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#1 2007-06-30 12:14:21

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Okay, This seems like an appropriate time to add a discussion about this. The last episode of the first (and only) series finally aired in America two days ago. On the same day fans bought out a full page ad in a trade magazine thanking the cast and crew for the terrific show they'd put on. The series will start showing on Thursday at 10 on More4 in about a months time. A U.S. DVD release is scheduled for christmas, over here i'd predict a January release.

Why do I mention all this? - Becuase i've just seen the last episode, and dispite it getting an absolute pounding from the critics, being largelly ignored by U.S. TV viewers and treated like a deadly virus by NBC I think it's a great show, and i'm completely bummed that I won't ever see another new episode. So my only recourse is to encourage as many people as possible to watch it and make them agree with me.

A Few reasons you should watch.

1) Aaron Sorkin, quite possibly the best screenwriter alive today, certainly up there with the best.
2) Matthew Perry, his performance is top-notch, he need not fear of being typecast again, unless he wants to be. Chandler will be the furthest thing from your mind as you watch him.
3) There are more, but i'm gonna stop talking before I completely scare everyone away.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#2 2007-09-04 11:04:50

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Why, oh why, in the name of all that is good and holy did this get axed? I can understand that the networks and the Hollywood machine weren't happy at being lampooned, particularly by Aaron Sorkin who never shys away from a scuffle if he can help it. I can also see why it might have not been critically acclaimed for similar reasons, but when you have acting and writing of this calibre who gives a damn?


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#3 2007-09-04 12:59:03

hardy24
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

I know exactly what you mean, it's a real shame, and I was fairly certain that with some budget cuts and the like, worldwide synidcation, itunes and dvd sales would have made it profitable. Unfortunately the only numbers it appeared the network was looking at was the US ratings, and thoose weren't good, infact by the time of the fifth episode they'd lost 40% of the pilot episodes audience.

Ofcourse I can't prove worldwide ratings would have been good because which TV company is going to bother trying to build up a loyal audience for a show that only got 22 episodes?


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#4 2007-09-04 15:17:46

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

The reason the majority of ratings dropped was largely due to it being put in a timeslot it couldn't win and then put on hiatus and finally being given graveyard status. It basically didn't have a chance.

It's a real shame because the obvious chemistry between Whitford and Perry means that given a second season, where most shows always raise their game, I think that they'd have forged one of the strongest TV double acts for a while.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#5 2007-09-04 15:31:59

hardy24
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

The chemistry between Whitford and Perry was great, infact I thought that back when they spent an half an episode of the west wing playing off each other.

I'm sure a second season would have been great, although I do wonder if the standard 22/24 episodes a year format was right for the show. The show always seemed to be more "hidden jem" than the "ratings tentpole" the network clearly needed it to be from the promotion it gave it at first and I did for a time wonder if it might get 12 to 16 episodes from midseason in a timeslot to be named later once the landscape had become clearer, which I think might have suited it better.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#6 2008-02-16 15:55:52

Past Present Fortune
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Registered: 2008-02-13
Posts: 146

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

I've seen this show before and I'm being 100% honest when I say that I really didn't enjoy this television show at all.

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#7 2008-02-17 00:53:15

hardy24
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Past Present Fortune wrote:

I've seen this show before and I'm being 100% honest when I say that I really didn't enjoy this television show at all.

It wasn't for everybody, but for me personally I loved it, and I was very sad when it got cancelled, although thankfully Aaron Sorkin keeps on writing films.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#8 2008-02-18 13:27:43

deadmanmoz
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From: The school of hard knocks
Registered: 2007-04-16
Posts: 145

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

I was gutted when they cancelled Studio, i really enjoyed it.
It wasnt given long enough to develop before they axed it, damn studio execs


Make no mistake gentlemen, we are in the fight of our lives, against maybe the greatest marine commander in the Vietnam War, I SH*T YOU NOT.

Now a days everybody wants to talk, like they've got something to say, but nothing comes out, when they move their lips, just a bunch of jibber-rish.

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#9 2008-02-18 14:54:36

hardy24
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Yeah, I know what you mean, after the season finished, I watched it again with my Dad, but I told him before hand that they had cancelled it.

After watching every single episode he'd turn to me and say "they cancelled this?!?".

It made the final six-part story arc even more emotional knowing that we only had so many episodes left.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#10 2008-02-20 12:25:27

deadmanmoz
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From: The school of hard knocks
Registered: 2007-04-16
Posts: 145

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

It's a joke but at least they gave it a suitable ending.
I got into The Class and that finale had 3-4 big cliffhangers which will never ever be resolved as they cancelled that as well!
I'm gonna learn and just not watch new shows!


Make no mistake gentlemen, we are in the fight of our lives, against maybe the greatest marine commander in the Vietnam War, I SH*T YOU NOT.

Now a days everybody wants to talk, like they've got something to say, but nothing comes out, when they move their lips, just a bunch of jibber-rish.

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#11 2008-02-20 12:29:59

hardy24
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Posts: 981
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Yeah, atleast they didn't leave it on a cliffhanger.

I'm just always gonna be wondering what it's second season would have been like. There are only so many times I can watch the season through.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#12 2008-08-31 11:32:18

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

I'm watching this through again at the moment and it's fantastic. Although it struck me that one of the major problems with it is that while most ensemble shows have an anchor character eg. Jack for 24, The President in The West Wing, Studio 60 doesn't really have one. Arguably you could say it's Danny and/ or Matt but the don't own the show in the way that the other examples I've mentioned do.

While this in itself isn't a bad thing (God knows I wish 24 hadn't become the Jack Bauer show often enough) I think that from a viewing perspective it's harder for an audience because no figure stands out as the one with whom we should be attaching ourselves to, which makes the position we view the show from more complex: do we want Jack Rudolph to force Jordan out or not? Do we care if Matt and Harriette get back together? We don't have a position within the show to ally ourselves to.

On a different note, Dan, have you seen that Sorkin is writing a film about the creators of Facebook?


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#13 2008-08-31 12:16:13

hardy24
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Steveb wrote:

I'm watching this through again at the moment and it's fantastic. Although it struck me that one of the major problems with it is that while most ensemble shows have an anchor character eg. Jack for 24, The President in The West Wing, Studio 60 doesn't really have one. Arguably you could say it's Danny and/ or Matt but the don't own the show in the way that the other examples I've mentioned do.

I guess you'd argue that instead of having an anchor Character it had an anchor relationship, with other relationships orbiting around. Which could perhaps work on paper, but didn't really work in reality since when either Danny or Matt where on screen without the other you felt a disconnect. Like you where only seeing half of the character.

Having watched the series through again recently, I can't help but think I would have been more interested in Matt and Danny's time away from the show after they quit as Co-Execs, to just come out and admit it was their show and have very little other regular cast but just a recurring cast of great actors (have a look of the great actors who did 5 - 10 episodes as recurring over west wings entire run),

We don't have a position within the show to ally ourselves to.

Except maybe the theme of upholding artistic integrity in the face of commerical pressures, which was a constant throughout the show

On a different note, Dan, have you seen that Sorkin is writing a film about the creators of Facebook?

Yeah I know, and he actually joined Facebook to do some research,
check this out - >> http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33807262256&ref=ts
especcially interesting is the "questions for me thread", Aaron actually taking questions.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#14 2008-09-20 09:42:23

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Was discussing this all things Sorkin with my housemate last night, (for some reason he's very against the Facebook movie) and he reckons that a lot of studio 60's problems were that everything was too forced, his main point being the Danny and Jordan relationship. Just wondered what your thoughts were on this Dan?

Personally, I think the whole thing flowed really well and had beautiful closure to it. If anything the Matt/ Harriet story was forced for me as it just went on for far far too long.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#15 2008-09-20 13:41:49

hardy24
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Posts: 981
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Well, on the relationship front I really do feel as if both where planned to end up together, just that the "end" came a little sooner than anyone hoped.

It did all have great closure, and you'd have to be pretty cynical to not find the final arc of episodes very moving at times. Moments like Danny's proposal to Jordan, or Jordan also having adoption papers ready. Their relationship ended the stronger I thought, Matt & Harriets relationship I thought got a bit boring when they stopped fighting!, theres was a dynamic set up for the "can't live with, can't live without" back and forth. Not getting renewed forced a decision I don't think Sorkin was ready to make.

Also, talking about the end, I hold Sorkin to the promise contained in the lines "we did a good show, but we can do better" & "i'll make a friend out of you yet" (talking about the clock), I really hope Sorkin will be back with another TV series sooner or later. Maybe drop NBC and do it at HBO.

On the Facebook movie, If Sorkin can't write it well, I don't think he'll end up finishing, so it's pretty simple, if it actually gets made with a full Sorkin script it'll be alrite.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#16 2008-09-22 19:55:59

hardy24
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Posts: 981
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Just come across a bit of a gem, you might have seen this already, but if you haven't you need to read this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21dowd-sorkin.html?partner=rssuserland, It's from a New York Times Op-Ed a couple of days ago, and it's a Sorkin writing how a conversation between Barack Obama and Jed Bartlet right now would go.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#17 2008-09-22 20:14:02

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

i've never watched the west wing but i enjoyed reading this bit of fictitious conversation smile.

thanks for posting it up , dan.


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#18 2008-09-23 19:51:38

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

jack_addict wrote:

i've never watched the west wing but i enjoyed reading this bit of fictitious conversation smile.

thanks for posting it up , dan.

You really should give the West Wing a try, I can't recommended it enough, even if your not interested in politics. Give seasons one and/or two ago.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#19 2008-09-23 21:58:32

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

That's a fantastic conversation, I can't think what else to say about it. It perfectly sums things up although doesn't actually make me feel any easier about the upcoming election.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#20 2008-09-23 23:11:33

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

hardy24 wrote:
jack_addict wrote:

i've never watched the west wing but i enjoyed reading this bit of fictitious conversation smile.

thanks for posting it up , dan.

You really should give the West Wing a try, I can't recommended it enough, even if your not interested in politics. Give seasons one and/or two ago.

oh it's not that I wouldn't want to, I only doubt that it was ever shown here, and if it was, it was under a different name, cause I've never noticed... I'd like to say, I'll buy the DVD box sets and go from there, but there's the money issue of a jobless person wink. but I'll have to be on the lookout for that on TV sometime. smile


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#21 2008-09-23 23:12:46

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

Steveb wrote:

That's a fantastic conversation, I can't think what else to say about it. It perfectly sums things up although doesn't actually make me feel any easier about the upcoming election.

same here... If McCain wins, with THAT woman as a VP and potential President if things go wrong... America won't see me set a foot there until that era is over.


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#22 2008-09-24 17:10:09

Steveb
Moderator
Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

The thing is if- and it's a statistical likelihood- McCain were to die in office, one of the three most powerful countries in the world will be ruled by her. Either way it's a rock and a place scenario. Give me Bartlett anytime.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#23 2008-09-25 06:52:53

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

You of course right, Sarah Palin being president would frankly be a horror show, as this train wreck of an interview show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbg6hF0nShQ

Obama is gonna win the election, we just have to believe.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#24 2008-09-25 08:33:18

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

hardy24 wrote:

Obama is gonna win the election, we just have to believe.

if I were a praying person I'd say, I pray you're right.

but as it is, I just hope so. McCain / Palin is the horror scenario. I never thought things could get worse than Bush, but obviously, this looks like they could. big time.









"Yes, we can!" smile


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#25 2008-09-25 23:35:43

24roxmysox3
Member
From: USA
Registered: 2008-08-18
Posts: 220

Re: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

*GASP* lol you liberals!!!  McCain/Palin is NOT a horror scenario.  I don't know why all you people even care...you aren't in the US!!!!!  But i still like you guys...


Michelle Dessler: I'll go anywhere with you... as long as I don't have to cook.

Tony Almeida: Sweetheart, if you promise not to cook I will take you with me anywhere

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