Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter

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"Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter"
30 Rock episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 17
Directed byDon Scardino
Written byKay Cannon
Tina Fey
Production code417
Original air dateApril 22, 2010 (2010-04-22)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Khonani"
30 Rock season 4
List of episodes

"Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 75th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Kay Cannon and series creator Tina Fey. The episode was directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 22, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Steve Hely, Julianne Moore, and Ariel Shafir.

In the episode,

James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
) with a big decision to make regarding his future at the fictitious television series The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS).

"

Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the category for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
for their work in this episode.

Plot

On the weekend of Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) 51st birthday, his advances with CNBC host Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks) are called into question when he learns that his high school sweetheart, Nancy Donovan (Julianne Moore), has finally been divorced from her husband. Jack spends evenings having dinner and wine with both, against Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey) suggestion that it is a bad idea. He compares Nancy to actor Lee Marvin, after watching a movie marathon starring Marvin, and Avery to baseball player Derek Jeter, after he spends time with Avery at Jeter's home. He is moved by the thoughtful birthday gifts both women give him. Jack is torn between the easygoing, middle-class Nancy and his successful, wealthy counterpart Avery, and does not know whom to choose.

Meanwhile, Liz attends singles activities at the YMCA and her friend, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), joins her as her wingman. Nancy accompanies Liz to one of the activities, and is concerned when Liz speaks critically of everyone there and rebuffs a man whom Nancy has drawn into conversation. Nancy encourages Liz to focus not on the negative, but on what she does want from a man. Liz tries to follow Nancy's advice the next day at a dodgeball game, and she tells a man (Ariel Shafir), whom she hit in the face during a previous dodgeball game, what traits she wants from a man. However, the man does not speak English, and a disappointed Liz hits him with another ball.

Finally,

Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit) reveals to Liz that she is also a beneficiary of affirmative action, having attended college on a Title IX scholarship and having her project The Girlie Show picked up as a mid-season replacement
for a misogynistic show that received complaints. When Toofer returns, he demands that no one call him "Toofer" anymore, but when everyone comes up with more insulting nicknames, he gives up.

Production

Series creator Tina Fey (pictured) wrote "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" along with co-writer Kay Cannon.

"Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by co-producer Kay Cannon and series creator Tina Fey.[1] This was Cannon and Fey's fourth script collaboration, having written the episodes "Black Tie",[2] "Somebody to Love",[3] and "Christmas Special",[3] for season one, season two, and season three, respectively. "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 22, 2010, as the seventeenth episode of the show's fourth season and the 75th overall episode of the series.

"Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" was filmed on February 8, 2010.[4] In November 2009, it was announced that actress Julianne Moore would guest star on 30 Rock as a love interest for Alec Baldwin's character, Jack Donaghy.[5] She made her debut as the character Nancy Donovan in the December 10, 2009, episode "Secret Santa",[6] and later guest starred in the episode "Winter Madness".[7] In December 2009, it was confirmed that actress Elizabeth Banks would guest star,[8] and in the February 11, 2010, episode "Anna Howard Shaw Day" she made her debut as Avery Jessup, a CNBC correspondent.[9] Banks later guest starred in the episode "Future Husband".[10] 30 Rock writer and producer Steve Hely appeared in this episode as "Jerem", a man who twice refuses Jenna Maroney's attempts at conversation starters.[11] Keith Powell, who plays Toofer Spurlock, was asked about his reaction towards his storyline in the "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" script, in which he said "They kind of warned me about that one – I thought it was a really fun thing because Affirmative Action has permeated corporate culture. It didn't freak me out that much".[12]

Comedian actor

Universal Media Studios Ben Silverman are credited as executive producers of this show.[13] Ferrell has appeared in the main cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL),[14] a weekly sketch comedy series which airs on NBC in the United States. Fey was the head writer on SNL from 1999 until 2006.[15] Ferrell would later appear as Shane Hunter in the May 6, 2010, 30 Rock episode "The Moms".[16]

Cultural references

Jenna tells Liz that she wants to accompany her to her singles activities as her wingman since she is up for a role in National Lampoon's Van Wilder's Wingman, Incorporated, a reference to the

National Lampoon's Van Wilder film series.[17] Avery and Jack attend a gala opening at a museum, and upon seeing the decorations and well dressed patrons, Avery remarks that "You always know you're at the right party when it feels like the Riddler is about to attack", the Riddler is a comic book villain who leaves behind riddles, puzzles, and word games so that they can be solved.[18] While posing for pictures at the gala, a photographer mistakes Avery for stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler,[19] which has been based on real life experience for Elizabeth Banks, who portrays Avery, as she has been mistaken for Handler.[20] When Liz tells Jack that he cannot date both Avery and Nancy at the same time, she says "Mrs. Doubtfire shimself could not do this", a reference to actor Robin Williams' role in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire, and a scene late in the film in which he alternates between playing two roles in two simultaneous meetings, one as a man, and the other as an older woman named Mrs. Doubtfire.[21]

During their dinner, Avery tells Jack some day he will be as great as a man as former U.S. President

Tiana, is the first black princess in the Disney Princess franchise.[17] In her speech, Liz says that she wants to be with a man who "will just shut their mouth" when watching the ABC show Lost.[21]

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" was watched by 4.216 million households, according to the

Christopher Lloyd for their work on the pilot episode.[25]
The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics.

Affirmative Action and our society's defiantly uneven playing field."[26] Time contributor James Poniewozik noted that this episode was stronger than "Khonani", which aired the same day of the week as this episode.[27] Sean Gandert of Paste wrote that Toofer's plot was not "given more than a few minutes of screen time [but] it also doesn't wear out its welcome ... The show doesn't address race, gender, or affirmative action in a particularly enlightened manner, but who cares, it's funny."[18] TV Guide's Adam Mersel wrote that he found the most enjoyment in Liz's story, writing that he found it "endearing". In regards to Jack's plot, Mersel said that Jack is able to play off Nancy and Avery so well that "I am going back and forth on whether or not to scold the NBC boss or give him a pat on the back. Avery and Nancy both have their shining moments, but I feel that he must choose quite soon, or he will be loosing [sic] both."[28]

Will Ferrell's ten second cameo was well-received,[17][26][27] with Canning concluding, "...the cherry on the top was discovering that The Girlie Show was only picked up to offset the complaints raised by the series Bitch Hunter. The ten-second clip of this series, with a cameo from Will Ferrell, was phenomenal and I hope the web will soon produce more clips."[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Canning, Robert (2010-04-26). "30 Rock: "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" Review". IGN. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  2. ^ "30 Rock: Episodes". London: Screenrush (AlloCiné). Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  3. ^ a b "30 Rock: Episodes". London: Screenrush (AlloCiné). Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  4. NBC Universal Media Village. 2010-02-08. Archived from the original
    on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2010-05-03. Save Picture as → Right click file → Properties → Summary → Advanced → Date Picture Taken
  5. Daily News (New York)
    . Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  6. ^ Graham, Mark (2009-12-11). "30 Rock Recap: Who Are YouFacing?". New York. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  7. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2010-01-22). "30 Rock, "Winter Madness": TGS goes to Boston". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  8. ^ "The Bullseye: December 18, 2009". Entertainment Weekly. 2009-12-18. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  9. ^ Rabin, Nathan. "Anna Howard Shaw Day". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
  10. ^ Blake, Meredith (2010-03-12). "'30 Rock': Liz meets her future husband (we hope)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  11. NBC Universal. NBC
    .
  12. ^ Wieselman, Jarett (2010-09-23). "'30 Rock' star Keith Powell: Cakes for everybody!". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  13. ^ Weiner, Juli (2010-04-23). "Will Ferrell and NBC's 30 Rock Ridicule Fallen NBC Wünderkind Ben Silverman". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  14. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2010-04-15). "'Saturday Night Live': The Will Ferrell/George W. Bush/Tina Fey/Sarah Palin Decade". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  15. ^ Goodwin, Christopher (2008-05-11). "And funny with it". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  16. ^ Exton, Emily (2010-05-07). "'30 Rock' recap: A mother knows". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  17. ^
    TV Squad
    . Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  18. ^ a b Gandert, Sean (2010-04-26). "30 Rock Review: "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter"/"Khonani" (4.17 & 4.18)". Paste. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  19. ^ Fretts, Bruce (2010-04-22). "Between 30 Rock and a Hard Place?". TV Guide Magazine.
  20. ^ Vary, Adam B. (2008-10-20). "Elizabeth Banks: Fall's First Lady". Entertainment Weekly. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  21. ^ a b Exton, Emily (2010-04-23). "'30 Rock' recap (pt. 1): Single and fabulous". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  22. ^ a b Gorman, Bill (2010-04-23). "TV Ratings: Survivor Drops, Still Leads CBS Win; As Practice, CSI, Community, Office, Ref Hit Lows". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2010-04-28. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  23. ^ Gorman, Bill (2010-03-26). "Broadcast Finals: Grey's Anatomy, Community, Parks & Rec, Vampire Diaries Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  24. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (2010-08-04). "Fresh faces vs. vets in writers race". Variety. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  25. ^ Stelter, Brian (2010-08-30). "'Modern Family' and 'Mad Men' Win at Emmys". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  26. ^ a b Rabin, Nathan (2010-04-22). "Lee Marvin Vs. Derek Jeter/Khonani". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  27. ^ a b Poniewozik, James (2010-04-23). "Thursday Comedies Watch: C Is for Comedy". Time. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  28. ^ Mersel, Adam (2010-04-23). "30 Rock Episode Recap: "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter"". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2010-04-28. Retrieved 2010-05-06.

External links

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