Studio 60, to me, was when Sorkin jumped the shark. Yet another show that wanted to be TWW, but wasn't.
I agree Jeff Daniels is merely fine, but he never really carries scenes for me. You are right that Sam Waterson is prolly the best they have. Problem is, he really doesn't get that much screen time.
The pilot of STUDIO 60 is brilliant. It really is. Dynamic, well-written, captivating, all that. But it set up a show that had a ton of built-in flaws and plot holes; and in the end, it couldn't be about what it was supposed to be about. So it turned into a hybrid of a backstage showbiz show and a weird political drama. None of it worked, and by the end, the show was just a train wreck. Yet I still watched every minute of it...
I'm enjoying The Newsroom, but it's certainly no West Wing. I've always really liked Jeff Daniels as an actor, but he's no Martin Sheen. I find it funny how the show is basically written as "Jed Bartlett as a news anchor". And while the median age of people who work in the business has skewed very, very young, I find it very hard to believe that even a cable network news outfit would have that many early 20-somethings in positions of relative authority. Very unrealistic, IMPO. Sports Night was far more realistic in that aspect (though it did have the anachronism of a cable sports network still using 3/4" U-matic tapes in the late 1990s ).
I enjoyed it, but I accepted the slant and ran with it. Besides, it gave us quick, but unforgettable moments like this long before it was "cool." [wyt=Beat that with a stick.]3jWOamlD9_8[/wyt]
The West Wing also gave us the single greatest description of American politics ever: "I'm tired of having to pick between the lesser of who cares!"
The main problem with Studio 60 is that it was a drama about the behind the scenes of a comedy show. It just simply didn't work. Also, you do not hire Matthew Perry as a genius comedy writer, not have him be funny and then have him write horribly unfunny bits. Perry is a fine actor and a great physical comedian, but he hasn't had a good comedic role since Friends. Hopefully his new show this fall will bring back some of the old "Friends" magic for him. But I will say that his recent guest stint on "The Good Wife" as an asshole ambitious judge proves he has good dramatic chops when given good material to work with.
Talking about Perry, the pilot to 'Go on' was pretty amazing. I laughed and I cried. Can we move this thread to Media Central?
I missed the preview. But it's re-airing Sept. 11th so I'll catch it then. Hmm...why is that date familiar.....?
