'30 Rock' series finale attracts show's biggest audience in two years

30 Rock's series finale on Thursday (January 31) achieved the show's largest audience in two years, NBC has announced.

The Tina Fey sitcom's hour-long final episode across the 8pm hour delivered a 1.9 18-49 score, which is the show's highest rating since the March 15, 2012 episode 'St Patrick's Day'.

[Cast of the last ever episode of '30 Rock']

30 Rock's Thursday two-parter 'Hogcock!'/'Last Lunch' attracted 4.8 million viewers overall, according to overnight figures from Nielsen Media Research. That viewing figure was the show's best in over two years.

There was also an increase of nearly one million viewers over 30 Rock's January 24 episode 'A Goon's Deed in a Weary World'.

American Idol and The Big Bang Theory still handily beat 30 Rock in direct competition, despite the sitcom's ratings increase.

[Left: Julianne Moore / Right: Salma Hayek]

Thursday's 30 Rock series finale featured special appearances from some of the show's most popular guest stars, including Julianne Moore and Salma Hayek.

Earlier in the week, Fey suggested that she wasgratified seeing that 30 Rock was able to complete seven seasons despite its modest ratings.

"This absolutely should have been 12 episodes, so people could say, 'That show was amazing. I can't believe it was canceled'," Fey admitted. "The fact that we got far enough along that those same people can now say, 'It's not good anymore' is a triumph in itself."

30 Rock has been a critical darling throughout its seven years on the air, earning 10 Primetime Emmy Awards and six Golden Globes.

Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.