30 Rock: Cleveland

30 Rock: Cleveland
NBC
April 19, 2007
Sitcom
DVD
B+

This Burditt & Carlock episode works very well.  Floyd is tired of New York and wants to take a job offer in the title city.  Liz is tempted to go with him but they've only been dating a month and she thinks of herself as a New Yorker.  However, Jack and Phoebe (Emily Mortimer again) have been dating an even shorter time and Jack proposes to her.  Meanwhile, Tracy goes on the run when he finds out that the Black Crusaders are after him for all his stereotypical roles.  The best thing here is the musical tribute to Cleveland, very early to mid '60s sounding.

Jennifer Bassey was Beverly Fiske on Who's the Boss? and is the Old Vibrant Lady here.  Gambling Fisherman Kevin Cannon would return as Hobo Flint, while Raymond McAnally [who's his agent???] is a Cleveland Dude but would later be a character named Tony.  Frank Anello is, wait for it, a member of the Production Staff.  Eric Dysart would be Alan Garkel again four years later.  Justin Smith would be a nameless Black Crusader on the next episode, too, while Lester Holt plays himself here, in the following episode, and in three more episodes in future seasons.  Pete and most of the writers are gone again but Jenna is back.

And this is the only episode directed by Paul Feig, who was Pete on Roseanne and Peterson on Ellen, along with a lot of other acting roles, but he's probably best known now as a movie director-- Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters, etc.