wars reference "in almost every show". Fey said that from then on "it became a thing where [they] tried to keep it going", and that even though they could not include one in every episode, they still had a "pretty high batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
". Fey attributed most of the references to Carlock, whom she described as "the resident expert".
Reception
According to the Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, an average of 7.2 million viewers watched "Apollo, Apollo" during its original United States broadcast, placing it in third place for its timeslot. The show also claimed a 3.4 rating/8 share among viewers aged 18 to 49, meaning that 3.4 percent of all people in that group, and 8 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. This was an increase from the previous episode, "The Bubble
The Bubble (30 Rock)
"The Bubble" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on March 19, 2009. Jon Hamm and...
", which was watched by 7 million American viewers.
"Apollo, Apollo" was generally, though not universally, well-received among critics. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
wrote that the episode was "easily the best 30 Rock of the season, and one of the series' best episodes to date". He complimented Robert Carlock for "[zooming] in on the narcissistic worldview" of the Dennis character as it "cranked those qualities up to appropriately absurd 30 Rock proportions." In addition, Sepinwall wrote that all of the elements featured in the episode "all came together". Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad was similarly laudatory, writing that it was "one of the most explosively hysterical and imaginative half hours of TV this season, and one of this show's best episodes ever". Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
contributor James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
was favorable to the episode, observing that it was "[e]asily the funniest 30 Rock in months, and probably the whole season." Poniewozik said it "nailed it, from the too-many-good-jokes ... to the sweet heart at the center of each character." The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
, said he "loved" the episode, writing that it made "perfect sense" for Kenneth to see everyone around him as muppets, and noted that Liz's commercial was a "strong ending" to the episode.
Margaret Lyons of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
agreed that the episode was "another solid 30 Rock", but was somewhat less positive, writing that it "didn't quite slay me like the last few episodes have." In addition, Lyons was not thrilled with the Jenna character, reporting "It's been a long time since we've seen Jenna do something redemptive – and I'd settle for anything not strenuously vacant and narcissistic. I get that that's her bit, but ... that note is starting to drive me crazy." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor Robert Canning also delivered a mixed review of the episode, writing that he laughed "quite a bit" but said it ultimately "felt like it could have been so much more." Canning also concluded his review by stating that it "fell shy of being an absolute classic." Writing for The Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post is a major daily newspaper in Florida, serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and the Treasure Coast area. It is the 72nd largest daily newspaper in the United States and the sixth largest in Florida.-History:...
Kevin D. Thompson said "While last night's episode was far from unwatchable, it wasn't one of the show's best, either. But as I've written before, a so-so 30 Rock is still better than 99 percent of TV's other so-called comedies." Thompson noted that he was not thrilled with the return of Dean Winters as Dennis, and called his plot with Liz and Jenna "the show's least interesting plot".
Awards and nomination
"Apollo, Apollo" received four Primetime Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nominations, winning one; Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
, who wrote the script, received a nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, Millicent Shelton
Millicent Shelton
Millicent B. Shelton is an American music video, television and film director.Shelton has directed over a hundred music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R...
, the director of the episode, got a nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, Matthew Clark, the cinematographer on the show, got an Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series
Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series. It was created in 2008 alongside Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series...
nomination, and 30 Rock editor Ken Eluto won the Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture-Editing for a Comedy Series. It was created in 2003 alongside Outstanding Picture-Editing for a Drama Series...
at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
.
At the February 2010 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2009
The 62nd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2009. Winners were announced on February 20, 2010.-Best Adapted Screenplay:*Crazy Heart*Julie & Julia...
at the Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
s, Carlock won the award for Episodic Comedy for this episode of 30 Rock, tieing with Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
and Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd (screenwriter)
Christopher Lloyd is an American TV screenwriter and producer of Wings, Frasier, Out of Practice, Back to You, and Modern Family...
for their work on the pilot episode
Pilot (Modern Family)
The pilot episode of the television series Modern Family, written by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd and directed by Jason Winer, premiered on ABC in the United States on September 23, 2009. The pilot introduces viewers to three sets of people who make up a single family...
. Eluto garnered the Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television title at the 2010 American Cinema Editors
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E...
Awards ceremony. In addition, "Apollo, Apollo" was nominated for an Art Directors Guild
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals....
Production Design Award in the category for Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series.
External links
- "Apollo, Apollo," at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...