Third Time's A Charm

Okay, so here goes the third post of the day. A new record for myself.

A few months ago I joined Netflix so I could be among the first to see the pilot of the show I've been looking forward to more than any other... ever! I think we both know what show that is.

If you've been under a rock... that show is Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. It's the new NBC series from the person I believe to be the greatest television writer alive: Aaron Sorkin. It's his third attempt at a series and I think the last two were perfect. But each came with its own issues.

Sports Night only lasted two seasons before ABC pulled the plug. The critics loved it but the Nielsen people weren't watching it. On the other hand, The West Wing drew a decent following and four consecutive best drama Emmys with Sorkin at the helm. Until 2003, that is, when NBC decided Sorkin's work ethic wasn't working for them and he and Tommy Schlamme were shown the door.

And now, as life imitates art, NBC has hired them both back to take another swing with Studio 60. Well as noted, I rented it several weeks ago from Netflix. And not only wasn't I disappointed by the pilot, I was blown away. It was even better than my hopes made it out to be.

I won't walk you through it step by step as my hope is that you've read my propaganda bulletin and already watched it. I'll just take a moment here to reflect on my favorite parts.

Topping the list, naturally, is the opening scene wherein Judd Hirsch goes nuts on live TV after an emasculating argument with Mr. I'm-Not-in-Charge-of-Funny. His on-air meltdown spurs his termination and the brand spanking new network president Amanda Peet. My favorite part of that whole show might just be the scene right before they cut to credits when Tim Busfield cuts him off right at "...and you're watching this thoroughly unpatriotic motherf" Go to VTR now!

Sorkin knows how to build suspense. That was never more evident than in the second season premiere of The West Wing. If you've never seen it, you're missing seriously good television. I'm not even kidding.

During NBC's airing of the premiere, I don't know if anyone else noticed this but me... during the scene after Matt agrees to take over the show, he makes a crack about NBS putting the American flag over the network bug, lest losing the bug altogether. (For those not in TV, a bug is the network logo found in the lower corner of the screen.) During that scene, the NBC bug was nowhere to be found on the screen. How 'bout that? Clever, no?

On a sidenote, NBC has apparently done something radical and switched the bug to the other side of the screen when it is up. It's a little strange, all the other networks, broadcast, cable and NBC included, have always put it in the lower right hand corner. It's nice to change things up a little but it's kind of freaking me out. But I'm sure I'll get over it.

Anyway, the entire pilot of Studio 60 is ingeniously written, if not transparently autobiographical on Sorkin and Schlamme. But the characters are set up so well that the storylines can go pretty much anywhere over the next 21 episodes.

I'll be enduringly glued to my chair for the entire season and I'll be the first one in line at the store to buy the DVD when it comes out. I'd love nothing more than to see this show go at least as long as The West Wing did, if not longer.

It's such a great show, and for the time being I'm going to try to get as many people to watch it as I can. And at least for a while, I'm keeping my MySpace headline reading: "Live from Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, it's Friday night in Hollywood!"