I almost didn't write this, because I'm really just inviting every person who hates me or hates Studio 60 (or the many people who seem to have a part-time job hating me and Studio 60) to just jump into the comments section and tell me why the show was bad and why I'm a terrible, terrible human being for even liking it. But then I decided, what the hell. In fact, let me help you with your comments. Cut and paste as you desire:
1. No one cares about what's going on behind the scenes of a late night comedy show
2. Sarah Paulson isn't funny.
3. The show isn't funny.
4. Sorkin is too preachy!
5. There's no chemistry between Paulson and Perry, and they focus on the Matt/Harriet plot too much.
6. Amanda Peet isn't believable/too young/too pretty to be a network exec.
7. You suck Sassone!
Tonight's episode, "Miracle at 4am," might just be the last episode of the show. Sure, NBC might show whatever episodes are still in the can at a later date, but even that's questionable. For now, the new drama The Black Donnellys takes over the time slot.
I gotta tell you, I still like this show. And I like it not because of some misguided Aaron Sorkin worship, I like it because of the awesome potential it has. Does the show have problems? You bet it does. It's not quite as sharp now as some of the early episodes were, they got away from the clever plots and dialogue about the TV industry and tried to turn it into a romantic comedy, and yes they do focus on the Matt/Harriet plot too much. Still, this is a Must-See show for me. I like Amanda Peet in her role. I do find Sarah Paulson believable. Perry and Whitford have great chemistry together (and what a revelation that even though they spent several years in their Friends and West Wing roles, you don't think of that when you watch them), and Steven Weber is fantastic.
But one of the reasons I'm also sorry to see it go is that there's nothing else like it on television right now. Love it, hate it, shrug it off, this is a grown up, classy, old-fashioned piece of entertainment, with a great cast and (I think) a great setting. It's the type of show you want to see get better and succeed. A show that wasn't a reality show, a CSI/Law and Order spinoff, or a show where people solve crimes with the help of the dead. And if you're the type of viewer who bizarrely "wants" to see this show fail instead of becoming better, well, there's no hope for you.
It's too bad that nowadays shows are not given more time to grow. The Dick Van Dyke Show, Seinfeld, and Cheers were almost canceled their first seasons too, but were given time to grow. I still don't know why NBC execs didn't at least try moving Studio 60 to a different day and time. With all the money they've spent on the show you'd think that people over at NBC would insist on trying it some other day. I know it's hard to find a time slot when you have Deal Or No Deal on 35 times a week. Eh, whatever.
This is an interesting case study though in how the public perceives TV now. Everyone has an opinion about what's wrong with a TV show, how it could be better, how it SUX, as you AOL-ers would say. A lot of you used to get on my case for my overly positive reviews of the show (back when I reviewed the show). I didn't praise the show because I had stock in NBC or was friends with a cast member or I had terrible taste. I believe in not getting on the case of someone who is trying to do something creative, whether it's TV, film, music, painting or anything else. Of course there were things wrong with the show. There are things wrong with every show. But it's ridiculous to dissect every single aspect of every single episode of a show. What's the point? You take it as a whole, realize that there will be good and bad episodes, and continue to watch it and hope the bad things get better and the good things stay the same. But today we can't do that. In this fast paced, media-saturated world where even the most casual TV fan knows what the ratings for Lost were 12 hours ago and where every local TV station tells us how the new movies did at the weekend box office before the weekend is even over, that's impossible. With rare exceptions, if a show isn't a big hit right away, then it's shelved, put on "hiatus," or even canceled, never to be seen again.
I guess we can start all of the "if only HBO (or FX or Showtime or whoever) would pick it up!" wishing we had with Arrested Development. But fans shouldn't hold their breath for that. Maybe the remaining episodes will be shown on NBC.com or Bravo, or maybe the season will be released on DVD, with unaired eps and extras.
Whatever happens to the remaining episodes, I have this strange feeling that if The Black Donnellys also fails, we'll see yet another new reality show on NBC. Maybe All You Need Is Love. And Jordan McDeere's nemesis Hallie will get the last laugh after all.
Giveaways reminder: Office, Eli Stone, Supernatural, South Park
Giveaway Thursday: Tickets to the New York Television Festival ... all of it!
I miss the media-friendly John McCain - VIDEOS
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
2-19-2007 @ 7:05PM
Jo said...
I like the show, too.
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2-19-2007 @ 7:13PM
andrew said...
for one thing. i think the show moves too slowly. I mean, a show like 24 is expected to be hour by hour. so far we've had a couple 2 or 3 part story arcs that span an evening or so. So when they wrap up a story arc, we have to remember what happened 2 or 3 weeks ago?
i was really into the show at the beginning of the season, but overall, i'm more likely to skip it.
by the way, didn't the network order a full season, so would they just throw away the other episodes that they presumably have already paid for?
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2-19-2007 @ 7:19PM
Isabelle said...
I liked the show at first. I mostly watched because of the cast and liked to see the behind-the-scenes stuff. I was not too attached to the series but then the Christmas episode rocked and I was rooting for the series and told people to watch it. Sadly, since it returned after the Holidays, the show has been disappointing me to the point that I'm wondering if I'll even watch if/when it comes back.
I tried to pinpoint why I don't like it as much anymore. It seems that partially it's because it's all about the couples now and less about the show within the show. I saw tonight's episode already and I was disappointed. The storylines were not entertaining me at all... some even annoyed me!
STUDIO 60 is the show I want to love but it seems the show is trying to seperate from me...
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2-19-2007 @ 7:22PM
Chris said...
It's a shame that NBC claims to wave the banner for quality and then forces its viewers to choose between the current project of one of the best TV writers of the last ten years (Sorkin) or the new project from the most honored movie writer of the past five (Paul Haggis). You can't be the quality network when you just greenlight these series only to set them up for failure.
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2-19-2007 @ 7:23PM
Chuck said...
Studio 60 is one of the few "grown folks" on tv, while sometimes preachy, it assumes you can understand the sermon. I enjoy the characters as well as the writing. As to another reality show, on well, more reading time for me.
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2-19-2007 @ 7:24PM
John said...
i still really love studio 60, i agree totally with what you say, and your rant about everyone knowing how well Lost rated is spot on.
i hope this isn't the end for studio 60...
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2-19-2007 @ 7:28PM
innamorata said...
I agree with all the positive you wrote about the show.
The potential of this show makes me patient. I think the cast works well and the best as yet to come.
I still HATE the "I'm crazy about you" note though. THAT was BEYOND awful, heck it reached a point where it literally offended me as a viewer and a woman).
I've rewatched the first four seasons of The West Wing over the holiday seasons and I remembered how the first season didn't work for me much until "Celestial Navigation" (Woot canaw).
Sorking surely wasted airtime with some of his rants early on but I didn't mind then. I do now because the show is bound to disappear soon. *sigh*
Whatchagonnado?
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2-19-2007 @ 7:29PM
Cyndi said...
I like the show as well, I have been following Sorkin since Sports Night and I love his work. I agree with your assesment of the set and the cast, I wish NBC would give this show a different time slot and a different lead in. Heroes is a great show but it doen't mesh with Studio 60. Maybe tuesday at 10 with SVU leading in. I know I'm grasping but I don't want NBC to cancel net another wonderful show like they did with Kidnapped earlier this season. This show is fresh and different not a cookie cutter show like too many shows on network telivision today.
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2-19-2007 @ 7:43PM
BigTed said...
I think I'm like many viewers in that I have problems with "Studio 60," but I'd be sorry to see it gone. It's a unique show, and a lot of aspects of it are great. (Unfortunately, it also has some annoying aspects, and they're really, really annoying.)
In the scale of TV dramas, it hasn't been on very long, and it still has to potential to be a lot better. Even a little improvement would make it more worthwhile than most of what's on. And I think that would be possible -- for one thing, while it's interesting to view to view the contents of Aaron Sorkin's head every week, it would help to have some other respected writers (preferably with a sense of humor) to shape the show. For another, just get rid of dolphin-voice already and bring in a new female lead. (Hey, "30 Rock" managed to do it.)
I guess the show may not survive long enough for improvements like these to happen, but if I had a vote I'd say give this baby another chance.
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2-19-2007 @ 7:46PM
Stephanie said...
I had really high hopes for the show when it started out. As a long-time fan of the West Wing, I was exactly the viewer they wanted. However, over time Studio 60 just didn't pay out for me (despite the fact that half the cast of WW came with the new show, they used the same type face for the show title, etc...). It especially ran dry in the "Harriet Dinner" episodes. We haven't known Matt and Harriet long enough to care about their relationship - and they don't have enough chemistry to make us ever care. Also, however much drama may actually take place behind the scenes of a late-night tv show - in effect - it is just a workplace drama with not enough drama to hook us in.
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2-19-2007 @ 7:58PM
Curt said...
I love the show. Been watching it from day one and while it has it's bad points, the swhole product far outweighs the sum of its parts.
but it got popular to hate it on the nets for some reason. I just hope that whoever's in charge at NBC grow's a spine and tries to keep it.
And let's have a Sorkin get a away from the Matt/Harriet story (which I think last week's episode started), even though I love both characters.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:05PM
Erica said...
Hey Bob!! Let me send you some warm fuzzies. Not everyone hates you. I'm more indifferent. :)
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2-19-2007 @ 8:06PM
David said...
I will completely miss the show...It is exactly the type of show needed on TV now, whether good or bad - its trying to be different...Maybe paired with Medium of Friday Night Lights would have been better
I saw the Black Donnelley's pilot way back in august, and that is great too - please people watch the 'whole' episode and give it a try...If people do, I think it will actually fit in very well with the post-"Heroes" slot.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:08PM
TVSeriesFinale.com said...
Some very good writing but ultimately the show is certainly flawed. It seems like NBC has stuck with it but, with lousy ratings, you have to wonder for how long. We may get to see the rest of this season but a second season seems really unlikely now.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:15PM
Robb Irrgang said...
I love(d) the show but right now, there's just too much Matt/Harriet going on. Most people stopped caring about them after the first few episodes, but Sorkin seems to be in love with the couple still.
I like Matt Albie (when he's not being written as Chandler Bing - yeah, I mean last week's ep). I like the Harriet character - on her own. The two of them together? I couldn't care less if I tried. and I try. Oh my God, do I try.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:17PM
Mark G said...
umm yup, pretty much agree with every one of those. show is uneven, unfunny and booooooring.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:29PM
jonnyrice said...
There's plenty of Sorkin-ness to make Studio 60 mildly entertaining, but not enough ooomph to really make it "gotta buy the DVD too" good. Even though I've enjoyed the show so far, I wouldn't mind if it died a quiet death, just so Sorkin and Company can move on and bring us something new. I'd rather see what's next from his brain than continue clunking on with Studio 60. That being said, I'll still miss some of these characters real bad.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:37PM
Chris said...
Add me to the camp that isn't quite in love with the show, but would miss some of these characters.
And by some of these characters, I mean Cal Shanley.
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2-19-2007 @ 8:48PM
jOHN! said...
I like the show. I thought it'd be grittier, as shown in the first episode, but it's still good.
People forget that it's a drama, not a comedy, not a sitcom. If anything, the show needs more character development besides the Matt/Danny/Harriet characters.
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2-19-2007 @ 9:08PM
Thomas said...
I've loved Sarah Paulson ever since she was in Jack & Jill with Amanda Peet (who I've also loved since then), and to be fair to her I think you have to place most of the blame for her character upon the material she's given and the hype built up around her character by the show itself. She's supposed to be this comedic genius yet she is given Sweet FA to work with, even if she managed to raise a titter from the laugh free stuff she's given (which would be an achievement) we would still be disappointed because we're supposed to believe she's this comedy god.
For me, the primary problem the show has, and probably the hardest to fix, is that it's built up this immense internal hype and expectation for itself. Everyone and everything in it is hailed as being the best thing since sliced bread. We're led to believe that the show is intelligent and funny and that every character is the best in their field, so when they're not it's all the more disappointing.
The next biggest problem for me is that the show doesn't appear to know what we're supposed to be watching. Are we supposed to see the fake show itself, just the behind the scenes putting together of the show or focus more on the personal lives of the characters as they work in an environment that demands so much time? 30 Rock has faults and is obviously a straight comedy as opposed to a drama but I think it has the mix just right for what it is. At best what 30 Rock shows us is funny titles or a funny visual clue of what TGS is airing and we kind of fill in the rest for ourselves. This, coupled with the fact that it doesn't pretend TGS is immaculate and some vision of comedic perfection allows us to concentrate on the good parts - the characters and the behind the scenes stuff. We see the writing room but they don't have to actually show us any material per sé and as such they're not making things harder for themselves. Larry Sanders got this right as well - the Larry Sanders show within the show was supposed to be good, but it wasn't any better or worse than other shows of its ilk and it even played on the "bad" bits to its advantage.
At least with Sports Night, when we saw some of the show within the show, it was in a pretty generic genre and not to hard to believe in. Studio 60 has proclaimed things as strengths when they're in fact the weakest elements and things we don't even need anyway.
The final major problem I have, which is probably only a problem to people who visit places like this and know about Sorkin and the various inspirations, is that it has so many links to real world people and events that you're never sure if the show isn't more for the benefit of the people making it or for us. It's all well and good writing about what you know and what you've experienced but it has to fit.
For me the sign of a great show is if you can enjoy it without actually seeing it, The West Wing and Sports Night could have been adapted for radio with very few changes. Studio 60 is close, the visuals are great but it's ultimately about the dialogue.
I still like the show because let's face it, it still has some great dialogue, looks great and has a brilliant cast. Unfortunately it has been setup in with far too many things to overcome. I get the feeling that if they'd condensed the episodes we've had into half the number, we'd have something truly great.
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