'30 Rock': East Coast vs. West Coast

 
 
 Thursday night, the cast and crew of "30 Rock" staged a live episode not once but twice — one version for each coast (sorry, Mountain Time!). The broadcasts were mostly the same, but there were a few noticeable difference between them. 

1. Opening theme

East Coast: Jane Krakowski sang the opening.

West Coast: The honors went to Broadway veteran Cheyenne Jackson, who belted out customized lyrics (i.e. "Let's talk about sushi!").

2. Title of the pamphlet on Dr. Spaceman's Desk

East Coast: "Face Replacement: Why Not?"

West Coast: "You Do the Meth?"

3. Why men need alcohol, according to Jack

East Coast: "It's the first thing that every civilization makes, along with weapons and shelters where we can enjoy prostitutes."

West Coast: "It gives us the ability to hit on women and later, when we’re married, to tune them out."

4. Closing line from Liz:

East Coast: "It was the best of both worlds. I got to feel martyred and indignant all day, and then I still got to eat cake off the floor."

West Coast: "It was the best of both worlds. I got to feel martyred and indignant all day, and then I still got to eat the Fonz’s face."

5.  Tracy Morgan

East Coast:  His performance was remarkably smooth.

West Coast:  He stumbled over a few lines, most notably the one about laughing at Dotcom's appearance in "Angels in America."

6. Jon Hamm as Dr. Drew Baird

East Coast: Thanks to a charitable organization that grew out of a horror movie pitch, Drew had the transplanted hand of a (non-Caucasian) executed criminal. The hand tried to attack him.

West Coast: Thanks to the scientists at the "Yale University Center for Hand-Frankensteining," Drew had the transplanted hand of a deceased Josh Groban fan named Marjorie. The hand tried to grope him. 

7. How Liz offended Jonathan

East Coast: By calling him "chai boy."

West Coast: By calling him "Aladdin."

Watching both shows, it's also interesting how some of the jokes played with each audience — even though both shows were taped in New York. The audience for the East Coast show seemed to welcome Matt Damon more enthusiastically, while the audience for the West Coast show laughed harder at the Brett Favre dig. 

Eagle-eyed Show Trackers, did you notice any other differences?

— Meredith Blake

twitter.com/MeredithBlake

Photo: Tracy (Tracy Morgan) tries to make Danny (Cheyenne Jackson) crack up on "TGS." Photo credit: Mary Ellen Matthews / NBC.

 

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Comments

[Dan]

I might be incorrect, but I believe there was a mistake during the East Coast version when Liz Lemon says "I told you your blizzard cannot be the musical guest." to Tracy Morgan. In the West Coast version, I believe she said lizard which would make much more sense than blizzard.

[Jack]

In the East Coast version, the 40-year old partying Jack kissed one of the girls, in the W.C. version, she was avoiding it...

[Ben]

I heard her say 'Lizzard' in the East coast version

[David Levy]

East Coast: "Spit it out!" [shouted to Kenneth by everyone else in unison]

West Coast: "Will you spit it out before I drink you?!" [shouted to Kenneth by Jack]

[jmc]

it was blizzard. i just thought he had a black lizard

[Tyler]

The chyron in the Fox News sketch.

East: Exclusive Interview With Kenyan Liar
West: Impartial Interview With Barack Obammunist

Also, the lyrics to Dr. Spaceman's song were different.