Barbara Finger wrote:

I really LIKED STUDIO 60.
I thought the writing was excellent but wonder if they can keep it up. It is fresh (though yes I realize it is based on SNL which I haven't watched in years and as for more music on SNL - if it's Rap then I won't watch it for sure).
Those that left STUDIO 60 after the first half hour must not have been smart enough to keep up with the show. I do believe the way it was put together with the award show part is what made people choose to change the channel.
So since I think it's actually fresh, intelligent and very good I am sure it will be cancelled soon.

PS Remember the the hip comedy (variety?) show in the 60's that was pulled 1/2 way thru the show never to be heard from again? That was another show that had real potential but was just too hip for America's Uptight Silent Majority.

posted at September 23, 2006 12:31 AM

Barbara Finger wrote:

I really LIKED STUDIO 60.
I thought the writing was excellent but wonder if they can keep it up. It is fresh (though yes I realize it is based on SNL which I haven't watched in years and as for more music on SNL - if it's Rap then I won't watch it for sure).
Those that left STUDIO 60 after the first half hour must not have been smart enough to keep up with the show. I do believe the way it was put together with the award show part is what made people choose to change the channel.
So since I think it's actually fresh, intelligent and very good I am sure it will be cancelled soon.

PS Remember the the hip comedy (variety?) show in the 60's that was pulled 1/2 way thru the show never to be heard from again? That was another show that had real potential but was just too hip for America's Uptight Silent Majority.

posted at September 23, 2006 01:00 AM

Moral Bankruptcy wrote:

Why is it whenever one of Aaron Sorkin's gabfests starts to tank, people start to say it's too cerebral? Hasn't anyone noticed how formulaic his shows are? They're always about a lovefest in a cut-throat business. Studio 60 is West Wing in network TV. West Wing was really a retooled SportsNight set in politics. Watch any episode of his shows and the story arc is the same--moral crisis divides up friends, friends pull together when one of the characters gives some sort of "we chosen few"-type speech. No actual hugging (usually), but by the end, we're supposed to feel that these characters are somehow heroic, with close ups of teary smiling subordinates and swelling music to emphasize the point. As was obvious in SportsNight and is probably even worse in Studio 60, this pretensiousness is really hard to swallow when the "heroes" are turning out a TV show. Sorkin may think that TV production is the most important job in the world, but that self-important attitude turns off audiences, and rightly so. NBC will put this on hiatus in the mid-seasson. Six episodes will air in the summer, gone by next fall.

posted at September 23, 2006 08:53 AM

Joanna wrote:

I could not believe that they cancelled Arrested Development!!! I don't think there has been such a funny sitcom ever since senfield left the air. It was a major loss for FOX network and I think we should all let them know this. FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO WATCH ARESSTED DEVELOPMENT!!!

posted at September 24, 2006 12:38 PM

Allyson wrote:

This is the network that left Joey on for 2 seasons. No way it's getting cancelled. I loved it. Yeah, they didi pack a lot into it, but it didn't deter me. I wonder if it was the Bible belt that tuned out.

posted at September 24, 2006 05:23 PM

Sam wrote:

I liked "Studio 60" and hope it stays on, but I can tell already that it is too cerebral for some people (Moral Bankruptcy) to grasp. Sure, it features the same rapid fire dialogue that Sorking seems to have a fixation with, but the writing was interesting and the acting first rate, especially by Amanda Peetz, Matthew Perry, and Brad Whitford. If this show gets cancelled, it will be because the average TV viewer either has an axe to grind with Sorkin or because they're too stupid or disinclined to follow it.

posted at September 25, 2006 04:05 PM

Moral Bankruptcy wrote:

Sam, you make my point for me--it's not that I can't grasp Sorkin's formula, it's that I've seen it before. It's sophomoric, self-important writing that's especially irritating when he's portraying tv producers as the smartest, most virtuous people in the world. I like rapid fire dialogue when it's interesting, and I don't have an axe to grind--I suspect I agree with Mr. Sorkin politically on about 99% of the issues. I just don't like to be preached at by wordy, pretty people, rapidly or slowly. West Wing was interesting when it had stories to tell about things that mattered and the writers actually tried to incorporate things they had learned from political insiders. Agonizing about what skit is going to air and will the sponsors pull out already got old in the first episode. This is SportsNight again with a light coating of politics--and calling people stupid because they don't like it is the height of arrogance. It'll get cancelled because it's an expensive show that really has nowhere to go.

Just an aside--another thing that's going to kill this show is that they're going to have to keep telling us how brilliantly funny they are without any evidence. No one's going to be doing great comedy on this show so people are going to have to keep reminding us that they really killed last night or whatever. That's just going to seem sad.

posted at September 25, 2006 08:40 PM

stysonss wrote:

I agree with most posters thus far; the show is quick, the dialogue is awesome, and Matthew Perry seems to knock out Sorkin's dialogue like he was born to it. I loved the fast pacing; it was Sorkin's great gift to TV. Of course West Wing got preachy, and I stopped watching WW once his politics got ahead of his plots. But so far the only thing "controversial" in the show was whether we should pull a sketch because it might be too mean for Christians. I think the episodes with the Mohammed cartoons have shown us that we cannot bow to violent threats, so if this is where Sorkin has chosen to draw his ideological line, I'm along for the ride.

posted at September 26, 2006 12:04 AM

Kerry wrote:

I generally watch a few of the new shows each year, then pick out one or two which peak my interest. I’ll stick with the couple of shows I pick and turn the rest off for the season. Life is too short to waste very much of it in front of a television and I’ve never liked a television show enough to defend it or call other people names because they don’t like it.

A couple of posts refer to this show as “cerebral” or “smart.” Some even calling others “stupid” for not liking it. I can’t help but find this behavior fascinating.

The show moved at a fast pace (as far as TV goes), but this does not make it some sort of intellectual hour of television. As BBCanceled so aptly put it, they packed 90 minutes of script into an hour.

This show will fail. Why? Because it really is a yawn-fest. Those who can barely keep up with the dialog will label it as “cerebral” or “smart” because to them it really is. So, if you have some sort of inferiority complex regarding your intellect, then by all means, watch Studio 60 and pat yourself on the back for actually understanding it, all-the-while slamming others by calling them “stupid” because you don’t believe they understand it.

IF you genuinely want to be “smart” you will turn the channel, or better yet, turn off the tube altogether when this show comes on.

posted at September 26, 2006 12:43 AM

Sports/Wing nut wrote:

With the deluge of mindless hit programs that pass for entertainmnet these days (Deal/No Deal, Fear Factor, Wife Swap, Idol...need I go on??), I am hungry, nay ravenous, for shows that do anything but insult my intelligence. That's why I've been enraptured with Aaron Sorkin's programs for years. Studio 60 combines the best elements of his previous outings -- rapid-fire dialogue, sardonic wit, biting social commentary, addictive cast chemistry. Do I think it will last? Certainly not as long as I'd like. Shows that you actually have to pay attention to rarely do. But 60 has whet my appetite for more, and I'll relish it while I can.

posted at September 26, 2006 02:03 AM

Claudia Lynch wrote:

"Studio 60" is "West Wing" good!

posted at September 26, 2006 08:36 AM

De1phic wrote:

Perhaps the biggest drawback to Sorkin's shows are that they are a bit formulaic, but aren't 99% of the shows on tv? And with fifteen different Law and Order and CSI shows on tv, it appears to me neither the networks NOR the public in general has a problem with that. Studio 60 is not a particularly cerebral show, but it sure seems it is compared to everything else that is broadcast on network tv. I liked the show, but ultimately I don't think it will be around too long. The attention span of today won't allow it to. If a show is going to last an hour, there needs to be dead bodies, licentious behavior or a gimmicky mystery to compel viewers to keep tuning in.

posted at September 26, 2006 09:58 AM

sarah showalter wrote:

Studio 60 is probably one of the best shows I have watched in a long time. I was not a West Wing fan, but this show makes me think and laugh. My husband, daughter and myself all enjoy this show. I can not take another who killed who show. Thank you for making something different. And Matthew Perry has now made me think of him as Matthew, not Chandler

posted at September 26, 2006 10:16 AM

PS wrote:

It's a TV show made to entertain. Did it entertain you?

posted at September 26, 2006 10:48 AM

Jay C wrote:

I think that people who refer to this show as a "yawn fest", or who refer to those who like Studio 60 as having an "inferiority complex" because "they can barely keep up with the dialogue" are being dismissive of the fact that it's well written, and they're trying to compensate for inadequacies of their own. Let's face it - there's people who are willing to invest a little time and attention in the program in order to be entertained, and there are others who are can't or won't watch the show and then feel the need to make ignorant comments about those who like it and consider it intelligent and well written. I keep up with the dialogue just fine, and I don't think this show is a yawnfest at all. There are two types of people who won't watch Studio 60: those who don't care for it and those who don't get it. Those who fall into the latter category (i.e., Kerry) feel some need to act as though they're superior. I bet he drives a Hummer.

posted at September 26, 2006 11:08 AM

Ianne wrote:

I happen to be an intelligent person, well educated, w/ a good job and I am a fan of good television. I say this because contrary to what an earlier poster suggested, I plan to do anything but turn the channel from "Studio 60." It is now the one show that I look forward to watching. (well that and "Grey's Anatomy" and "the Wire.") It is well written and well performed. Thought provoking, yet funny. You can call it smart, but it is also highly entertaining. Yes, it clearly will appeal to a different audience than those who enjoy "Deal or No Deal," "Survivor" or even "CSI: Miami." But if networks only provide programming for viewers that revel in a cheap thrill, or an obvious story line, those of us who look for something more will have nothing to watch. (and we buy stuff too.) I love that this show doesn't pander to its audience--and isn't Sorkin's whole point that TV shouldn't be watered down for the critics? (Both of the professional and "at home" variety.)

posted at September 26, 2006 11:20 AM

Rhonda Dotson wrote:

I believe STUDIO 60 has a fighting chance - there's nothing else that could even keep my attention last night except STUDIO 60 at this time slot. I didn't find it too "cerebral" or "preachy." Is it liberal? YES!! And I applaud Sorkin - he could be our own "television spin-show pundit." MEN IN TREES - is cancelled. STUDIO 60 - I vote to keep it "spinning."

posted at September 26, 2006 12:00 PM

ponytail87 wrote:

S6SS was beautifully shot, expertly casted and written as though television was poetry. I loved everything about the IDEA of S6SS, but not so much the execution. The most watched shows on television are usually more than the sum of their parts, but this ones parts may just have set the bar too high. Cerebral-schmebal. I understood every word of last night's premiere and appreciated all of the quality elements. I was just a little...(dare I say it?)...bored. (Eek.) I think I enjoyed the show more when it was The West Wing, but I will definitely give it a couple more viewings before passing final judgement.

posted at September 26, 2006 12:04 PM

Barbara wrote:

Great show. Smart writing...great actors. This is a BIG HIT if they play their cards right and not fall into the same old story line.

posted at September 26, 2006 12:25 PM

Sally Gorges wrote:

Studio 60 is fantastic! I was quite sad to see West Wing go last spring and so to have a show on this season that has so many of the same people that worked on West Wing working on this show is thrilling for me. Although I have very little faith in the people that do the programming of network television, I do think that there are enough people out there that want to have an intelligent, fast-paced, witty show on at least once a week that NBC will probably stick with the show for at least one season to see if those of us who watched West Wing for seven seasons will catch onto another Aaron Sorkin masterpiece. Yes, there are similarities between all of his shows but as was pointed out in an earlier post, with three CSI and Law&Order shows on television right now, this doesn't seem to be a problem for most viewers. I truly hope that the writing remains steady and the acting remains great, because if these two things happen, this show SHOULD be around for a long time.

posted at September 26, 2006 03:20 PM

James B wrote:

I love this show. Not only is it stunning to look at; the acting has no par with any show arriving this fall. "To Cerebral or to stupid" makes no sense either way to me. It's a TV SHOW, the day a TV SHOW is above my head is the day I stop watching TV (and that ain't gonna happen anytime soon). Vice Versa, yes it is just like the West Wing and Sports Night but that doesn't make it stupid. It makes it an Aaron Sorkin show. Last Night they showed us the first REAL sketch and it was inspired, but I too want to know if they can genuinely do a funny sketch show. I think we will get at least another season and it's brilliance will blind us all.

posted at September 26, 2006 03:53 PM

Christine wrote:

This is my favorite new show of the season. This is a refreshing new show that makes fun of TV networks and is funny and interesting, especially with Amanda Peet's awesome performace. I never want the episodes to end. I am so tired of seeing all of the crime, police, and legal shows - it is way overdone already! Enough to CSI, CSI-Miami, CSI-New York, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Law and Order, etc, etc.

posted at September 26, 2006 04:07 PM

Nicole wrote:

In a time when every other show is trying to gain ratings based soley on shock value, this one is putting its money on good writing and delivery. Studio 60 so far has been able to make good points without standing on a "soap box." As a viewer, I would most likely be considered in the conservative right, however, I love this show. The points that they have made that some would have thought to offend me, I completely agree with. Studio 60 has thus far has taken issue with people and politics that I think insult all of us (the left included) on a daily basis. I'll keep watching as long as NBC keeps it on.

posted at September 26, 2006 05:55 PM

Jackie wrote:

I thought the first episode was brilliant. The second episode had me until the very end. I think this will be the challenge of the series -- that is, when to show the show INSIDE the show? They shouldn't show excerpts of the sketches unless they're funny. The musical number at the end was NOT funny -- and because it was built up so much, I felt that the series lost credibility. I don't trust these characters to know what's funny. It was a let-down ending to an otherwise pretty good episode. But, not a good sign. I'll watch the next one, but if it's uneven, I won't watch again.

posted at September 27, 2006 11:03 AM

JayC wrote:

The cast works.
It is preachy and very self important.
Relevance to today is off. Christians are the big threat right now? If it was a sketch about muslims or mohammed that would have been relevant to today. It would have been edgy. It would have some substance and not just be more of the same anti-christian blather.
I watched the 2nd episode and felt like nothing had happened.
If it keeps up attacking those wacky christians, many are just going to tune out. Is there no celebrity gossip or legendary SNL hijinks that can be tossed in?

posted at September 27, 2006 11:39 AM

Joe wrote:

JayC, you need to get over your persecution complex. Just because the show focuses on Christian zealots instead of Muslim zealots doesn't mean it's irrelevant. In this show, which is about the production of a comedy show, it's especially relevant because Christian "fundies" are always whining about some comedy sketch or threatening a sponsor or network boycott. Remember Donald Wildmon? That which you call "anti-Christian blather" is what most of the rest of us call a relevant and timely issue for a show that portrays an industry under constantly attack by a small group that has the affrontery to think it can dictate what the rest of us watch on TV.

posted at September 27, 2006 02:38 PM

Kate wrote:

I love this show, I hope they don't cancel it. I just enjoyed it and was entertained by it.

posted at October 4, 2006 03:08 PM

Tanya wrote:

Funny how people will continue to watch stupid 'reality tv' shows, but when something like Studio 60 comes on, they won't. I'd watch S60 over that over 30 Rock show anyday. Mostly because I enjoy Matthew Perry and detest Alec Baldwin.

posted at October 7, 2006 01:31 PM

Jonesy wrote:

I was mixed on this one until tonight.
I really liked how Sorkin handled a very realistic scenario of plagarism. Introducing Christine Lahti in a new story arc was a good move.
The characters are starting to really feel their roles,
and I'll be back next week.

posted at October 10, 2006 02:05 AM

Doug wrote:

I like Aaron Sorkin's projects, and kind of like Studio 60, I hope it has potential. I'm having a few problems with it. I'm not feeling the sense of urgency that we are supposed to feel for this character situation. I like it, but don't quite buy into it...yet. I hope I do. I also don't like the woman, the "Lead" comedy character and Perry's old love interest. Don't tell me she's funny, show me she's funny. She's not funny to me. I feel that casting an established, funny comedian in that role would have helped with the credibility of that character. The woman who plays the new VP, now she's funny. I'm OK with everybody else. I watch it. I hope it floats. I wish everybody in America could hear Judd Hirsh's little speach in Episode One.

posted at October 11, 2006 08:48 AM

Josh wrote:

please dont cancel the show..... everything i like seems to get canceled. GREAT SHOW

posted at October 19, 2006 08:58 PM

Elainelv@aol.com wrote:

I love this show!!! I don't want it to stop, every show gets better!

posted at January 1, 2007 11:18 PM

Doug wrote:

...ha! You gotta love when people resort to questioning the intelligence level or ADD status of viewers when a show doesn't do well - rather than question the obvious, the show itself. Too "cerebral" - please... too transparent is more like it, and I agree formulatic as another poster noted. If you're a liberal, particularly of the east coast variety, I'm sure you were delighted by the not-so-veiled & far from infrequent digs on Bush, conservatives, midwesterners, Christians, basically everyone & everything liberals oppose. But if you happen to fall into one of these groups or you're simply annoyed by Sorkin using his show as a platform to voice his political views - you're probably among those that bolted after halftime. 'Left', I mean 'West Wing' did the same thing, but seeing as it WAS a political show from a Democratic camp... it was to be expected; but I don't think it carries well with the premise of Studio 60.

The desperation of this experienced & well connected producer guy turning into a giddy little school girl over his now pregnant boss(another act of desperation) was not only totally out of left field, but awkardly incredulous; and now he's supposed to be some kind of loveable stalker? - well, let's just say I didn't find it altogether "cerebral". Frankly, the last episode, aside from the aforementioned puppy love, was much more on point than any I've seen to date. It got into the hard core business meetings dealing w/ the FCC - lots of things at stake - making deals - forming alliances - even dealt with some tensions in the writing staff that I liked... unfortunately, I think it's a little too little, little too late to save this show.

Bottom line is that the concept IS golden. The acting talent IS there. There's unlimited plot potential... but what's made the difference between failure & success for this show is Sorkin & his having tried too hard & for too long to preach to us rather than entertain such that he's put himself in the desperate position of trying to salvage his show with some cheap love story gimmicks...

posted at January 26, 2007 01:26 PM

Andrew wrote:

I really liked this show. But I think the main reason it's being cancelled is its time slot. Heroes is also a great show, but I'm not sure they share the same audience. I watch both shows, but I'm not sure they really draw in the same people. It was a lot like West Wing. So why not put it on Wednesday, earlier in the evening, and give it a fighting chance. Just because it's about a late night show, doesn't mean it has to be on past prime-time, and be overshadowed by a huge show like Heroes. With sweeps coming up, I doubt they will take too many risks with their schedule, but it would be a good idea to at least try it at an earlier time on another night like Wednesday.

posted at February 14, 2007 10:20 PM