TVSquad

I almost didn't want to review this DVD set. Did I really want to go back into those murky waters again and bring up all those old disagreements? But here we go...

Actually, the DVD set for Studio 60 is much like the TV series itself. It starts out brilliantly and then as it goes on it starts to get worse and worse. But then it ends nicely!

Packaging

Pretty standard packaging, just a regular box containing three plastic holders housing two DVDs each. The artwork on each plastic holder is fairly interesting. Instead of a large pic on the front and the info on the inside, all the episode info is on the front and back of each individual holder, including pics from episodes and promotional pics.

When you think of Revenge of the Nerds what comes to mind? Classic 80's movie? Naked sorority sisters? Morality story on how the meek can inherit the earth? Bush (and not the president)?

That's what came to my mind when I recently saw the film. However, something else popped into my brain as well while I was watching the end credits. Not only did a number of Nerds stars go on to other successful movies, but they also went and became fairly big television stars as well. Here are five who went onto small-screen fame.

You knew I'd be the one to tell you this news, right?

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip returns to the NBC schedule on May 24, presumably to just run the rest of the episodes they have filmed. Hopefully they knew they were ending early while filming so they can end the show in a good way.

By the way, May 24 is a Thursday. The show will air at 10pm in the slot currently occupied by ER. I wonder what would have happened to the show if it had originally been in this slot, or maybe an hour earlier. Oh well. I guess the best way to think of it now is as a long miniseries, one that will have around 22 episodes and a conclusion.

...of course, the second part of that headline should probably be "...but it probably won't be renewed."

There have been rumors going around that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip had stopped production, but that's not the case. In fact, they just finished filming episode 19 earlier this week, and filming of episode 20 started earlier today. So it looks like they'll film the full 22 for the season, but after that...well, they'll probably burn off the episodes during the summer and the show will not see a second season. That's Ray Richmond's take on it, and I agree with him.

Which is really too bad, because...well, for all the reasons I've mentioned several times here at the site before. And it's too bad that NBC abandoned the show, even though other shows that have premiered since Studio 60 was put on hiatus haven't done any better in the ratings. It would have been really nice to see what the show could have done in another time slot, another night. But I guess we'll have to be happy with a one season DVD set, hopefully with extras.

[via TV Tattle]

(S01E11) I've never understood how people can celebrate Christmas in California (or Florida or Texas, for that matter). I grew up and live in New England, and I don't understand how you can have Christmas without the cold air and the possibility of snow. I mean, it just doesn't seem right, roaring down the 405 with the top down as the temp hovers around 78 degrees, with no Jack Frost nipping at your nose (job). But that's just me.

But it's also Matt Albie, who wants to bring a little Christmas spirit to Los Angeles and the set of Studio 60...

Note to TV Squad's Bob Sassone: You said you would be jealous if Ryan Budke visited the set of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Well, Bob, let the jealousy flow because we have new video of Ryan's recent visit to the Studio 60 set.

In this second go-around, Ryan speaks with cast members Matthew Perry, Steven Weber, Amanda Peet, and Timothy Busfield on how hard it is to speak "Aaron-ese" on the show. He also talks to Perry and Bradley Whitford about the the relationship of their characters Matt Albie and Danny Tripp.

You can view the video after the jump.

Anthony LaPaglia of Without a Trace has been developing shows for CBS and FOX through his production company, Last Straw Productions. The actor is currently developing Damnation for FOX, a supernatural series created by actor Timothy Busfield about a man who thinks he's wrongly been sent to Hell and begins to harvest souls for the Devil in exchange for his freedom. Busfield is set to executive produce and direct. There's not a lot of specifics about the new series, which I assume is a drama, though this premise could easily be a comedy, as well. All I know is that it's about time Satan got some equal airtime. The Dark Prince has been sorely absent from the airwaves for too long, and frankly, I've missed him quite a bit.

(S01E04) Unlike many people, I like the Harriet Hayes character. And I like the way that Sarah Paulson is playing her. It's a distinctive performance: very precise in her delivery, graceful, even when she's yelling about something or irritated. And she's a very religious person, but one that's on a late night show doing satire. I don't see anything wrong with what she's doing or how she's written. I actually find the way she acts really believable. I know people like Harriet Hayes.

Having said that, I didn't really enjoy the opening scene of this show. I thought that (for the most part) Matt and Harriet had made up an episode or two ago. And I thought the argument (Matt's upset that Harriet gets a signed bat from a pitcher) was a little too forced, and I thought the Matt and Harriet love plot was going to take over the entire show. But then something happened in this episode, around the 19 minute mark, like something snapped and the episode started to soar, started to click, and showed how dramatic the backstage goings on at a TV show can be.

(S01E02) If it's possible, this second episode was even better than the first.

Where the first episode took a lot of time introducing all of the various characters (it had to, with such a large cast), this one jumps right into the action, and the episode is borderline brilliant. It's Monday morning, three days after the events of the first episode, and Jordan McDeere starts her first full day as the new president of NBS by holding a press conference to introduce Matt and Danny.

Of course, things don't go as planned...

I'll have a full review of the Studio 60 pilot after the show premieres this Monday (NBC, 10pm), but here's a sneak peek at what you can expect, and my first impressions.

I haven't seen all of the pilots yet. I've seen many of them, and Studio 60 stands so far above them it's almost like they have to say, "this isn't television, it's Studio 60," but HBO already snagged that tag line. Besides, there's nothing else on TV that's more TV than Studio 60, since it's set in the world of television.

At the end of Sunday night's series finale of The West Wing, NBC premiered a 30-second preview of the new Aaron Sorkin series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (which I am calling Studio 60 from now on whenever I mention it.). The trailer can now be seen on YouTube in all its glory (or here, after the jump below).

Matthew Perry appears in a scene at the beginning of the trailer, and Bradley Whitford appears in a scene at the end. In between, a list of the show's stars is rattled off. If you notice, there are a number of people who have worked together before. Whitford, Perry and Timothy Busfield all appeared on Sorkin's The West Wing. Perry and Amanda Peet worked together on the film The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel.

Take a gander at the trailer. I think it will get you pumped up for the premier this fall.

Hey, here's news that probably won't shock you. NBC has picked up Studio 60 on Sunset Strip, the new Aaron Sorkin-Thomas Schlamme show starring Amanda Peet, Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Timothy Busfield, Steven Weber, DL Hughley and Nate Corddry. The show is set behind-the-scenes of a Saturday Night Live-style sketch comedy show. Perry and Whitford will play the head writers and Peet will play the new entertainment chief who "inherits a massive public relations disaster on the series."

West Wing and Sports Night fans are excited about Aaron Sorkin's new fall show, Studio 60, which depicts the behind the scenes goings on at an SNL-like television show. That excitement only increased when they found out that West Wing veterans Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, and Timothy Busfield had signed on.

Now we can get a sneak peek at the script for the first episode. Of course, this is not the final shooting script. The name of the show has changed as well as some of the character names, but it gives a good idea what the show is about and what direction Sorkin will take the show.

Also: there's already a Wikipedia page up for the show.

Ah, another West Wing alum joins Studio 60!

Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman on TWW) will play a producer/director of the fictional late night show where Studio 60 is set. He'll join cast members that have already been announced, including Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Steven Weber, and Timothy Busfield. Aaron Sorkin created the NBC show.

This is turning into the must-see show of the 2006-07 season. I'm really looking forward to this.