Running Studio 60 thread (spoilers)

I liked this one. It's interesting that S60 has a Nancy Grace sketch just as Amy Poehler's begun to do one on SNL. And the what-part-of-Sorkin's-life-will-pop-up derby continues with the young playwright seduced by TV. It still doesn;t do anywhere near enough with Hughley, but it's getting there with him and the lobster guy. Bought me another couple of weeks.

 

A good episode. The Parcells line was pretty funny. I thought Weber hit it out of the park.

And, maybe it's me, but Harriet sees her father in Matt.

 

I like the product-within-a-product placement in that Sting teases a real new album with a fake appearance on a fake show.

The song he practiced in rehearsal can be heard here, free track 4:

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/special/?ID=sting-dowland

Not bad for more than 400 years old.

These music cameos are getting interesting -- John Mayer was on CSI a few weeks back. The prime-time exposure is great, even for artists as well-recognized as those.

Oh, and Lauren Graham is amazing, even in a cameo.

 

I'm liking it.
But it feels like homework sometimes.

 

Thought it was good. Liked the Nancy Grace sketch, thought for a second it was going to go, "did you kill your child?" but it didn't.
I'd wager a dollar, the Nancy Grace sketch pops back up in a future episode and, well, that could be fun.
I liked how Josh, umm I mean, Danny or is Matt? let's just say Bradley Whitford came in whispered into the young writer's ear for a couple of seconds and he turns and says that he'll do the show.
Personally, though, I thought the line of the night was when the writer was talking up HBO and Amanda Peet asked him what work of Shakespeare Taxicabs Confession was based on.
Apparently Lauren Grahmn plays a larger part in the next episode, since it is set at the wrap party for the episode that aired tonight.

 

So, what a minute, am I to understand that S60 has portrayed a sketch comedy show that runs new episodes for three consecutive weeks? Complete and utter fiction, I say.

I've liked every episode so far. And I'm not understanding the bitching. What the hell were you people expecting? It's a show about SNL. How meaningful could it possibly be? You were seriously expecting the West Wing? That's sort of, well, nuts.

The president of the country exchanging witty dialogue with another leader -- great. The president of a fictional network exchanging witty dialogue with someone -- less great. Just the way it is.

 

I'd just like to say that Sting has morphed from an angry young man with a point of view to being the richest and biggest mangina on the planet.

 

I understand the show isn't a comedy per se. It's my opinion, however, that a show about people who make others laugh for a living should have more laughs flying around, collateral yuks, if you will.
That's why favorite moment this week was seeing Timothy Busfield (continues to steal show, BTW) laughing in the control room as the Grace sketch was rehearsed. That gave all the high-minded TV posturing some balance, and struck a live note. Jealous and demented they may be, but comedy people, as a class, like to laugh.
Johnny Carson was a remote man on many levels. But he LOVED to laugh, and did more to promote stand-up comedians than anyone. It'd be nice if we saw the two heroes laugh every once in a while, rather than look at a sketch and go "that's funny" like they're discussing the bouquet of a '61 Petrus.
That is all.

 

Astute observation

 

I just wish the show had a Farley/Belushi-esque character... some brilliant, overweight cokehead obviously headed for a disaster.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't one of Parcells' Jets team win a playoff game in 1999 or so?

 

FB is correct. The Jets beat the Jaguars in the divisional round of the 1998 season. So it's been 7 years and counting since he's won a playoff game.

And another thing! The idea that any networl would consider showing the reality show Weber wanted to run is about the funniest notion Sorkin's put in the script so far. The legal department would expire of a collective mass stroke at the thought.
Although a show based on the making of THAT show wouldn't be a bad idea for a comedy.