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Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

post #1 of 907
7/3/06 at 6:37pm
Thread Starter 
Hey cats and kittens. I'm a bit of a fan of some of the people involved in the said show (see signature). Though it could be said, as it was by Whitford's Josh Lyman, "That's not being a fan, that's having a fetish". It's true though man. I'd have sex with any of these guys....metaphorically, or somethin'....

The point is the fact that this is gonna be the best thing on the 06-07 schedule this year. This is gonna be television's saving grace, NBC's saving grace, my saving grace from shooting myself in the face after the loss of Arrested Development. There's nothing about this show that doesn't look amazing. Aaron Sorkin has established himself and remained the master. This is the guy who made the B plot about the Census Bureau a compelling story. The reign of golden television that started 1998 with a little ABC dramedy ditty called Sports Night and took a short sabbatical in '03 as Sorkin and Schlamme pulled out of The West Wing returns this fall. There's nothing I won't love about this show. Baby, we got a stew goin'. I can't wait to see what's next?

P.S. - I'm a happy bastard to be the guy that starts the thread
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post #2 of 907
7/4/06 at 8:53am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I'm really looking forward to this show as well. I loved the West Wing and really liked Sports Night, although I never understood where he was going with it. I have no interest in sports which was okay for that show, because sports usually took a back seat to politics, corporate maneuverings, writing, the creative process and good old fashioned characters.

Studio 60 should be a knockout!
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post #3 of 907
7/4/06 at 5:22pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Although I'm looking forward to this, I'm curious to see how this works with a broad audience a commercial network needs, given its premise is somewhat rarified (television shows about the making of television shows isn't a particularly compelling concept for a lot of people).
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post #4 of 907
7/8/06 at 9:28am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I hope this show lives up to its promise. I read a draft of the pilot and it was compelling and funny: classic Sorkin. Some of the leads have already been announced, so it's great fun imagining how they might inhabit these characters. It's sort of the "Sports Night / West Wing" politicking covered with an "SNL" glaze (minus all the not-funny) with a tiny dash of "Network".
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post #5 of 907
7/9/06 at 8:43am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I am really looking forward to it as well. I think all good film and TV starts with good writing and I think Sorkin is the master as well.

I was big fan of West Wing. I never caught Sports Night when it aired but I have recently been catching the series through my Netflix account. It is excellent, and interesting to see how many of the actors were brought back in different roles in West Wing.
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post #6 of 907
7/10/06 at 11:46am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

This has all the makings of a great show with Sorkin and Schlamme together again.

And the cast list is top notch too.

Matthew Perry as Matthew Albie
Bradley Whitford as Daniel Tripp
Amanda Peet as Jordan McDeere
Steven Weber as Jack Rudolph
Sarah Paulson as Harriet Hayes
D.L. Hughley as Simon Stiles
Nathan Corddry as Tom Jeter
Carlos Jacott as Ricky Beck
Evan Handler as Ronald Oswald
Timothy as Busfield Cal

Synopsis:

Aaron Sorkin takes us behind the scenes of a fictional late-night sketch comedy series. Lately, “funny” has been in short supply at Studio 60. The executive producer just had a meltdown – on live TV. The control room is out of control. The actors are acting up. And that’s just last Friday’s show! Studio 60’s only hope lies with two wunderkind writers (Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford) with troubles of their own, and the headstrong new network president (Amanda Peet) determined to turn things around.

I'm actually looking forward to a show on NBC again.

Trailer
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post #7 of 907
7/11/06 at 5:50am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I just started watching Sports Night on DVD, and have seen the first 4 seasons of The West Wing (all on DVD). Enjoyed all of them so far.

I look forward to Studio 60 as well.
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post #8 of 907
8/7/06 at 6:19am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I just saw the Pilot, which I rented from Netflix. So far, it looks like a show with potential. I enjoyed it more than Sports Night, but it didn't grab me as much as The West Wing.

It will take some getting used to the fact that Matthew Perry is not Chandler Bing.
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post #9 of 907
8/7/06 at 6:22am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Just watched "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and it's got a lot of potential, like the cast, like the chemistry between Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford. Amanda Peet seems a little young for her role, but she's got the devilish "I know more than you think I know" smile down to an art. Steven Weber is perfectly cast as the jackass head honcho for NBS.
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post #10 of 907
8/7/06 at 10:10am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Eh? I thought it was a Fall 2006/07 show, debuting in September? Or did you somehow get access to some preview, you sly dog?
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post #11 of 907
8/7/06 at 10:49am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yee-Ming
Eh? I thought it was a Fall 2006/07 show, debuting in September? Or did you somehow get access to some preview, you sly dog?

The pilot is available "on the net" but it is also available through legitimate means too- Netflix is offering a disc that has the pilots for "Sunset Strip" and "Kidnapped".
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post #12 of 907
8/7/06 at 6:57pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I am looking forward to it. West Wing is one of my all-time favorites and this cast looks great. I am very disappointed that NBC caved and moved the show to Monday. Ugh that's weak.
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post #13 of 907
8/8/06 at 6:25pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I liked the pilot, although I don't know where it is going to go. Is it going to be a comedy? I didn't laugh (and I loved SPORTS NIGHT). Is it going to be a drama? And if so, will it get all preachy like THE WEST WING did (which I gave up on after a few seasons).

I do like Peet in the role though.
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post #14 of 907
8/8/06 at 7:45pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

It'll be a dramatic comedy, i.e. a dramedy.
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post #15 of 907
8/8/06 at 8:38pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Quote:
like the chemistry between Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford
The chemistry between Perry & Whitford was evident in the short preview clip NBC had up a few months ago. They just seemed to "click" together, in the same way Peter Krause & Josh Charles did in "Sports Night".

In a fall season that looks very promising, this is by far my most anticipated show.
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post #16 of 907
8/11/06 at 5:16am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I rented the pilot from Netflix and watched it last night. I really enjoyed it. I think it has an interesting concept and the acting is definitely top notch. It's sort of like a "Entourage"-type show, but instead of being about the movie business, it's about the TV biz and instead of being a comedy it's more on the drama side. Ok, maybe they aren't anything alike.. well, except they both do give you an insight to the inner workings of Hollywood and the entertainment business. Whatever, I liked the show and I will definitely do my best to get the buzz out there so more people will watch the pilot because I really think that's all you need to watch to be hooked. And this is coming from someone who never watched "Sports Night" or "The West Wing".

I think Netflix doing this exclusive deal with NBC to be able to rent the pilot was really cool. Tonight I'll watch the other show and I think I might go to my Netflix acct right now and add "Sports Night".

Speaking of "Sports Night"... makes sense now why that one person was in the episode. I wonder if that will happen alot? Where they get real people to 'host' the show? I hope so, I always like seeing celebrities playing themselves.
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post #17 of 907
8/11/06 at 7:38am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I also just received the pilot from Netflix.

Not bad. I'm not sure though how well this will play everywhere, considering the whole bit with Perry, even to me, seemed over-the-top grating. In moments like that, I often feel like it switched to "let me preach a little to you.."

I also didn't care so much for the "Network President" who seemed overly mousy and I kept waiting for her to bite her thumb or something equally goofy. (?) She just didn't seem to have enough power behind her.

This is a show that I will definitely give a try, but I am a little bit cautious of based on what I've seen so far.
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post #18 of 907
8/13/06 at 11:59am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I watched the pilot & liked it.

Hardly anybody is mentioning the odd fact that NBC has 2 new shows about "behind the scenes at an SNL-type show". What are the odds?

Didn't care much for the Kidnapped pilot on the same disc- was OK, but just a run-of-the-mill crime drama.
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post #19 of 907
8/13/06 at 8:57pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

First off, let me saw I am a huge West Wing fan and loved Sports Night too.

I was unfortunately just a little underwhelmed by the Studio 60 pilot. But I am more than prepared to say that any new show needs a bit of time to bed in -- save the West Wing which was sheer genius from day one -- and also the plot Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
being the set-up to show how our two heroes get hired (back) to run the show, means that the entire episode was practically exposition/backstory, and now we get to move onto the real meat of the show. In contrast, Sports Night started off with everyone already in place, and therefore also hit the ground running.

Not as much of the trademark Sorkin repartee, but I'm sure that'll gear up as the show progresses.

What's the other behind-the-scenes-at-SNL show? As an aside, I'm rather cheesed off that CNBC out here no longer shows SNL, they did last season but not anymore. Grrrrr...
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post #20 of 907
8/13/06 at 9:29pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

That would be "30 Rock".
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post #21 of 907
8/14/06 at 8:05am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Enjoyed this one quite a bit last Thursday night from Netflix. It's true that the laughs aren't over the top (like Friends), but the one great, great piece I remember is when Matt and Danny are talking in the half-taxi.

Matt gets out through the front of the cab; Danny gets out using the door. I found it hysterical.
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post #22 of 907
8/14/06 at 9:16am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I've seen it again and watched with the wife. I just really think Peet is the real weak link. Her character is just wrong for her position. She needs to have more power behind her, she comes off as too much of a "tart" and a lacky as compared to someone who wields any real influence or who is used to wielding influence.
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post #23 of 907
8/14/06 at 9:21am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

We'll see. I think Peet's Jordan is that going to be that sweet-looking lady with the balls to do what's necessary to get things done, but she does it with a smile on her face, while pushing the right buttons to apply the pressure. I think she play'll a good game of outmanuevering her opponents.
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post #24 of 907
8/14/06 at 3:27pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I have to agree that I don't think Peet's right for the part -- I didn't buy her at all as a supposedly very powerful mover/shaker. Maybe she'll win me over after a few episodes, but I didn't see it in the pilot. The casting of "Sports Night" just struck me as *right* from day one, though I'd never seen most of the actors before the show (Robert Guillaume and Sabrina Lloyd excepted). I'm also less than sold on Sarah Paulson, and I was prepared to like her going in, based on some other things I've seen her in.

Other casting seems right on the money -- looking forward to more of the Danny/Matt relationship, and I liked the other members of The Big Three. Steven Weber's a great choice as Jack.

This does what a pilot needs to do -- introduce the main players and set up the basic backstory. It'll be very interesting to see where it goes from here.

And I hope this Netflix experiment is successful enough that NBC and other nets would think about doing this with other shows. I definitely wouldn't mind checking out a few other things before the season starts. I did also watch the pilot for "Kidnapped," which I might not have checked out on air, depending on what it was programmed across from. I liked it well enough, but can't say that it's must-see TV for me, and can't quite figure how they plan to stretch out one case to an entire season. 'Course, I probably said the same about "24" and that's worked out okay for Fox....
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post #25 of 907
8/14/06 at 8:34pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Quote:
Matt gets out through the front of the cab; Danny gets out using the door. I found it hysterical.
Yeah, I almost did a double-take when Josh, sorry Danny, actually opened the door and climbed out the "proper" way instead of just stepping off and out through the front.

It's going to be hard to remember he's not Josh Lyman, Washington political operative extraordinaire, any more, especially when season 7 of the West Wing focused so much on him Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
helping win the Presidency for Santos
(no spoilers required, right? Right?? )

(Admin note - spoiler text added. This is not the West Wing thread, so spoilers about the West Wing conclusion are added.)
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post #26 of 907
8/14/06 at 11:31pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yee-Ming
(no spoilers required, right? Right?? )
You do know some countries haven't actually finished season 7 yet, right? Especially here in NZ, where the season only started two weeks ago (grumble grumble).

Not that your comment was a spoiler for me - I already knew it - but I think spoiler tags would be nice.
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post #27 of 907
8/15/06 at 6:14pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

EDIT - Sorry, should actually check what thread I'm posting in before I post.

I feel stupid now.
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post #28 of 907
8/15/06 at 8:56pm

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

In retrospect Matthew, you're quite right, and I see the admins have spoilerised the text. After all, even here in Singapore they haven't broadcast S7 yet. My apologies to anyone who got spoiled as to the end of West Wing.
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post #29 of 907
8/16/06 at 9:08am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I just watched this pilot from Netflix (thank you!) and did not care for it at all, despite being a huge fan of The West Wing. I thought it unfunny, tedious and a parody of a tired show which is already a parody of itself. I never watched Friends, and found Matthew Perry's character unlikeable. Are drunk/drug jokes fresh? I don't think so. I also felt Perry and Whitford's characters were too similar physically and not defined well. I really wanted to like this...

Kidnapped was pretty good, though.
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post #30 of 907
8/17/06 at 10:30am

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One

I watched the pilot last night and enjoyed it a lot. One of the better pilots I've seen. I do have a concern as to where the show will head. A lot of the time a pilot can be boring because it's all set up...but that wasn't the case with this because the set up was interesting. Part of me thinks this would have worked better as a 2 hour movie. But I'm sure Sorkin will figure something out...
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