TVSquad

I still watch this show, but I have no clue why.
Well, that's not true, I'm looking for a glimmer of hope for more Sports Night and West Wing-esque writing. Unfortunately, it never happened. It still hasn't happened. You cannot make a good drama about a comedy show when the comedy show is not even remotely funny.

This show has the best writing staff and cast of any current show. And that is being woefully misused on a terrible concept for a show.

I really, really, hope this turns around.

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Usually when I read TVSquad and find my self nodding in agreement with every point in a particular post, I look at the byline and see your name, Bob. This time is a bit of an exception. I think Studio 60 is and O.K. show, and will surely get better over time, but I'm just not sure the whole package "works." This episode was somewhat interesting, even with the romance sub-plot, but I'm not sure the main point of the show (the plagiarized monologue) was effective. The jokes were funny, but we've heard them before. It wasn't a surprise that the bit was ripped off. Also, after they discovered the error and decided to cut back in, all I could think of was the Ashlee Simpson debacle on SNL some time ago, where she failed miserably in her attempt to lip sync. They did change the broadcast for the West Coast feed, but all they did was remove the embarrassing scenes. Also, there seemed to be at least 50 if not 100 people in the replacement audience. Do you think they'd really spend $1,000 to $2,000 (plus cost of sandwiches or whatever they were feeding them) just to have an audience to needlessly cut into the West Coast broadcast?

My other, more-general problem with the show is that it is a little uncanny to watch an hour-long show about a sketch comedy show and find very little to laugh at. The baseball bat through the candy glass window wasn't funny, though that's maybe because we saw it dozens of times in the commercials, including during all the breaks in Heroes.

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Going on the air live three times *is* implausible. What's even more unbelievable is a writer keeping his job after such blatant plagiarism, especially when we know Matt is looking for a reason to fire the head writers.

My interest in this show is diminishing by the week. Sorkin's righteousness may have worked on The West Wing -- I don't know, I never saw it -- but I don't think it applies to sketch comedy.

I'm looking forward to 30 Rock.

Somewhat related question: Where is the TV Squad review of this week's SNL?

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This was the best episode yet. The three apologies was a bit too much, but the drama was interesting.

The chemistry between Bradley Whitford and Christine Lahti was nice too. She's still looking good!

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This was the best ep sence the pilot. It really works much, much better when they don't show very much of the show within the show.

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I also thought it had a very "Sports Night" feel, to the point that I think Sorkin may rather be writing Sports Night.

We also get a new vehicle for Sorkin's relationship issues, as a very Maureen Dowdish writer joins the cast.

And the only reason the writer didn't get fired was so that Matt could look like a saint, though an incredibly conflict-averse saint. I think Jack Rudolf should come down and fire the writer.

I have a hard time believing that Matt is writing as much of the show as they're implying. Things have never, ever, ever worked that way on SNL. In fact most of the behind the scenes drama at SNL has always been about the writers (and the writer-actors)trying to impress Lorne with their sketches, forming cliques and cabals, writers finding particular actors they write well for, and Lorne's control-freak Jedi mind tricks playing everyone off against each other.

Two great books on SNL, by the way - Saturday Night, http://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Night-Backstage-History-Live/dp/0688050999/sr=8-2/qid=1160453782/ref=sr_1_2/104-9965764-8541509?ie=UTF8&s=books
and Gasping for Airtime - http://www.amazon.com/Gasping-Airtime-Years-Trenches-Saturday/dp/1401308015/sr=8-2/qid=1160453850/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-9965764-8541509?ie=UTF8&s=books
(by Jay Mohr, which tells what it's like to be a cast member who gets to wave good-night at 12:55 and not much else.)

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bottom line, I love the show.
I am pulled into there world each week where there problems are paramount to them. NO It's not the problems of running the free world, but to each their own set of problems.
Love Harriet. She connects to Christians who believe but aren't on the fringe. She upholds her beliefs, yet can laugh. Finally someone like me and my friends.

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I can imagine this will be the next show on the chopping block along with Brothers and Sisters. Well here's hoping anyway.

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I thought the fact that they were cutting into the west coast feed three times was pretty amusing, and of course it's not realistic. More than likely, that would have aired one live correction and the others would have been press releases.

I enjoy the show, I love the chemistry between Whitford and Perry. The only really bothersome part of the show for me is the relationship story between Harriet and Matt. I just can't seem to care for their relationship/non-relationship.

Overall, a solid B+ episode.

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Yeah, another good episode in my opinion.

I can't wait for the time where we can read these comments without people telling us how much they don't like it. No offense, but guys, seriously, if you don't like it, don't watch it. If you don't like it and choose to watch it, don't bother to tell us how much you don't like it.

I love the characters. I love that the guys that we're supposed to hate, Ricky and Ron, stood up and were honorable. I love that (in my opinion), Paulson plays a very original character. I love the "Best Friend Dynamic" (TM) that Sorkin does better than anyone else. I love the quips, and that Danny seems to know everything. I love Bradley Whitford.

I've never been much of a DL Hughley fan, but he's been slowly winning me over. This week, however, he made me a HUGE fan. The bit with him looking through the blinds, and then realizes that the glass was gone had me laughing out loud.

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The storyline about the guy who feared for his job was probably inspired by Jay Mohr, who admitted to stealing a bit, beat for beat, joke for joke, from a stand-up comedian.

A pretty decent episode, but the Harriet / Matt relationship storyline isn't nearly as interesting to me as all the others, probably because I can personally relate to the other stuff.

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I think this was the best show so far. I've been somewhat disappointed with the show since the pilot, but the show seems to have found its footing here. We'll see if it holds up. One of the things I really liked about the episode is that we saw very little of the sketches. A little bit of meet the press, which I liked and the news segments. I hope Sorkin keeps that formula because the weakest part of the last 2 eps were the sketches. As for the Harriet character, I was among those who didn't really like her after the pilot, but she has grown on me, so I'm able to forgive the romantic sub plot. Actually, all of the "big three" have gotten better over the first few weeks and tonight they really shined.

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This was a great episode...made even better by the fact that during the show on stolen comedy routines NBC ran a promo for the Tonight Show featuring Tina Fey of 30 Rock cracking a joke I >know< I've heard recently on a late-night talk show about having a baby being like having a drunk midget in your house. I think it may have been Billy Bob Thornton? True irony.

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I keep watching the show, keep wanting to like the show, but... don't.

- The cast is solidly built to handle the dramatic elements of the show but fails horribly in the comic scenes.
- Sorkin is a witty writer but has no flair for the humor in a typical late night comedy show. They need to bring in some comedy writers to make the late night comedy show more authentic and leave Sorkin to do the dramatic scenes.
- Why does the network president have so much time to spend on one show in the lineup?
- Why would the mainstream media care about a network president's personal life?
- The alleged plagiarism is a legal problem. It is neither an urgent political crisis like the West Wing would have or an urgent journalistic integrity crisis like Sportsnight. Why have an immediate live broadcast to solve a legal problem?

Yeah, I'll keep watching. I'm really hoping it improves.

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I only caught a glimpse of it last week when they showed the preview of what was to be this week's show, and I thought it was going to be Harriet or D.L. Hugley's character saying a cuss word... hence, the delayed feed.

But, what is there to argue with? The show went great, but I do strongly agree with TV Squad and the whole Matt/Harriet plotline. Hopefully, they do get it over with and have them kiss next week. I'm surprised by how strong they're already pushing them to be a couple, but it's better than having contrived plots to prevent it... like tonight's. The whole boot-fiasco at the "bombshell babes" was in fact, lame.

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I have been greatly enjoying this show since its inception. I would be sorely disappointed if NBC decides to give it the ax. It seems to be picking up steam, now that they are getting all of the "get to know the characters" crap out of the way. Now that we are getting to know them:

- Harriet: This woman annoys the crap out of me. I can't put my finger on why. She goes from benevolent and calm to whiny in a heartbeat. When Matt is having the crisis unfold regarding the plagiarism and all she wants to do is carry on about the ballplayer, when she is storming off throwing tantrums, in a WORKPLACE, mind you, when she is deliberately naive (which just may be her being manipluative)...she just gets on my damn nerves. I hope Sorkin throws some serious hell her way.

- Matt: Fantastically well-acted and well-written. He's opinionated as hell without being flat-out hateful, and seems to have an underlying fairness to him.

- Danny: An extremely loyal team player that also seems to understand that business is business. His handling of Harriet's whiny ass in this episode was extraordinary.

- Jordan: Growing on me. Her chemistry with the others seems to be developing well. I look forward to her ex-husband going on Geraldo.

- Simon: Faring much better than I thought he would. I can see them throwing him some great onstage material in the future. I can also see him having issues with loyalty. He's obviously insecure, and that could create some great conflict.

- Tom: Finally got to spend some time with him tonight where he wasn't carrying on about the internet. He seems to be able to do the rapid-fire dialogue required by Sorkin very well. I can also see him teaming up with Simon against Harriet in the future. The dissolution of "The Three" would make really good television.

- Jack: Can't wait for this character to get more fleshed out. Ultimately, he is the final word on many things, and will probably be forced to go to bat for one or all of the primaries, and how he does it should be interesting.

All in all, I agree with Bob. This is the best new show on television. I hope they give it room to grow, or if anything, change its timeslot once they've cut away the real deadwood on the schedule.

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There seems to be a lot of hate out for the show, but this was, other than the pilot (which in my mind, was close to perfect, and when "Pressure" played at the end, I had shivers going down my mind), as it has gotten into its groove. It had the Sports Night feeling going on, and on the whole, everything seemed to flow nicely.

I'd say my favorite part was the walking conversation between Matt and Tom, as it had the classical Sorkin feel to it, and god damn it, Nate Corddry really is a great actor (easily surpassing his brother). The whole exchange was like an intellectual orgasm - in a good way.

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And on a side note, yeah, I'm a fan of Harriet's.

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I'd like to point out that although Harriet annoys me, she annoys me as a character. I think that the actress that plays her is doing a fantastic job, and that she is important to the show.

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This show just keeps knocking it out of the park every time. Sure, the idea of breaking into the tape delay 3 times is ludicrous, but it works.

My two favorite bits were Matt breaking the glass (somehow I missed it during the promos) and Simon sticking his head through the blinds and realizing that the glass wasn't there. I wonder if that was scripted or if D.L. improvised that bit.

The best thing by far about the show is the chemistry between MP and BW. I'm really enjoying the Harriet Hayes character. I like how AS is embracing the fact that she's religious and funny instead of mocking on it.

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