(S01E01) OK, I'm going to make a bold statement here, so I hope you're sitting down. I assume you are because you're in front of a computer, but if you're standing for some reason, please, sit down.
All set? OK, here goes: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the best new show of the fall.
And I say that even though I haven't yet seen the other show being touted as the best new show, ABC's The Nine. The tape is sitting to the left of me as I type this, so I'll be watching it soon (thanks ABC for sending me a tape instead of a DVD. What, is this 1999?). But I can't imagine that the show has the combination that Studio 60 has after two episodes. One is the obvious quality right out of the gate (creator, writer, director, cast, etc), and the other is this incredible, palpable feeling you get watching it that, even though everything doesn't work across the board, you know it could get even better. That the strong moments far, far outweigh the bad moments.
And it's straight out entertaining as hell.
The quick premise: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is a long-running Friday night musical/variety show on the NBS network (*cough* SNL *cough*). Creator and producer Wes Mendell (Judd Hirsch) knows that the show has become a stale, unfunny shadow of its former self (*cough* SNL *cough*), and during a live broadcast, he interrupts the opening sketch about President Bush and goes off on a rant, criticizing the network and their shows about eating bugs and becoming Donald Trump (*cough* NBC *cough*). This pretty much guarantees his firing from boss Jack (Steven Weber), who orders new NBS president Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) to come up with a solution to fix the show.
Her idea? Hire back the show's original head writer and producer Matt Albie and Danny Tripp (Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford). Both were let go four years earlier. Now, they have become famous in the movie biz (Matt has just won the Writer's Guild award), but McDeere knows that she can get Danny to come back to the show because she knows his secret (it involves cocaine). Will Matt and Danny want to come back to the show that kicked them out?
I'm not giving away any spoilers to tell you that, duh, of course they come back to the show. But it's how Sorkin gets them back and how the cast plays off of each other that's so much fun. Perry and Whitford are a marvel together (you really believe they're best friends), but anyone who saw them together in a few West Wing episodes know that. And the supporting cast? In any other show, people like Steven Weber, Sarah Paulson, and D.L. Hughley would easily be the leads. That's how strong this ensemble is. Add to those names Nate Corrdry and Timothy Busfield. That's impressive.
I'm also impressed at how Aaron Sorkin sets all of this up. Is there anyone else working in TV today that can immediately drop you into a world and make it seem believable, instantly? He did it with The West Wing, making politics entertaining and understandable, and he does it here too.
I sense two problems with the show, but they are more viewer-oriented than show-oriented. One, will people want to invest their time in a quality drama that you actually have to pay attention to every single moment and be able to keep track of a dozen characters with interconnected storylines (Danny has a cocaine problem, Jack is the one that fired Matt and Danny four years ago, Harriet is a Christian who once dated Matt, etc)? I'd like to say "yes" because of Lost, but this show isn't going to have mysterious hatches and action and smoke monsters and clues to follow. It's intelligent comedy, sparkling dialogue, and wit.
The second problem is, will viewers want to watch a TV show about a TV show? One that is really insider-ish about the industry and its history? I would say that people shouldn't be worried about that. It's not like you need a TV encyclopedia next to you to understand what's going on, though it helps to be a fan of television and some of its classic moments. Ultimately, thought, this show is about the characters, the relationships. And even though it's in the "drama" category to the right, this is as much as workplace comedy (The Office, NewsRadio, Dick Van Dyke Show) as it is heavy drama. It's a great mix.
I still find it amazing that everyone from TV bloggers to The Washington Post's Tom Shales is still pushing the idea that a show like this might not work because unlike The West Wing they can't deal with big, important issues. One, they are (censorship, religion, drugs, the media), and two, Sports Night was set at a sports network of all things, and they dealt with important issues all the time, and very well.
And why is everyone shaking their heads that NBC has two shows (this show and 30 Rock) on the air about the behind the scenes goings on at an SNL-like show? So what? CBS can have 12 CSI shows and NBC can have 35 Law and Orders, but two shows about the same thing is too much!
This show is typical Sorkin: smart, fast-paced, idealistic, and, ultimately, romantic (and more than a little autobiographical). By the end of the first episode, when Matt and Danny have a heart to heart in the back of fake cab on the set and Jordan tells them they can do a controversial sketch on next week's show, you'll be rooting for Matt and Danny to come back and take SNL Studio 60 to the top. And, at the same time, rooting for Aaron Sorkin to do the same with Studio 60. It's TV for adults, and there isn't much on TV for adults these days.
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Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
9-19-2006 @ 7:09PM
Textbook Case said...
That just plain stunk. I was pretty surprised after reading the comments, but from the embarassing Judd Hirsch lefty fantasy, to the ultra-contrived cell phones at the dinner party moment, I wasn't 20 minutes in before I was finished.
And by the way, where did that Hirsch thing come from? Are the writers dumb enough to think that advertiser-supported broadcasting is the place for cutting edge comedy? It's BROADcasting. It's paid for by advertisers who want as broad an audience as possible. Anyway, it's a turd.
The last thing I want on TV is an even closer look at a show and culture that is rarely entertaining anymore. This show is so over-the-top in its sense of self-importance, the grand production just doesn't match the piddly subject matter.
Maybe before they make a meta-show about TV entertainment, they should make something entertaining first.
Stinky.
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9-19-2006 @ 7:20PM
Textbook Case said...
Wow is right. I just watched a few more minutes. That scene with Matthew Perry and his 700 Club breakup? Give me a break.
I will likely watch this show for some laughs, it is so microscopically myopic and pleased with itself, some of the lines that are supposed to be so revelatory are a hoot to watch, and I think the actors and writers really believe it's good.
I am sold, this truly is entertaining as hell.
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9-19-2006 @ 7:25PM
Dorv said...
What a bunch of Sorkin haters! (Ok, not all of you, but there seems to be quite a bit of bashing for the sake of bashing a highly anticipated show).
First, I guess I should say that I'm an unabashed Sorkin fan. From a Few Good Men, to SportsNight, to the West Wing, to the Gilmore Girls (Ha! AICN related joke there), I'm a HUGH fan.
First Impression:
Damn, Aaron Sorkin writes better "friends" than ANYONE. Josh/Sam, Leo/POTUS, Toby/CJ on the West Wing, Dan/Casey and Dana/Natalie on SN, Leo/POTUS on the American President, etc etc etc. He's done it again here with Matt/Danny...
I'm a big Amanda Peet fan (I actually watched Jack and Jill, if that gives you an idea), but commenters have been right... She was absolutely wooden in her performance here. If I remember correctly, the character was written with her in mind, and she even turned it down once. At least in the pilot of the West Wing, you can blame Janney's CJ to be off as that role wasn't written for her, and they changed her characterization quickly to match the actress. Hopefully they'll make some changes quickly here as well.
Weber's character was very good at being very unlikable. A little too good, as I really could care less how much screen time that he gets. The show needs a "bad guy??" Enter Evan Handler (and his partner, who's name eludes me now), as the writers that Danny/Matt couldn't fire. I'd rather see more of them.
As much as I love Sarah Paulson, I really wished Chenowith had taken the role. But, Paulson will be great.
Good to see Busfield back on TV again, and him having behind the scenes resposibilities will be a good influence as well.
Best part of the episode, IMHO? DL's character backing up Paulson by making the rookie feel SOO little with just, "Don't do that."
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9-19-2006 @ 8:29PM
Jan said...
Home run hit for NBC.....FINALLY, as nothing has come close for NBC since West Wing, Season 1! (Must be the Sorkin touch) Or perhaps NBC is catching on that there is a huge public of baby boomers, with IQs higher than 60, waiting for a intelligent, snappy dialogue, snazzy story line and wit -- a winning combination! Hope the rest of the season remains true.
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9-19-2006 @ 9:50PM
Son of Spam said...
Late to the game here, but I finally got a chance to watch it a second time and catch anything I missed the first time around.
I thought it was extraordinarily well written and acted (no surprises there), and my only problem would be that I found myself being distracted when watching Bradley Whitford...his tone, his glances... it all screamed "Josh Lyman" to me.
Case in point, the scene where he meets Amanda Peete's character for the first time...take him out of that hotel room and put him in his West Wing office and replace AP with Janel Moloney, I wouldn't have been able to tell what show I was watching. His one double take at one point there was spot-on Josh.
I'm not sure if I am just "over-Joshed" from last year, or if Sorkin actually wanted him to mirror the Josh character, or BW just doesn't have the range in this medium. I hope it's just me and I'll eventually get used to it.
It's not going to stop me from watching it, however, I just hope we eventually see an actual new character here, not just BW playing Josh playing Danny.
Man, I think I just over-Joshed myself by writing this post.
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9-19-2006 @ 11:39PM
David said...
Aaron Sorkin HATES the 700 Club. He has made fun of it in every show he has done. It wasn't his best work but even his worst work would be 100 times better than the other trash on TV.
And yes if there was an hour of Brad Whitford and Matthew Perry at the table at the Writers Award thing then I would still love it. Matthew Perry was amazing and prozes that Friends was a 10 year waste on him.
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9-20-2006 @ 5:13AM
Tamara said...
Quite frankly I don't think that you can label it "the best show" before it proves itself to be just that. I enjoyed it, thought it was slick and very professional, liked most of the cast, not Amanda Peet though, BUT if they don't use what they have to be edgy and even radical, instead of West Wing goes to Holliwood, then it might turn out to be a glorified wank.
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9-21-2006 @ 11:30AM
Marisa said...
I agree that it's the best new show this Fall. The writing is very very smart. And that's the only problem I see with it. I am not convinced that people have any interest in smart, sharp dialog any longer.
But I hope they do... because Studio 60 is worth watching. And there are so few shows you can really say that about these days.
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9-20-2006 @ 5:44PM
Cold Chilli said...
I think 30 Rock will be 1/2 of what Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip becomes.
*I crack myself up.
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9-21-2006 @ 9:15AM
Scott H said...
Wow--so much love, so much hate! I guess the over-the-top "best show ever" kinds of comments that started off here may have led to the "it's a piece of ****" comments that followed.
Take a breath, everyone. It wasn't as good or as bad as everyone has said. I am a confirmed Sorkin fan, from his movies to both "Sports Night" and "West Wing", and I thought "Studio 60" was good, but not great. So far. It's only been one freaking episode, people!
The actors were all top-notch, especially Matthew Perry and also Timothy Busfield, who I hope we see a LOT more of. I thought Amanda Peet did fine, although I think she looks too young for the job (despite the real-life parallels). Bradley Whitford was just doing Josh in his sleep...I hope we see something different from him soon.
The directing was manic and confusing. The sound quality was pretty poor--it's the only show, since "West Wing" went off, that I'm constantly backing up on my TiVo and putting on captions in order to figure out what the heck is being said. It's probably a combination of sound quality and the way the actors are forced to rush through their lines. (More the former, since I never have this problem with "Gilmore Girls".) The set, from what I could see of it with the camera whipping around all over, was impressive.
The writing was pretty good. However, the commentary on TV (which I agree with) seems about 2 years out of date. And the Christian storyline seemed clunky and overdone, not to mention that Sorkin is beating the same dead horse that he did on "West Wing" (even though I agree with him, it's the same dialogue, over and over again).
I'm looking forward to more episodes, and hoping that we'll get to see more of the other characters and the inner workings of the show. Did it live up to the hype? Not really. But what could?
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9-21-2006 @ 9:38AM
scott said...
Only in Hollywoodland is it considered courageous and cutting edge to ridicule evangelicals and Catholics.What if Danny's sketch was called "Crazy Muslims"?
This turkey ought to be done by Thanksgiving.
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9-21-2006 @ 12:18PM
scott said...
Dear Marisa,
I like sharp,smart dialogue as much as the next person,which is why I watch "House" and "Gilmore Girls".Quote to me one sharp,smart line from this turkey...
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9-23-2006 @ 8:21AM
Branth said...
Enjoyed the show. Reminded me a bit of West Wing (which I like so ain't complaining). Not sure if the SNL "behind the scenes" storyline will be everyones cup of tea but stranger things have happened.
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9-26-2006 @ 1:35PM
Chris said...
My fiancee' and I watched this before it aired and we loved it! Naturally we watched the season premiere and then we watched last night although I still recorded it on the DVR.
I am a huge fan of the west wing, and I own all of the box sets. This show is right up there with it the wing, and I look forward to every new episode. I agree with some of the comments on here about this being the best new show on TV and definately the best thing going on Monday nights!
Cheers!
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