The ‘30 Rock’ reunion special is still on. Here’s how you can watch tonight
NBC has officially entered the streaming wars with this week’s nationwide launch of Peacock, which means it’s ready to deploy its not-so-secret promotional weapon: the “30 Rock” reunion special.
The hourlong event, dubbed “30 Rock: A One-Time Special,” will double as a treat for loyal fans of the comedy series and an unsubtle incentive for viewers to sign up for Peacock, which now houses the “30 Rock” library.
For the record:
5:12 p.m. July 16, 2020An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the West Coast airtime of the “30 Rock” special. It airs at 8 p.m. PDT on Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday on the channels listed.
For the latter reason, Vulture recently reported that several major affiliate stations of NBC are refusing to air the reunion, so as not to wittingly boost their new streaming competition.
But don’t worry, “30 Rock” lovers. There are still a few ways to catch tonight’s program.
What time is the show, and where can I watch it?
The reunion special premieres tonight on NBC at 8 p.m. Pacific and will also air Friday on Bravo, CNBC, E!, Oxygen, Syfy and USA at 9 p.m. Pacific.
It will be available to stream Friday on Peacock, along with the rest of the “30 Rock” catalog — minus some episodes featuring characters in blackface that were recently and controversially pulled at the request of executive producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.
Executive producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have asked for “30 Rock” episodes featuring characters in blackface to be pulled from streaming sites.
Who’s coming back?
“30 Rock” alumni participating in the reunion include Fey (Liz Lemon), Tracy Morgan (Tracy Jordan), Jack McBrayer (Kenneth Parcell), Jane Krakowski (Jenna Maroney) and Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy).
According to the trailer and some promo stills, the show will feature a mix of video calls among characters — true to quarantine form — as well as some sequences that appear to have been filmed relatively normally compared to most pandemic-era productions.
“We’re all happy to have this excuse to (remotely) work together again for NBC,” Fey and Carlock said in a statement. “To quote Kenneth the page, there are only two things we love in this world, television and everyone.”
Anything else?
For anyone who can’t wait for some “30 Rock” nostalgia: An unscripted video-chat reunion among Fey, Krakowski, Scott Adsit (Pete Hornberger), Maulik Pancholy (Jonathan), Keith Powell (Toofer) and director Jeff Richmond (Alfonso Disparioso) is available to watch right now on the “Stars in the House” YouTube channel.
During Wednesday’s remote conversation, the former castmates relived some of their favorite memories on set and discussed what it was like filming tonight’s special amid the public health crisis. Other “Stars in the House” reunions staged during quarantine for COVID-19 relief include the casts of “Glee,” “Frasier,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Melrose Place.”
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