TVSquad

This episode was beyond awful. I was laughing unintentionally throughout the entire thing. Sorkin was attempting to be funny with his constant West Wing references but it was just a reminder of how awful this show is. Even Allison Janney and Timothy Busfield together in multiple scenes couldn't save it. And I can't believe poor Lucy Davis is wasting her talents every week on this.

It's refreshing to know that Harriet doesn't need Matt to bore us with the Harriet/Matt love story.

I snarked my thoughts at: http://www.mediaobsessed.com

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Awww. I loved this episode. Tim Busfield and Allison Janney have such great chemistry (though it was a bit of mindf*ck with the real-life Alison interacting with her on-screen ex). If you've ever worked in a live medium (TV, theater or, to a lesser extent, radio), you can't help but both laugh and feel for the in-show cast. And you ADORE the Cals of the world (of which there are very, very few).

However, all the above comments point to one of the things that got the show cancelled: its "insiderness." Missing cues and panicky actors make most people think, "How can they possibly complain about those jobs?" I loved Cal's comment at the end, to the effect of "It's better than digging a hole," because no matter how cool your job is, it's *always* a job.

The sketches weren't funny (they never are), and I didn't like the Simon thing either, but I kind of liked (please don't ban me) seeing the cast and crew more than the execs.

Curious to see if anyone else posts. Apparently I'm the only one who voted - I gave it a 6.

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I think you are pretty much on the money with this review. It felt good to see the show back on the air after what felt like a year hiatus. However, watching it made me a little sad about what might have been, if the show had been picked up for season 2.

In general I thought it was a solid episode. The Cal (Danny) - Allison (C.J.) interplay was fantastic, and reminded me of how much I like both of these actors. Not having Matt or Danny on was a bit of a downer, and i was cringing through the Simon plot with his two women. It felt at best forced and cheesy, and at worst unoriginal and boring. Yet once again the interplay between the characters and the excellent performances of most of the cast won me over.

Classic episode of Studio 60? No, but good television nonetheless!

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Anyone have any idea why these two guys weren't on tonight? I've been googling my rear off to find some kind of explanation. Did they bail once the studio cancelled? Will they be around for the next few?

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Diana, again, Please. don't make me say it again. I beg of you to stop trying to get the free advertising on this blog and trying to increase traffic to what really appears to not be a personal blog.

BTW- I thought it was brilliant. One of there best episodes. Yes I missed Matt and Danny, but I thought the scenes with Timothy Busfield were absolutely fabulous. I feel that the humor is a great nod to the type used in West Wing and Sports Night. I thought Allison Janney stole the show as usual. I loved how Aaron Sorkin acknowledged every ones complaints about the Matt and Harriet.

I have always liked how the 'sketches' are not funny, and I don't think they were ever supposed to be really, it would have taken away from the better Sorkin humor.

And tonights show felt 'right' having worked in the live entertainment industry for many years, usually when things don't go right, they go really really wrong.

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This is my favorite T.V. show of all time. I absolutely cannot believe that it is being cancelled. Isn't there anything we can do to continue the show? I want to set up a protest demonstration in front of the NBC studios. Every episode is completely enthralling and I cannot believe it's only got a few episodes left. Extremely disappointing. What's happened to T.V.?

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Wow.... Everything that's wrong with this show, this episode had in spades.

First of all, it's great to do a "special" episode that doesn't focus on the usual leads... After you've established a good relationship with your audience. "Studio 60" never did that, so this was just an episode without a center. Yes, Timothy Busfield is great, and some of the supporting cast is fine... But come on. It's like Sorkin just doesn't care anymore.

The D.L. Hughley subplot was like 80 million sitcoms where the kid ends up with two dates to the dance and loses them both. I couldn't even stand to watch this part.

Does Sorkin really realize we're sick of the Matt-Harriet thing? Then why did we have to listen to her blab on and on about it, endlessly, once again, going over the same stupid issues we've already heard in every episode up till now?

The in-jokes about Allison Janney, and "The West Wing," and how she gets mistaken for Christine Lahti -- an actress who, of course, already plays a reporter on this show -- were too precious for words. And what kind of ratings would a late-night comedy show in 2007 get with Allison Janney as the guest host, anyway?

Last but not least, with the kids who made the bomb threat, Sorkin had to once again bring us a couple of "average Americans" who are complete idiots. He deserved a good spanking by John Goodman for that one.

I've stuck up for this show in the past, but this was by far, to quote another show that's gone downhill, the Worst Episode Ever. Did Sorkin already know he was canceled when he wrote this one? Maybe it was just a big fat joke on us.

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For me, tonight's show was a real let-down. Since the show's indefinite suspension, I'd been trying to garner a bit of info as to what was going to happen, but when I couldn't turn up anything substantial I figured that "4am Miracle" was the concluding episode. All things considered, I could accept it though I didn't love it. After watching tonight's aptly named "The Disaster Show," I think that "4am Miracle" [i]should[/i] have ended it.

As the reviewer shared, I also had hopes that Studio 60 would come out with guns blazing - would give us both barrels tonight. I wanted to be floored and fall in love all over again. Much to my dismay, there was nothing lovable, likeable or even memorable about tonight's episode; in fact, it reeked of death. No Matt, no Danny, no Jordan...high-and-mighty Jack walked around the set drunk...not one bit of witty dialogue...AWKWARD timing on those commercial breaks...what the hell??

Is it really possible that Sorkin turned inept between writing episodes? I don't think so. How possible is it that there's a not-so-subtle hidden message in the title? "The Disaster Episode." Mutiny. How possible is it that the plot contains parallels (on some level, a show divided against itself) to the struggle Studio 60 faces at NBC? It may be a stretch, but it may not.

Looking at the preview of next week's episode, I'm not sure that I expect anything better seven nights from now. I didn't see any footage featuring either Matt or Danny that I recognized as new, just snippets from old episodes. I don't see how they managed to air even [i]one[/i] show absent of the two main characters, let alone two, but only time will tell. Matt and Danny truly are the show as far as I'm concerned...but I'll stop here before I wax sentimental.

Here's hoping for...eh...the best.

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"Did Sorkin already know he was canceled when he wrote this one? Maybe it was just a big fat joke on us."

...no kidding, BigTed. It really makes you wonder...

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I knew this show was cancelled but had no idea they were going to finish out the season. When I ran across it while channel surfing, I was initially delighted to see it, as I was a regular Monday night viewer. After this episode, I think perhaps the network was right for cancelling it.
Juvenile, predictable and boring. Even Allison Janney, an actress whose work I enjoy, couldn't really enliven this, aptly entitled diaster of an
episode.

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If I'm not mistaken, wasn't one of the ways that Sorkin was able to get NBC to give a full order for the show by promising to reduce costs by not to use the full cast in every episode. And of course his two most expensive cast members are Whitford and Perry.

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What bugged me most, besides the inept Hughley subplot, was the fact that Matt and Danny should have been all over this one. If there's going to be a disaster show, they're going to be front and center -- trying to make it work. It's just what they'd do. But what do I know; I'm not the writer.

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I thought the episode was quite good, but I have to agree on the Matt & Danny part. It would have a joy actually watching Danny doing the labor negotiations instead of just hearing about them.

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For what its worth, I was very happy to see this show back on the schedule. YES , It wasnt the best episode but at least we get to see five more episodes unlike some other shows which will remain nameless. If you dont like it. dont watch, I believe TVs still come with an OFF button. I for one will be tuning in every week. Thank you NBC.

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Can we give Tim Busfield and Allison Janney their own shows, I mean really. Allison Janney was amazing this episode, I loved her. "This is my first... third time here in NYC... in LA doing SNL.... Studio 60!"

This episode proved why the show failed. It's called The Disaster Show which is what the real Studio 60 was. Last night's episode of the fake show was bad and everyone knew it, they weren't talknig about how wonderfully great the fake show is. That's what should have been the fake show throughout. The fact Studio 60 should have been known for being bad and then the real STudio 60 might have been better.

Plus last night there was very little right wing hating bullshit which really helps out too.

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Boy, people who hate the show sure the hell made it a point to make sure they knew when it was coming back just so they could wallow in their misery once more.

Do you know how hard it is for a show to find an audience when it goes off the air indefinitely, leaving no forwarding address, then comes back, switching nights? Haters sure must have tried hard to make sure they wouldn't miss their least favorite show.

You're like a miserable, jilted lover who hates his ex, but stalks her anyway. Get over it and leave the rest of us to enjoy what's left.

Matt & Harriet are not my favorite set of TV lovers ever. (Coincidentally, that honor belongs to Tim and Dawn from the original office. Maybe seeing Lucy Davis makes it all the harder for me to buy this one.)

But this was a funny, entertaining bit of TV. I love the sparkle in Sorkin's scripts. I don't need car crashes or rape cases to feel drama. The real dramas are of the heart anyway. Real life hopes, fears, joys, obstacles to ambition, etc. If America can love Mary Tyler Moore, WKRP, and The Dick Van Dyke Show, then it's a poor excuse to say nobody cares what happens back stage on a TV show. The show may have its faults, but there's so few templates out there that anybody is willing to try. Everything is either reality TV populated by sniping, bitter nobodies or (as one article said) semen spattered corpses on the procedural(s) of the week.

I'll be sad to see this show go.

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I'm surprised no one's mentioned that this ep was only 55 minutes long (Scrubs ran until 5 after the hour)...I bet NBC made them snip 5 minutes at the last moment.

Is the show back on in Canada? If so, did they get an uncut version?

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throwing batteries is not something a typical phillies fan would do. i personally found that awesome, because drew is a jerk, but no, we don't all act like 11 year old's.
(we pride ouselves on being 15, thank you very much ;)

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even a Studio 60 apologist like me has to finally break down and say that maybe the show should have been canceled. I have liked almost all the episodes but this one was TERRIBLE. No Matt and Danny??? WTF?? The two of them with Jordan are the only reason the show is even watchable so when you get rid of the three of them, you are left with West Wing jokes (funny, sort of) but its a good thing they aired this episode after it was canceled. it was so self referential that it bordered on not funny. 4 ouf ot 7 at best, probably a 3

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I highly doubt that Sorkin (or whoever) wrote this show without Matt and Danny in it. Maybe Perry and Whitford couldn't film that week for some reason, and Peet was probably not in it because of her pregnancy.

These actors get "paid" whether they're in the episode or not, so I'm sure there were other reasons why they weren't in it.

So-so episode. Loved Janney and Busfield together again and Weber was good, hated the whole Simon subplot.

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