Studio 60 Was Better When It First Came Out By Artie Mayer October 18, 2006 I remember when the famous phrase "Live from Studio 60, it's Friday Night In Hollywood!" used to mean something. Back then, when the show first came out, I'd stay home every Monday night just to make sure I didn't miss an episode. There was such a buzz around the show in the weeks leading up to its premiere because it was something new, something no one had ever seen before. But ever since Judd Hirsch left, the show's totally gone downhill. Even by just watching the show in those early days, you felt like you were part of something special. It was truly the first of its kind—so revolutionary that it immediately spawned imitators like 30 Rock. I don't know whether it was better writing, hip musical guests like Three 6 Mafia, or the whole novelty of being the first-ever show about a late-night sketch-comedy show, but regardless of whatever made it so great in those days, it has certainly not aged well. I don't even understand why anyone watches it anymore. In Studio 60's heyday, they would do this thing where Judd would come out before the opening credits and deliver this long, angry monologue about the current state of network television. I used to sit in front of the TV, just waiting for him to unleash his famous catchphrase, "It's not going to be a very good show tonight." But they haven't done that for a while. I wish they would just get rid of this current cast and start from scratch. Back when the show first hit the airwaves, they were constantly coming up with new, interesting characters, like Amanda Peet's manipulative but well-intentioned NBS president "Jordan McDeere," or Matthew Perry's hilarious stressed-out-writer character "Matt Albie." I'd say they introduced eight to 10 great characters in the first episode alone, but then they kept using those same exact characters in every single show. Sure, they put them in slightly different situations and gave them new dialogue, but they got really old really fast. How many times do I have to see a "Matt and Danny" scene or a "Jordan and Jack" scene? Three or four times per show? It's just lazy. They've fallen into the trap of using the same tired old formula week in and week out, just because they know it works. Every episode, it's a cold open that sets up a conflict, followed by the opening credits, followed by acts one through six, almost always ending with a neat little resolution and a new cliffhanger. And they keep drawing on the same overused topics—TV networks, network sponsors, sketch comedy… Talk about milking a premise for all it's worth. Okay, we get it already. I understand this is the format that made the show popular, but you can't rely on it forever. Maybe it was just a matter of the show being in the right place at the right time. The nation was still reeling from the fifth anniversary of 9/11, the Pope had just made those insensitive comments about the Muslim religion, and we were all on edge about the E. coli spinach scare. Studio 60 provided the escape we needed every Monday night. But as the times have changed, the show just seems less and less relevant. Then again, maybe it's me. Maybe I've just matured and my tastes have changed since it first premiered, and the show was always this bad. Maybe if I go back and watch the first episode again, I'll realize that it's not as good as I thought it was when I was younger. Oh well, I guess I'll still keep watching though, since there's really nothing else on Mondays at 10 p.m. But I just can't shake the feeling I've seen the same four or five shows over and over since it debuted.
Oh, the networks have so much better on tap for us. You think "Deal or No Deal" is good, wait until you get a peek at "Dancers and Answers" with William Shatner on ABC.
Great show. The remake blows the original out of the water (which I thought sucked) The acting is top notch and the writing is solid. I'm a huge fan of Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos. Katee Sackhoff has been impressive as well. Heroes is a good concept imo, but some of the writing and casting is weak. I am watching it each week now, but I find myself dissapointed with it each time.
Deal or No Deal has caused me to lose faith in America. I now view America as a bunch of idiot rednecks yelling at their TV screens saying "Take the Deal!!!" or "Don't do it...keep going!!!" . God...I hate that show. Pick a suitcase! Yea...I would rather pick my nose.
Studio 60 lives By Colin Mahan Published: October 31, 2006 at 03:26:00 PM NBC says it still likes Aaron Sorkin drama. The reports of Studio 60's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Yesterday, rumors swirled that NBC's expensive drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was headed for the scrap heap. Despite the fact that NBC had ordered three more episodes of the show, cast members were reportedly telling friends the show was near its end. Now, NBC has refuted that story, saying the show is still profitable and that the network will give it at least a little while longer. Media Daily News says NBC is frustrated by the decline of Studio 60's ratings, but that the show brings in affluent viewers that advertisers care about. Therefore, the 7.7 million viewers the show earned last week is OK--for now. Studio 60 is the brainchild of Aaron Sorkin, creator of West Wing. The show tells the story of a Saturday Night Live-type late-night sketch comedy show. The premiere was solid, with 12 million viewers, but the show has slipped in successive weeks. Last night, NBC ran an episode of Friday Night Lights in Studio 60's time slot, and Lights scored more viewers than Studio. Despite network assurances, if Studio 60 continues to slip, it may face cancellation. NBC quickly wrapped production on Kidnapped after it produced lower-than-expected results for the network.
Even though it is struggling a bit it is still their 2nd highest rated new show....by a long way.... DD
Well, when "30 Rock" and "Twenty Good Years" are losing to shows on Univision, doing better than them isn't a huge accomplishment.
Awesome! Yank Tina Fey ("Scarface") off the air, pleeeeeeeaaaaaase. I hate that b**** for ruining SNL. (She was apparently a terrible head writer, both in talent and in leadership abilities, according to those in the know.) Sweet revenge, IMO.
The problem is that there are too many shows on tv. I can't keep up with them. I can only remember FOX Sundays and The Office on Thursdays. But now The Office might be Saturdays. I don't know anymore.
