Season 4 (30 Rock episode)

"Season 4" is the first episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 59th episode overall. It was written by the series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 15, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Steve Buscemi, Liz Holtan, and Paula Pell.

The episode takes place in 2009 as concerns rise over The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS), a fictitious sketch comedy series. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is worried that the show no longer appeals to mainstream America. He tells Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) to return to his lower-class roots and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) to become more "country." Meanwhile, Jack tasks Liz Lemon (Fey) with finding a new cast member for TGS. Finally, NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) grows angry over Jack's large financial bonus, somewhat similar to the real-world AIG bonus payments controversy.

"Season 4" has received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings system, the episode was watched by 6.312 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 3.0 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.