I really really want to like this show

One of my favorite TV shows of all time was Sports Night.

Created by Aaron Sorkin, it had all the hallmarks of a Sorkin show. Quick, intelligent dialogue. Instant history/back story between two of the major players. A bubbling love affair in the workplace. Multiple subplots. And so on.

Sports Night was doomed by being thought of as a \”sports show\”, but really being a dramedy about relationships in the workplace…the workplace just happened to be the set of a sports highlight show (a la SportsCenter).

Sports Night was my Arrested Development. A show that I loved that was cancelled far too soon…although I never really cared for Arrested Development, but that\’s another story.

The point of all of this is that when the new Aaron Sorkin show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, was debuting this year, expectations were high. Great cast, great premise (an SNL type of show), great track record of the creator… but after a few months, the show just isn\’t doing it for me.

What is bothering me most is the budding love affair between Amanda Peet and Bradley Whitford. I just can buy it. No way these two fall for each other. She is wayyyy out of his league. I realize it\’s a show…but I just can\’t take this leap.

Beyond that…Harriet is a total bitch, Matther Perry\’s character drives me nuts, the feud between DL Hughley and the black writer on the show confuses me, and the injection of the horn-fueled theme song always feels awkward and out of place. I could go on.

But am I watching? Yes. Will I continue? As long as it follows Heroes, there\’s a good chance. But that too is another story.


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One response to “I really really want to like this show”

  1. anderswa Avatar

    i feel your pain on sports night. i didn’t watch it at the time but have seen all episodes on DVD and agree that it, like arrested development, died too soon.

    i, myself, am a fan of studio 60– not as much as i am of sports night or AD, but i find myself looking forward to the episode each week. some of the story lines are contrived, but the fact that it’s intelligent makes it worth it for me– pretty hard to find on tv these days.

    you aren’t alone on the show not reaching you, though; tanking ratings can be seen here:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_60#U.S._television_ratings

    i’m sure it’s just a matter of time before it gets canned in favor of Mom Swap! or Burn Down My House! or Living In Maury Povich’s Linen Closet!

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