| "The Problem Solvers" | |
|---|---|
| 30 Rock episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | John Riggi |
| Written by | Ron Weiner |
| Production code | 405 |
| Original air date | November 12, 2009 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Problem Solvers" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 63rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by co-executive producer John Riggi. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 12, 2009. Guest stars in the episode include Josh Fadem, Cheyenne Jackson, Padma Lakshmi, and Shawn Levy.
In the episode, the new cast member for the fictional sketch comedy show The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS), Jack "Danny" Baker (Jackson) arrives on set and learns the intricacies of the show. Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) offers Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) a chance to create a television pilot based on her "Dealbreakers" sketch but Liz decides to search for other offers. In addition, after offering some advice Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) decide to solve other problems of the cast and crew. Finally, NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) grows annoyed as the cast members begin to ask less of him.
"The Problem Solvers" received generally positive reception from television critics, although some expressed disappointment in the tone. According to the Nielsen ratings system, the episode was watched by 5.8 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.9 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.