Clicking the title will take you to NBC's website for their new show Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (everything in the title after 60 is the only thing I don't currently like about the show). You should go there right now. Starting Tuesday they're gonna allow you to watch the entire first episode, because you foolishly chose to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars/Pittsburgh Steelers snoozefest that garnered a whole 9 points of scoring or Heaven forbid Supernanny on ABC between Grey's Anatomy promos.
Here are the top five reasons why I already love this show:
1 The best writer in television is writing this show. Aaron Sorkin (quick resume-writer of A Few Good Men, The American President, writer/creator of Sports Night and The West Wing and uncredited script doctor of such chestnuts as Schindler's List, The Rock, and Bulworth) is also the writer/creator of this show. He doesn't waste too many words and writes beautifully intelligent, challenging, coherent dialogue! If you've never seen any of the above mentioned movies and TV, what kind of crap do watch usually? Best writer in television-reason number one.
2 If there is a better ensemble of actors on television I'd be surprised to hear about them. From top to bottom this is a stellar cast. Matthew Perry, the Friend who seemed least like a characature, whose been building a real acting resume and recieved now three Emmy nominations plays the creative genius eccentric half of the central duo. Bradley Whitford (who played my favorite West Wing character), an Emmy award winner and icon from his Billy Madison villiany plays the more controlled, albeit recovering addict, director of the pair. Then bring in some seasoned vets; Judd Hirsch and Timothy Busfield, three Emmys and a Golden Globe between them. Throw in some serious comedic talent; Original King of Comedy D.L. Hughley and Nate (youngest brother in clan) Corddry. Star-studded sex appeal; the stunning and super in control Amanda Peet, the adorable and multi-talented Sarah Paulson, and for the ladies Steven Weber as a cool as ice executive. Hell, have legends like Ed Asner (7 Emmys, 5 Golden Globes) show up and serious actors like Evan Handler (remember Harry Goldenblatt Sex and City girl's?) play smaller roles. I mean it, what has a better cast of actors? Challange!
3 Substance! Thank God there is some substance on TV still. In fact a large part of the first episode is calling out the lack of substance on most of TV. Here the opening monologue...The Executive Producer loses it and rushes on stage to say this:
This show used to be cutting edge political and social satire, but it's gotten lobotomized by a candy-ass broadcast network hell-bent on doing nothing that might challenge their audience. We were about to do a sketch you've already seen 500 times. Yes, no one's gonna confuse George Bush with George Plimpton, we get it. We're all being lobotomized by the country's most influential industry which has thrown in the towel on any endeavor that does not include the courting of 12-year-old boys. And not even the smart 12-year-olds, the stupid ones, the idiots, of which there are plenty thanks in no small part to this network. So change the channel, turn off the TV. Do it right now.
...there's always been a struggle between art and commerce, but now I'm telling you art is getting its ass kicked, and it's making us mean, and it's making us bitchy, and it's making us cheap punks and that's not who we are. We're eating worms for money, watching "Who Wants to Screw My Sister", guys are getting killed in a war that's got theme music and a logo. That remote in your hand is a crack pipe...
And the two things that make them scared gutless are the FCC and every psycho-religious cult that gets positively horny at the very mention of a boycott. These are the people they're afraid of, this prissy, feckless, off-the-charts greed-filled whorehouse of a network you're watching. This thoroughly unpatriotic-- CREDITS ROLL
Now you may not like that, but it's substance of a different order than dead bodies, C-list celebrities, watered down polarizing news, and cheaply gained fame.
4 Consider this:
A man who makes no enemies is never a positive force.- Simon Cameron
I suppose in some ways I think ruffling people's feathers is a part of life, and on some occassions a neccessary part of speaking truth. Read this excerpt from the Pilot Episode, Matt and Harriet are dicussing why they broke up:
HARRIET
When you were promoting the movie I was holding your hand every step of the way. When I had a CD to promote in 52 markets in 15 days, you disappeared.
MATT
I didn't disappear.
HARRIET
You got cold and you got mean.
HARRIET
Right after you went on The 700 Club is that timing lost on you?
HARRIET
It was an album of spiritual music, those are the people who buy spiritual music!
MATT
I don't care if it was an album of the three wise men covering the Doobie Brothers, you put on a dress and sang for a bigot.
HARRIET
I sang for his audience, not every one of whom is necessarily the grotesque stereotype you'd like them to be. Most of these people have nothing except their faith, and that moves me.
MATT
Throw in the Halloween costumes and you got yourself a Klan rally.
WHACK!--
HARRIET smacks MATT across the face...
HARRIET
I'm sorry.
MATT
Fortunately I'm on about 8000 milligrams of painkillers right now.
HARRIET
And I'm sorry if my going on Pat Robertson offended you and if I had to do it again I wouldn't. But the sketch that got cut? I stood by that sketch all week, and I've stood by it all night and I'll stand by it in front of the press, and you know what that sketch was called? "Crazy Christians".
MATT
The 700 Club isn't a comedy show.
Again, agree with this or not, but we're thinking! I have my own beefs with the Christian Right and Pat Robertson especially. He is one of those mouthpieces standing in the way of Christianity communicating love and peace instead of judgement and ignorance. Here is a TV show saying something of its own about that.
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.- Martin Luther
5 It's Funny! When it comes time to take on leading the show for the two central players after a discussion of whether there was any truth to the original Executive Producer's rant, this conversation takes place:
JACK
There's gonna be a press conference at noon on Monday announcing that you two are running Studio 60. I know I can count on you to answer questions in a way that doesn't embarrass the National Broadcasting System. Will that be hard for you?
MATT
I wouldn't think it would be hard for anybody. 'Cause if you pointed a camera at two people masturbating it'd be among the least embarrassing things on the National Broadcasting System. I'll tell Blair to start working on the deal.
The scary thing about that scene is that without more shows like Studio 60 on TV and more people investing in them, we could very soon have a show like the one he sarcastically describes.
Check out Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on Mondays at 10 Eastern (that's 9 in Southern Indiana and Texas) and see what you think. I'll be watching!
