In a break with a tradition that must be broken, I am not going to simply make sweeping statements about the quality of this show on the basis of just one episode. Look, I'm maturing before your very eyes.
Well, actually, I'll make a *few* sweeping statements, I'm sure, and I'm probably only curbing this particular habit because this first episode of Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (Thursdays, More4, 10pm) didn't actually give us much to go on in any case. Yes, this was a show safe in the knowledge that they had plenty of time, and could afford to use a whole episode to introduce us to the characters and do little else. Of course, we know differently, but bless 'em, they didn't, so we'll let them off.
So, in this new spirit of even-handedness, I shall simply relate to you what we learnt about the characters and situations. At first, at least.
The show began with one of those single-shot openings through the corridors of Studio 60 (Aaron Sorkin does love his corridors, doesn't he?) that just screams 'We know what we're doing. We've done this sort of thing before. See how classy this looks!' And it does look classy, and you *do* feel that you're in the presence of programme-makers who know what they're doing.
Unlike the fictional producers in their show, who are trying to keep Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (a Saturday Night Live style sketch show) together, when it's clearly a sinking ship. It's the the classic art vs. commercialism fight: the head writer is trying to keep a possibly controversial sketch in the show, and the money-men are telling him that it's going to be cut. Sensing his number's up in any case, the writer interrupts the show, and delivers a tirade against the state of modern television - throwing the producers into a mild hysteria. The fact that "he's telling people to change the channel!" seems to be the major concern. Eventually, they cut to VT, knowing that they probably won't have jobs to come back to in the morning...
And that's where the new guard come in: Jordan, the brand new network president (having the first day from hell), comedy writer Matt (Matthew Perry) and producer/director Danny (Bradley Whitford, the fabulous Josh in The West Wing). Jordan is the the type of person who Thinks Outside The Box and Gets Results, and decides that the show should publicly agree with what the writer had said on air, and start afresh with a radical 'if it's funny, it's in' agenda. Matt and Danny are the people who can deliver this. They used to work on the show but were fired - and guess what, it's to do with that sketch that caused the furore that very night. Ah, it's all falling into place.
Matthew Perry as Matt is, well, Matthew Perry. He's basically Chandler if he'd got the job he always dreamed of. This isn't a criticism - you hire Perry to be Perry and he does it very well, just like Bill Murray (to whom he's very similar in most ways, of course). And those of us who've seen anything of the West Wing know that Whitford has easy charm to spare. While ex-girlfriends and partners have already been introduced, it seems that is their friendship that will provide the show with warmth and an emotional core.
So, is there promise? Of course. It looks great, has a leading cast to die for, and is set in a really interesting environment. Personally, I'd prefer it to be a comedy-drama rather than straight, knowing what a brilliant comedy performer we have in Perry, but I get a feeling that, come the end of the season, we'll all be scratching our heads as to why this show hasn't had the chance to continue. [annawaits]
And after that opener it just gets better. Forget being evenhanded. I watched the whole thing almost back to back & the characterisation & dialogue just improve. If you're missing the West Wing just watch this. Danny & CJ even show up later on. It's so good, the network cancelled it. That's always a sign of quality in my book (see Deadwood, Dead Like Me etc.)
Nice to know we've got good things to look forward to, thanks Alexi :)
I've watch the whole series of studio 60 but I never watched The West Wing (although i've started to since watch S60) and the real reason i was attracted to this show was because of Matthew Perry. I was a huge fan of Friends and Matt Perry became one of my favourite actors. After watching a few episodes of this show, it was hard to picture Matthew playing Chandler Bing. Matt Albie is the opposite of Chandler and I'm sure that in later episodes Matthew Perry was surprise and amaze the audience at how great an actor he really is. He really can do drama and comedy.
In my opinion this is the best new show out and can not believe it's been cancalled! I hope that everyone gives it a chance even though it's for one season. I promise you, a show thats already great gets better and better with each episode.
Bear in mind Perry's character was high on painkillers for the entirety of the first episode, hence the Chandler-isms. A clever way of getting that all out the way I thought, to develop the character on his own merits later on (and Perry shows he is truely a phenomenal actor).
I disagree that it gets better and better though. It seems to go through a bunch of different phases, and for around 4 episodes sort of midway in the season it is truly wonderful: sort of Sports Night but with slightly more emphasis on the politics of studios. Then it veers off into romantic comedy territory, and there's a few episodes played almost entirely for laughs. It just seems like Sorkin had this concept but just really didn't know what to do with it, or what sort of show to make out of it. Which is a shame as the characters and dialogue is uniformly excellent but the thing as a whole just doesn't have any direction.
The last four episodes it seems that Sorkin has been a bit struck by the declining ratings and ended up retreating into what he knows best, and he basically writes The West Wing, but in a TV studio. It's a truly ridiculous plot that just doesn't fit the show.
It's a shame, and I think with another season it could really have found it's feet a bit. But y'know, it could also have done that had Sorkin just thought it all out a bit better - he shot himself in the foot there really.
Oh and if you fancy a show with the exact same set-up, but played for laughs, check out 30 Rock.
I've only seen the first two episodes so far. I think I like it (I really want to like it). The only niggle I have is that the sketches in the show are pretty lame. Considering they only have to write a few (probably no more than 8-10 for the whole series) why not get some really good sketch writers in for those? I did like the first shows opening song though.