Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

This show is the epitome of excellence. For the case in point, I refer to episode 6 titled "The Wrap Party".I've just finished watching the whole show, and I am entirely blown away. The value of it transcends the medium and even the insightful messages it conveys. The final arc of the series is incredibly gripping, and so thoughtfully played; building such an intense need to experience the resolution that for a few moments you, like I did, might feel the knot of an imaginary ulcer riding in the pit of your stomach- building in intensity as the circumstances worsen and the situation spirals out of control. I wanted to save the final few episodes like I try to do when I know I'm running out of them, so that I can enjoy and appreciate them; so I can let the performance sink in as the words replay through my head, filtering the meaning through the sieves of my neocortex. I could not stop watching. Not just the end, the whole series from front to back. It's monumentally sad that it lasted only a season but the fickle, shallow nature of the people with Neilson boxes doesn't surprise me, and in a way it just nails down and iconifies one of the show's most notable commentaries on our nation, it's culture, and it's television business. I realize, like many shows with consistently low ratings, that the show was perhaps too smart for a lot of people, and that it's incredibly hard to keep the average person's attention without appealing to simplistic or physical humor or flashing breasts: the brevity of shows like Studio 60 is the price we pay for it. Here's to the guys at NBC for continuing to stick up for classy American television with shows like Studio 60, even if average America itself still thinks of television as empty-V: the medium of the quick laugh, little substance, and the quick buck.

Sorokin can spin a good tale--no doubt about that. I just found the 25,000th variation on 'rational scientific' leftists criticize evil narrow minded Christians to be a didactic and trite theme for a 'edgy' 'hip' tv show. What kind of pomposity does sorokin pass off as clever when he engages in shallow stereotyping of christianity as a literal interepretation of genesis and an urge to engage in character assasination of studio executives.

Well, his religio/political agenda aside, I was astonished at how much I liked mat perry in this role. I never liked Friends much, and his character there even less. The use of the countdown clock was a wonderful structure/suspense device, and I did find myself rooting for the protagonists to win their ratings wars or whatever.

Of course its not as funny as 30 rock. 30 rock is comedy, this is drama. While sorokin apparently feels putting on the millionth media sketch making fun of Christians requires heroism and the sublime supreme triumph of good over evil, I did occasionally remind myself that for all the good acting and writing, he tended to take himself and his political agenda a bit too seriously for the show to rise above self-indulgence.

Just watched the first season and thought it was a very good show. I remember back when it came out but didnt hear a lot about it. Which amazed me because i got sucked in and watched the entire season in like 4 days. I feel like a show that was this good would have had more press. But then again I feel like most good shows dont get the credit they deserve until much later. It really sucks there will be no more of Danny and Matt, I was really starting to like them. Though I wish they hadnt split them up as much, Brad Whitford and Mathew Perry were so good when they were together i would have had a lot more scenes of them. But then i dont make shows thankfully.

From the opening scenes of the pilot, I was hooked on Studio 60. The writing was incredible. The cast was terrific. This show (along with Arrested Development) was probably the best television show ever to be cancelled. My wife and I looked forward to it every week (and agonized through the exasperating hiatus). My favorite episodes are:1. Pilot
2. Cold Open
3. The Option Period
4. The Christmas Show
5. The Disaster ShowNBC never really gave the show a chance to find an audience. There are no Brandon Tartikoffs or Grant Tinkers around these days to see beyond ratings points and give quality shows a real opportunity to succeed (remember the low rated Hill Street Blues and Cheers?). Thank you to Hulu for loading Studio 60. Maybe now people will realize what could have been if the network had some vision