Ted Lasso and 30 Rock's Cleveland Connection: CLE Daily

⛈️ 83°; Humid, Thunderstorms

🌽 Farm to Table, Literally: Pick your own tomatoes, okra, greens and even edible flowers straight from the ground at Rid-All Green's urban farm in Kinsman, open weekdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. off East 81st Street. The farm also raises tilapia in an aquaponic system and hosts Fresh Fest Cleveland the second week of September.

🏛️ Square Deal: Shaker Square, the oldest planned shopping center in Ohio, just won City Planning Commission approval for a Vision Plan redesign that would add on-street parking, activate green space with new paths and seating, upgrade the promenade for cafés, and invite new housing nearby. Its nonprofit owners have poured $5 million-plus into the square since 2022. 

ICYMI: Foo Fighters left it all on the stage at Huntington Bank Field on Monday night, with Warren-born Dave Grohl leading a career-spanning set — the band's biggest Cleveland headlining show yet — after openers Queens of the Stone Age and Mannequin Pussy.  

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Trivia Question

What Shaker Heights High School graduate made his acting debut as a child at the Cleveland Play House before going on to a lengthy and illustrious movie career?

Arts & Culture: From 30 Rock to Ted Lasso, Jack Burditt brings Cleveland roots to major TV shows. 

By Annie Nickoloff 

In the 20th episode of the first season of the NBC comedy show 30 Rock, Cleveland is a star. The plot follows the show’s main character Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) as she briefly considers moving out of New York City to an idealized version of Cleveland with her boyfriend Floyd (Jason Sudeikis).

• Cleveland Humor: The episode is packed with jokes about Cleveland, and many of those jokes were written by Northeast Ohio native Jack Burditt, who co-wrote the episode with Robert Carlock. Though it aired nearly 20 years ago, the episode remains beloved by Clevelanders and fans of the show.

Jack Burditt: “I wrote those jokes, all of that, because of my absolute love for Cleveland.”

• Major Moments: Since those years spent working on 30 Rock, Burditt has gone on to be involved in shows like Last Man Standing, Modern Family, Frasier and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 

• Ted Lasso Mania: Currently, he’s working as the executive producer of Ted Lasso’s new season, working with Sudeikis once again. “It’s incredible to join a show like this. I feel very fortunate," he says. "I'm glad I was nice to Jason on set 20 years ago.”

We caught up with Burditt in an episode of The CLE Connection, Cleveland Magazine’s podcast that takes a look at Cleveland’s surprising ties to major pop culture moments. Much of our conversation revolved around the Cleveland episode of 30 Rock, and how it came to be.

Jack Burditt: “What's so funny is with the Cleveland episode too, that was the first season when we were making that episode. When we were making that episode, we thought this was kind of the end. We weren't doing well in the ratings, and we thought, ‘Yeah, I don't know if we're coming back for a second season.’ So we're trying to get in a lot of stories too, that we wanted to do."

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Talk of the Town

E-bikes, meet the ER. E-bike injuries are surging with UH Rainbow Babies & Children's now treating five to six a week. The hospital's trauma cases tripled in 2025 and were more severe, doctors say. Independence recently banned Class 3 e-bikes from sidewalks and now requires helmets for riders under 18. 

Slow down, move over. A crew clearing a downed tree was sideswiped July 28. It was the 69th ODOT crew struck in Ohio this year. With the Central Interchange rebuild and orange barrels everywhere this summer, ODOT is again urging drivers to slow down and move over for flashing lights. 

Don't take the bait. The Geauga County sheriff warns of a business phishing scam after several local businesses lost money by clicking a bank-lookalike email link and entering their login. The advice: never log in through emailed links. You should go to your bank directly using a trusted number or address.

Backpack season is here. Free school-supply giveaways are rolling out across Cleveland ahead of the new year, with upcoming stops including a Community Back-to-School Bash on Aug. 13 and the Ward 5 and Esperanza fairs on Aug. 15. Many offer backpacks, haircuts and food while supplies last, and kids usually must be present.

Now hiring: 200 employers. The Success Fair returns Aug. 14, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Huntington Convention Center, with about 200 companies hiring across 20-plus industries plus free parking, on-site child care, resume help and record-sealing assistance.

Things To Do: Music festivals, concerts, BBQ and more to enjoy this weekend.

By Jeff Niesel

Amy Grant at Northfield Park Racino | Music | Aug. 14

Produced by 10-time Country Music Association award winner and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Mac McAnally, All of Me, the latest effort from singer-songwriter Amy Grant, is a stripped-down affair. Grant performs at 8 p.m. at the Northfield Park Racino. 10705 Northfield Road, Northfield, 330-467-4101, northfieldparkracino.com

Feast of the Assumption | Festival | Aug. 13-16

The annual Feast of the Assumption takes place Thursday through Sunday in Little Italy. Once again, Holy Rosary Church's parish hosts this free, family-friendly festival. Starting and ending with religious processions celebrating the Virgin Mary being taken into Heaven, the Feast includes classic festival staples as well as fireworks, a raffle, and observances and services for those who celebrate the Catholic Holy Day. Mayfield Road, Cleveland, littleitalyfeast.com

Afterburn Music Festival | Festival | Aug. 14-15

Third Eye Blind and Skillet are among the bands that will perform at this music festival that takes place Friday and Saturday at Victory Park in North Ridgeville. Music starts at 12:30 p.m. 7777 Victory Lane, North Ridgeville, theafterburnmusicfestival.com

Kehlani at Blossom Music Center | Music | Aug. 14

The R&B singer-songwriter who got their start with the teen pop group PopLyfe comes to Blossom. The tour supports the new self-titled effort that features the hit single "Folded," a slow jam with soaring strings. The show begins at 7 p.m. Durand Bernarr, Isaia Huron, Thearti$t and Waseel open. 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com

PorchROKR at Highland Square | Festival | Aug. 15

Local bands will converge upon people's porches in the Highland Square neighborhood on Saturday for the annual PorchROKR festival. Porch performances run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Various locations, highlandsquareakron.org

For our full list of things to do visit clevelandmagazine.com/things-to-do.

Yesterday's Trivia Answer

What famous crimebuster – better known for his exploits in Chicago — was the safety service director and a failed mayoral candidate in Cleveland? Eliot Ness

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question

From the Editor

Cleveland can occasionally be a punch line on TV, but sometimes, there's love around those jokes.

"There were, back then, a lot of comedy writers from Cleveland. It's why Cleveland became a joke," says Jack Burditt. "I think they just liked to make fun of Cleveland because that's where they were from."

The Cleveland episode of 30 Rock, which Burditt and I talked about in this week's episode of The CLE Connection podcast, is one example of that sentiment. (Check out this clip, featuring the show's original Cleveland song, if you haven't watched it.)

What are some of the other funny Cleveland jokes you've seen on TV? We'd love to hear from you; email us at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

  — Annie Nickoloff, Senior Editor

Have a story idea? Tell us what we should cover at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

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